NC State @ Boston College
Noon | Boston, MA | ESPN3
State is coming off a pretty impressive stretch with wins over Louisville and UNC (both ranked in the top 15). They have really put themselves in a good spot come selection Sunday, but the season isn’t quite over. This is still a young team and they’ve been accustomed to streakiness all season long which likely gives most State fans pause when thinking about today’s Boston College game. Sure the Eagles are in last place in the ACC and only have 1 victory, but this is the ACC and if you know anything, you know that anything is possible. Case in point, Pitt has been one of the hottest teams in the ACC over the past month, but on Tuesday night they almost lost to Boston College when Olivier Hanlan went off for 39 points. State can’t allow something like this to happen if they want to stay off the bubble. This is a game they’ll have to keep their focus and really concentrate on execution and defensive pressure. Here are our keys….
Stay Humble, Stay Hungry
This State team is different than a lot of others we’ve seen in the past. This team doesn’t have a ton of ego or attitudes on it. It’s a group of guys that, for the most part, are on the same page. The reason they have been so streaky has not been because they don’t feel like putting in the work, or are’ too cool/ too good’ to compete in some of the lesser games, but because they are young and still learning to win together. This team has always been improving since day 1. They went from a team that depended strictly on Lacey and Turner to a team that usually has 4 legit scoring option on the floor at any given time. They seem to have a clear vision of where they want to be. After the UNC game they celebrated but they all talked about “we have to keep going…the season isn’t over” in their interviews. This was a good sign and a reason to believe that this team thinks they could do something very special come March.
Play Physical
On the road in what might be a pretty empty stadium against the ACC’s last place team. Gottfried is going to have to do his best job to keep the guys zeroed in and focused on business. One thing State can’t do is come out soft and think they can go through the motions in this one. BC is pretty bad, but they are an ACC team and have enough talent to take advantage if you’re not prepared. The Pack needs to focus in on their mission. Sure this should be an easy win on paper, but you know how that usually goes. This is going to have to be a point of emphasis for the Wolfpack bigs. Freeman and Abu have done a great job throwing their bodies around in the post and it’s a real reason Gott has stayed with that lineup. BC isn’t strong in the paint and has had trouble rebounding all season long. If the Pack bigs come out looking to get physical, the Eagles aren’t going to have much of a chance.
Stop Hanlan
Remeber the guy that dropped 4o points in an ACC tournament game as a freshman? Yeah, he’s still around and he’s been white hot over the last few weeks. Olivier Hanlan has scored over 3o points in 4 of his last 6 games. He went to the foul line 14 times against Pitt last time out and connected on all 14. He’s BC’s motor. You stop him and you stop the Eagles. State will probably start with Lacey on him, but you could see Barber end up there by game’s end. I wouldn’t be surprised to see State face guard Hanlan like they did Paige (if Hanlan gets hot early). BC doesn’t have many more playmakers, so taking him out of the game would spell death for BC.
What the hell has happened? Put the wagon back in the barn and burn the barn.