GAME RECAP
NC State used a red hot Scott Wood (23 points) and solid performances from the rest of their starting five to out-gun the Demon Deacons 87.76.

It was a true game of runs with Wake striking first thanks to Chase Fischer and Travis McKie doing damage early , but NC State stormed back using Woods hot hand. That had the Pack in it midway through the second half, but it wasn’t until late in the first that State really made their move and it wasn’t until midway through the second that they really got out to a sizable lead.

State managed just 2 points off their bench and finished with a close rebounding margain but got very solid play from all 5 of their starters, limited the turnovers and got out on the break where they can be devastating.

KEY STATS
Wake played well tonight. They shot 50% from the field, 58% from 3 was only out-rebounded by three, but it wasn’t enough as State racked up 19 assists to only 9 turnovers as a team and turned that into 19 fast break points (to Wake’s 4). Player wise you have to look at Scott Wood’s 23 points (6-10 from 3), CJ Williams 18 (most of which came late in and in big situations) and Lorenzo Brown’s 8 assists to only 2 turnovers.

MARK GOTTFRIED QUOTES
“We were having trouble scoring around the basket because of the big guy Walker. He block a couple shots and we missed some shots so we ran a few more things in Scott’s direction…Scott stepped up and made huge and I mean huge shots for us today.”

“Our execution was really good. CJ made some big shots and Calvin made some huge plays for us…I do think we executed in our half court when we really needed to.”

“I think we can win a lot of ways. I think we’re best when we score in the 80s, but even when it’s a high scoring game we have to defend better. Every game is different, it takes on a different personality as the game gets going. We want to run but sometimes it’s hard to get the break going. Today though our break was good and the way we shared the ball was really good.”

“We’ve put ourselves in a position to do some things, but we all agree that we let some go that maybe we could’ve won and you can’t turn the clock back but we need to make our own mark. You’ll get what you earn and thats what this team will find out. We’ve got to be good every night, keep improving and just go one game at a time.”

Keys to the game: NC State NEEDS to get Lorenzo Brown back on track. Brown had three straight sub-par games where’s he’s picked up a habit of turning it over. Gottfried hated his team’s body language during the game at Boston College, especially Brown’s. He’s looking for his leader and his point guard to pick himself up and lead the Wolfpack.

According to his guardian, Craig Wilson, four schools are working hardest on the 6-foot-4 wing: N.C. State, Xavier, Pittsburgh and Oregon.

“Everything is still wide open right now, everybody’s still calling,” Wilson told SNY.tv Thursday by phone.

Graham has twice picked N.C. State and twice de-committed, but that school remains an option, Wilson said.

It’s nice to see that State hasn’t given up on Graham who is working as hard as he can to graduate and move one and it remains pretty clear to me that he’s still high on State and joining his friends Rodney Purvis, TJ Warren and Tyler Lewis  at NC State, the question is, will things align for this to happen.

Here is a video of Graham facing off against his old school (Word of God) before his transfer.

 CHARLOTTE, NC (February 2, 2012) – Following in the shoes of Jordan Brand Classic alumni Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James,Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin, the next generation of basketball’s brightest stars will take the floor in the 11th annual Jordan Brand Classic at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte on Saturday, April 14th. The Jordan Brand Classic will be nationally televised live on ESPN.

Jordan Brand, a division of NIKE, Inc., announced the rosters today, which features several members of ESPNUs 100 players – No.1 Shabazz Muhammad (Las Vegas, NV/Undecided), No. 2 Isaiah Austin (Arlington, TX/Baylor), No. 3 Kyle Anderson (Jersey City, NJ/UCLA) and No. 4 Kaleb Tarczewski (Southborough, MA/Arizona).

The Jordan Brand Classic event will also include a Regional Game, showcasing the top prep players from the state of North Carolina in an East vs. West showdown and the fifth annual International Game featuring 16 of the top 17-and-under players from around the world.  Two of the top five picks in last year’s NBA Draft included International game alums Enes Kanter (Turkey) and Jonas Valančiūnas (Lithuania).

