Is the win over Maryland a Turning Point for NC State?

With TJ Warren a late scratch due to a sprained ankle, it was Ralston Turner who picked up the Wolfpack and carried them to victory over Maryland.

After a sloppy first half that had state shooting 22%, they calmed down, got focused and made a stand. Junior Ralston Turner went on an amazing stretch, hitting five 3s in the second half and finishing with 23 points and 7 boards.

Here is ‘our take’ on the Wolfpack win.

– Without Warren, the team was forced to reinvent themselves.
This game could end up being a blessing in disguise. Without Warren to bail them out on 1/2 of their possessions, this team had to trust one another, step up to the plate, and make some plays. The defense, the poise, and the teamwork were on full display in the second half when NC State made their run that won them this ballgame.

– Cat Barber is becoming a point guard.
First off, I know I’ve been hard on Barber in some of these columns, but I think he’s going to be an elite point guard in this conference and I think he was focusing too much on the wrong things. Tonight he started slow, but really controlled the game in the second half. He took smart shots, used his quickness to get in the lane and find open men, and he picked his spots like a true PG. With that said, I think you also have to credit Mark Gottfried. You have to be absolutely out of your mind if you’re one of these people on the forum calling for this guys head. He’s a winner and showing all the signs of being a great coach. He made the move to go exclusively with Barber (which I felt was a mistake not easing Lewis out, but that’s what he did), but instead of stubbornly leaving Cat in there to work through his mistakes, he’s lately been very quick to sub him out and teach him a lesson before putting him back in. He’s coaching this kid, he’s molding a scoring guard into a point guard and it’s starting to show.

-Ralston Turner was white hot.
Turner put on a display that even Scott Wood would be proud of. Here is a guy who teammates were saying could lead the team in scoring. Former players told me that when he’s hot, Turner shoots as well as Wood. I thought it was all hype. I thought that Turner was a good shooter, but wasn’t at ‘takeover’ level. I was wrong. Turner single-handedly won this game for NC State by hunting down his shot and burying it in defender’s faces. I think you’re going to see Gottfried try to work Turner into the rotation a little more, giving him another scorer to compliment TJ when he gets back.

-Dez Lee was in ‘lockdown’ mode
Turner provided the offense, but man, Dez Lee was a monster on the defensive end. This kid plays textbook defense. He’s down in a stance he knows the scouting report on his man and follows it perfectly. He goes over ball screens when he needs to and under them when there’s no threat of an outside shot. Lee still hasn’t gotten his offense going at the level we think he can, but his defense is elite level. He’s strong, he’s quick and he’s very smart with his positioning. He absolutely put Maryland’s lead scorer, Dez Wells on lock. Wells was frustrated all night and could only muster 2-11 shooting for 10 points. Lee was co-player of the game alongside Turner. Check out the interview with Lee and Turner…

-Bigs working themselves out
I think you’re seeing a coming of age for NC State’s bigs. Anya is transitioning to a more prominent role and Kyle Washington is becoming more of a scorer. Freeman is also making huge strides offensively. When these things start really clicking, teams are going to need to start writing these guys into the scouting report.

-Tell me again that this team doesn’t love their coach….

Next up is GT, Sunday at 1pm.