Louisville Ousts Pack 75-65

Louisville was the aggressor the whole game except for a handful of runs the Pack mounted to prove that they were more than capable of winning tonight’s game. It just wasn’t a total team effort tonight. NC State played too much “hero ball” as everyone tried to put their own stamp on the game; however, it had the opposite effect which halted the Wolfpack’s opportunity to advance to the Elite 8. The hot topic will be did Kyle Washington get enough minutes? The simple answer is, no he did not. On the night Kyle was 4-5 for 11 points despite the fact he played less than 15 minutes total. I am not sure the logic behind the move other than his ineptitude on the defensive end as he was completely taken advantage of by Harrell, but so were all of our big men.

The two cogs that State had to stop were Rozier and Harrell and both of these guys had monster nights that ultimately lead to the demise of the Pack. Terry Rozier was unbreakable as he found a way to score (17) and tallied a game high 13 rebounds. Montrezl Harrell was equally imposing as he scored 24 points on 9-12 shooting. I had a feeling Harrell would register points but I was disappointed in how easily he scored. Our big men were lazy in allowing him to catch the ball deep inside which allowed him to get easy baskets.

The NCAA Tournament is a trying contest as it demands each team be ready each and every game, unfortunately for NC State they couldn’t over come a poor shooting night to advance. Shooting 38.3 percent from the field is an easy recipe for a loss and combine that with a mediocre at best defensive effort and the Wolfpack were lucky to only lose by 10 points. The Pack must learn how to work for good shots. All to often our guys try and make incredibly difficult shots that are not called for, especially early in the shot clock. Our team is very talented but we sometimes rely too much on our talent and not enough on our system which is in place to put them in the best possible spots. Hopefully in the offseason our guys can learn how the offense is simply a blueprint to put them in the best situations to use their strengths!

It is tough getting tossed from the NCAA but on a brighter note we have many of the same pieces coming back next season. Let’s hope that tonight’s loss leaves bitter taste in their mouths that can be used as a driving force to get better in the offseason. We will have more analysis and breakdown to follow and then look forward to the future.