The tripleheader will begin with the International Game at 2:30 PM followed by the Regional Game at 4:30 PM, and the All-American Game at 7:00 PM. The International and regional rosters will be announced at a later date.

“For over 10 years, the Jordan Brand Classic has featured some of the game’s greatest players and intense action,” said Keith Houlemard, President of Jordan Brand. “We are thrilled once again to host these incredible players at Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena and in front of millions of people tuning in on ESPN.”

NC State improved to 16-7 overall, and 5-3 in conference play, after sneaking past Boston College 56-51 on the road.  That’s a big deal for the Wolfpack.  With that being said, the game wasn’t a candidate for ESPN Instant Classic by any means.  The two teams combined to shoot a dismal 40%.

The Good

• 16-7 and 5-3 is the best record that the Wolfpack has recorded at this point in the season since ’05-06.
• NC State wins when Scott Wood plays well.  Period.  He led the team in scoring with 16 and recorded an NBA Efficiency rating of 17.
• 4 players scored in double figures (Wood 16, Leslie 13, Williams 10, Howell 10)
• The Wolfpack took care of the ball fairly well, except for Lorenzo Brown (5 TO’s)
• Credit where credit is due…Brown did have 7 assists
• NC State held the Eagles to 38.8% shooting.
• The Wolfpack played it’s best offense and best defense in the second half.

The Bad

• Lorenzo Brown recorded a single digit NBA Efficiency rating for the fourth straight game.
• NC State was out rebounded (30-28)
• The Wolfpack wasn’t able to play their style of game.
• I’m fairly certain Alex Johnson shouldn’t shoot too often.  He’s shooting 33% on the year…0-3 tonight.

“Our staff is very excited about the signing class of 2012,” said O’Brien, who has led the Wolfpack to the third-best record in the ACC over the past two seasons. “We went into this recruiting year with the intention of adding talent at every position, on both sides of the ball.  We are at the point now where we are signing to build a team, not rebuild a position, and we are adding quality depth.”

The class includes six defensive linemen, three linebackers, four defensive backs, four offensive linemen, two wide receivers, one tight end, one running back and two quarterbacks.

“It’s a long, tall, very athletic class,” O’Brien continued.  “Many of these young men were team captains and team leaders, which means they are the type of selfless players who will come in here with a goal of winning a championship.  Seven of the signees attended our camp, so we have really had a chance to get to know them and their character.”

The majority of the class hails from State’s traditional recruiting footprint, with eight signees from North Carolina high schools, six from Georgia and others from South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

NC State will open spring practice on March 23 and will conclude on April 21 with the annual Kay Yow Spring Game at 1 p.m.

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown High School/Last School

Deylan Buntyn* DT 6-4 330 Havelock, N.C. Havelock HS/New Mexico Military Institute

Robert Caldwell LB 6-3 235 Twentynine Palms, Calif. Twentynine Palms HS/College of the Desert

