For Gottfried It’s All About The Competition

Yesterday morning Coach Mark Gottfried was with Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio and he hit  on a couple of topics as to why his team has had such a strong finish to the season. His main supporting argument as to why they upset the #1 seeded Villanova Wildcats was the strength of schedule that the Pack played this season. Not only does NC State play in the best basketball conference in the nation (5 teams in the Sweet 16) but the Wolfpack didn’t rely solely on the class of the ACC, they went out and played a challenging non-conference schedule. Coach Gottfried spoke about how his guys saw Villanova as just another team in front of them and how they have great confidence each night because of the teams they have played thus far.

He then cited the facts that our players have proven capable of beating world class opponents as they have won on the road versus Louisville and UNC. He pointed out that his guys have kept their heads up through the low points and have never lost that sense of belief. A quote I love from former player Scott Wood is, “if you don’t play anyone, you don’t beat anyone.” How true is this statement? How often do we see top seeds coast through an easy non-conference schedule and a weaker conference only to find their way out of the tournament before the second weekend?

Not only has Coach Gottfried made it a point of emphasis to schedule a tough non-conference schedule that is usually comprised of teams that have a track record for making the NCAA Tournament but he has laid a blue print for getting into the dance as well. Many can argue that in the last few years and even this season a big reason why the committee overlooked the fact that our teams have lost more than 12 games  is because we have had such a high RPI and SOS. Gottfried recognizes this and this is the reason he will continue to schedule the best of the best.

Let’s take a look at how NC State moved past what looked like a classic example of a collapse within the last minute of the Villanova game. In the last minute or so the Wildcats chose to press the Pack which we handled with success, until Trevor Lacey was about to get trapped and the unthinkable happens…he over throws a wide-open Dez Lee at half court. At this juncture I know that Wolfpack fans across the country thought not again! With 36.8 seconds remaining the Wildcats were only down 2 points and it’s their ball. Our guys all look towards each other and make the choice to not allow Trevor to be the scape goat. In that next to final possession our guys defend like their lives depended on it and the Wildcats missed a three pointer to win it. Cat Barber collects the rebound and in the next 14 seconds State steps up and sinks free throws to win the game.

In my opinion the Wolfpack didn’t collapse because they have seen every possible situation this season and have learned how to handle adversity. By playing a rigorous schedule, the Pack has learned that you must never give up or let your guard down. If our guys would have lost focus and thought that the game was over once the Wildcats missed with 14 seconds remaining we could very well be talking about what could have been. Luckily for the Wolfpack,  they have learned their lessons and have begun to apply them at the right time. Let’s hope we can use all of our experiences this coming Friday and keep the momentum going as we look to take down the Cardinals of Louisville for a second time this season