State Lays Egg Against BC: 79-63

I am at a loss for words as NC State looked lethargic and apathetic as they allowed a lowly Boston College team to wipe them off the floor. There isn’t anything to be gained from this game as State allowed the Eagles to shoot lights out (57%) and get to any spot they wanted with ease. The difference between our big win over UNC makes this loss even more puzzling…But should it be puzzling? A young team comes off a huge win to much fanfare and must travel to last place Boston College. Look I am not making excuses as I know there is no reason why the Pack should drop a game to the Eagles; who have had little success all season. These are the type of games that require extra effort as you must put bad teams away early. NC State allowed Boston College to get into a flow early and the result was that every player on their team played the whole game with an extra step.

Olivier Hanlan is undeniably their top player. He is the only player on this team that I respect as he has torched many teams in his career, but that is all the more reason to try and take him away. The Pack gave him clean looks as he easily beat whoever was guarding him off the bounce to get clean looks. Hanlan also hit a couple of heat check shots for good measure. Offensively the Pack got away from attacking the rim and settled for contested jumpers. On a positive note we managed 18 offensive rebounds in large part due to the bricks from the perimeter; however, we still showed the effort to chase down the loose balls. I think we all need to take a step back and take this game for what it is…A loss but we are still in the NCAA Tourney (Joe Lunardi) as a 9 seed. I am sure we will drop after this result but on the plus side we have two big games remaining that can rectify today’s performance.

Sure there are a ton of negatives that we could talk about but lets air on the side of optimism and look forward. I think today’s effort is more the exception versus the rule for our guys this season. Prior to today our guys have displayed progress as they beat Louisville, VT, and UNC. I am confident that our guys will put this performance behind them and use it as a lesson going forward. The reality of all of this is that you cannot judge a book by its cover, especially in the ACC. Boston College was the last place team but nonetheless kicked our can. When the ball is thrown upwards at the start of the game records and history are out the window. We must play each game with the same intensity no matter the opponent we are matched up against.

State returns to action Tuesday night as they travel to Little John’s Coliseum to face Clemson. Tip-off is slated for 9PM and can be seen on ACCN/Raycom