Niles Clark DB 5-10 173 Marietta, Ga. Lassiter HS

Marchez Coates DB 5-11 172 Pomfret, Md. McDonough HS

Drew Davis LB 6-3 230 Raleigh, N.C. Broughton HS

Eddie Gordan OL 6-2 305 Boiling Springs, S.C. Boiling Springs HS

Xavier Griffin WR 6-3 185 Newark, Del. Newark HS

David Grinnage TE 6-5 230 Newark, Del. Newark HS

Charlie Hegedus WR 6-2 195 Marietta, Ga. Lassiter HS

k’Hadree Hooker DT 6-2 285 Deep Run, N.C. South Lenoir HS

J.J. Jones DB 6-4 205 Lithonia, Ga. Martin Luther King HS

Bryce Kennedy* OL 6-4 285 Southern Pines, N.C. Pinecrest HS

Tyler Knox DE 6-4 225 Myrtle Beach, S.C. Myrtle Beach HS

Quincy McKinney* OL 6-4 300 Columbus, Ga. Carver HS/Fork Union Military Academy

Desmond Owino DE 6-5 235 Nairobi, Kenya Sanderson HS

M.J. Salahuddin LB 6-2 192 Fayetteville, N.C. Jack Britt HS

Josh Sessoms DB 6-3 185 Bailey, N.C. Southern Nash HS

Manny Stocker* QB 6-3 200 Coatesville, Pa. Coatesville Area HS

Pete Thomas QB 6-5 225 El Cajon, Calif. Valhalla HS/Colorado State

Shadrach Thornton RB 6-1 200 Hinesville, Ga. Liberty County HS

John Tu’uta OL 6-2 325 Fredericksburg, Va. Fork Union Military Academy

Kenderius Whitehead DE 6-4 220 Lithonia, Ga. Martin Luther King HS

Joe Wright DE 6-7 235 Greenville, N.C. Rose HS

For full bio’s, click here.

NC State @ Boston College
Wednesday, Feb 1 – 8PM
Television: ACC Network

WHY THIS IS A MUST WIN:
If we’re honest with ourselves then we know that NC State has to win this game if they want to play in March.  With their losses to UNC, Virginia and Georgia Tech they’ve missed a few opportunities to better themselves in the standing, but they really can’t miss again. This game is followed by Wake, and Georgia Tech, both must wins, before embarking on their toughest stretch of the year where they travel to Duke, and then host FUS and UNC. That stretch looming is what makes this game a must win.

KEYS FOR A WOLFPACK WIN:
In Raleigh NC State played well enough to beat BC by 14. Scott Wood led the way with 16 and Richard Howell snatched up 16 boards, while Zo managed 11 assists. Offensively State was dominant, but defensively they weren’t exactly perfect. The problem was focus late in the game where NC State allowed BC to crawl back from a 24 point deficit. BC shot 40% from the field and 33% from 3 point range, but it should’ve been even lower. If State can come out with the same game plan and the same intensity they had for the first 30 minutes of the matchup in Raleigh then they should cruise. But with the stands likely to be empty at Boston College, getting full focus and intensity might not be as easy as it sounds. It will be interesting to see how the Pack comes out in this one.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:
State is basically better than BC at every position, but last game Lorenzo Brown was the real fire starter. Brown, however, has found himself struggling as of late. Gottfried needs to get his point guard back on track, not just for this game but for the tough stretch that awaits. Scott Wood is another guy that just hasn’t been the same over the past few games. Wood’s shot has been off and needs to use this game to find it. BC can’t match State’s size or athleticism inside and they certainly don’t have the man power to stay in front of Lorenzo Brown. The question is, will the Pack’s big guns come out to play in this one?

TRANSITION POINTS (via NCSU Media Relations)
• This is the 13th meeting between NC State and Boston College. • The Pack has won three of the last four versus the Eagles, including a 76-62 decision at the RBC Center on Jan. 19.

• NC State is 1-3 at Boston College’s Conte Forum.

• The Wolfpack is seeking its third ACC road win of the season. • Beginning with Wednesday’s game, State will play three of its next four on the road.

• NC State is 2-2 on the road this season with two of those wins coming in league play.

• Last season, State was 1-3 after four road games including a 75-66 loss at Boston College a year ago.

• The Wolfpack is averaging 70.2 points on the road this year.

• With four ACC wins, NC State is one shy of equaling its league total for all of last season.

• Scott Wood is 48-of-48 from the line this year and has hit a

school record 58 straight dating back to last year. He set the ACC all-time mark for consecutive free throws with a 7-for-7 day vs. Miami.

• Wood leads the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (.433) and 3-pointers made (58, 2.8 per game). His streak of 19 consecutive games with a made three-pointer is the longest active in the conference.

• Lorenzo Brown’s 6.7 assists per game average (2nd – ACC) is the highest for a Pack player since Chris Corchiani handed out 9.6 a game in 1991 to lead the nation. His average is also seventh nationally. Brown’s 2.0 steals per game leads the conference.

• Richard Howell is the ACC’s third leading rebounder with an average of 9.4 per game.

• NC State offense (75.2 points per game) trails only North Carolina (84.9 ppg) and Duke (80.3) in the ACC.

• The Pack is only ACC program with five players listed among league’s scoring leaders. Each player is averaging 11 points or better per game.

• The Pack’s strength of schedule is 32nd according to Collegerpi. com (as of 1/31/12) and its NCAA RPI is 62nd.

• The ACC RPI is sixth .

Here is a breakdown of the current NBA Efficiency Standings:

NBA Efficiency Against UNC

1. Scott Wood – 11
2. CJ Leslie – 9
3. Lorenzo Brown – 9
4. CJ Williams – 7
5. Richard Howell – 3
6. Thomas De Thaey – 3
7. Alex Johnson – 2
8. DeShawn Painter – 0

NBA Efficiency Against UVA

1. Richard Howell – 22
2. CJ Williams – 14
3. CJ Leslie – 13
4. Scott Wood – 9
5. Lorenzo Brown – 8
6. DeShawn Painter – 4
7. Alex Johnson – 0

Notes

• Lorenzo Brown played his worst basketball of the season over the last three games, recording single digit ratings in each game.  He has averaged 8.7 over the past three games.
• Scott Wood leads the Wolfpack in Efficiency in ACC play (14.1)
• Richard Howell is the most efficient NC State player per 40 minutes by a long shot.  His 24.9 rating is 3.0 higher than CJ Leslie.
•  You can make an argument that this team either wins or loses with Scott Wood.  His rating is 4.8 less in the Wolfpack’s losses.

Check out the players NBA Efficiency Ratings in losses:

1. Brown – 14.7
2. Leslie – 13.7
3. Williams 13.4
4. Howell – 11.6
5. Wood 8.8
6. Painter 4.1
7. Johnson – 2.4

“He’s trying to finish up these last few high school games and then he’s going to make a decision,”Malcolm Musgrove, Jefferson’s father, told SNY.tv Monday evening. “I talked to Duke last night,” Musgrove said. “[Coach K] talked a lot about what he sees and they’re trying to understand if he can understand their system and how he would play in their system.”

So what’s our take on all of this?
With all due respect, are we supposed to believe that Coach K isn’t sure how he’ll use Jefferson yet? C’mon Mike, we know the drill. Either Amile can or cannot shoot the 3 ball. If he can’t, you bulk him up and call him a forward and tell him to rebound.We’ve seen this before and if he’s able to erase the tragic case of Shavlik Randolph from the mind of Jefferson and his father then he’s a pretty darn good salesman.

State on the other hand has a place perfectly carved out for Jefferson at the high post. Here he’s able to play his game and not adapt to a system that will turn him into something he’s not. He can work in the paint, pop from the elbow, or attack the rim. I’m sure Amile knows all of this and is really struggling with the decision since Duke is such a high profile school and State is still building. But who will he choose?

For the answer to that question we’ll all have to wait until February when his season comes to a close. Until then, keep checking back for updates on the situation.

There’s no better way to describe Ricardo Gathers than to call him a ‘beast.’ The guy is big, strong and will have his way with anyone who crosses his path. He’s only 6’6 but his body is already more ACC ready than half of the juniors in the ACC. Sure, the Pack is heavily involved with Amile Jefferson, but Mark Gottfried and company are also looking closely at Gathers. His league ready body and over the top athleticism has coaches from all over looking to add on this late addition. Here is a video courtesy of FiveStarBasketball.com featuring an interview with Ricardo talking about his recruitment, where NC State stands and why he’s such a big Tyler Lewis (2012 PG and NC State commit) fan.