MR. BRIGHTSIDE: A look at the positives from NC State’s 85-74 loss to Seton Hall

Ok, before we begin here, this article isn’t for everyone.

Any great coach is going to examine each game and zero in on the things that need improvement. They are also going to single out the things the team did well. This article focuses on the ‘things the team did well’ part.

If you want to sit in your anger from yesterday’s loss and use it as fuel while rooting for the team today, that’s cool too. But just a heads up, you’ll hate this column (you might be more into this one).

Now that we’ve put that aside, let’s dive into the positives that we can take away from NC State’s first loss of the season.

– Matt Able continues his ascent
The 5-star freshman has been coming off the bench for NC State, but if he continues to perform like this, he’ll eventually slot into the starting role. Able was really the only clear bright spot in the loss to Seton Hall. He finished with 15 points on 6-12 shooting and 2-5 from 3pt range (he’d have been 3-6 if his toe wasn’t on the line on one of his shots). But it wasn’t all about scoring. Able was really the only true dog on the court for NC State. He was locked in defensively, he sat down, didn’t reach and played great position defense. Because of this he really frustrated Seton Hall, deflecting passes and causing turnovers. He had 2 steals of his own.

Also, I want you to watch Able on defense. He’s constantly in the passing lane and seeing man and ball. Ready to pounce on a sloppy point-to-point pass. He’s the only guy out there consistently doing this.

All of that said, it wasn’t like Able was perfect. He did have 3 turnovers and a few straight-line drives into traffic that he should have either dished out or gathered himself and tried to create contact on.

– There isn’t a talent problem on this team
The problems Joey pointed out in his post-game piece are fixable. That’s the good news. The bad news is, it’s going to take some trial and error to see how best this roster fits together. I mean, think about it. This is a new coach, with a new system, with all new players, trying to play as a cohesive unit. This was their 5th game.

We’ve said since day one that this is one of the most flexible rosters we’ve seen in a long time. It can do so many things and be so many things. Right now, it’s about finding which of those lineups best fit in certain situations and against certain opponents.

They will figure it out. It’s one thing to run data projections and lay out theories on paper. It’s another thing to roll out the ball and see how players’ talents and personalities mesh and compete. They’ll figure it out, and when they do, I’m telling you, watch out, because this team is stacked with talent.

Games like this Seton Hall loss, to this staff, are data points. These are new inputs, and the more significant, real-world inputs they get, the smarter the output gets. I know it’s cliché, but be patient and trust in your initial gut feeling. Wade has a track record for a reason.

– Sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth
Some people hate when you say this, but in my lived experiences, it’s been true. You think you know something, until you don’t. And reality hits you in your mouth. It hurts, it’s humbling, but many times, words and lectures don’t activate change. Getting your bell rung, does. And no, I’m not talking about literally getting punched in the mouth, although yeah, that would work too. I’m talking about harsh lessons, kind of like the one NC State just got against Seton Hall.

Thinking about this last night, it probably was inevitable at some point. NC State is a complex job. The fan base wants a brash, confident leader with some swagger, and that’s what they have in Wade. But for that to be authentic, it needs to be an earned disposition. Wade has earned it. The players on this team, many of them, haven’t.

But as the saying goes, players/teams take on the personality of their coach, and if you’ve watched this team operate, they have done that. They have a confidence and a swagger to them. Some of that is earned with success at prior stops and hard work this offseason, but some of that is just mirroring of their leader. Once you throw them on the floor against real competition, you start to weed out the ‘earned ‘ from the ‘learned’.

When you take that punch to the mouth, the arrogance falls away, and you’re left with whatever confidence was there to begin with. Coaches sometimes view this as ‘breaking down and rebuilding a player.’ But whatever you call it, it’s a natural progression that any great coach can navigate. Lucky for NC State, I think this roster is made of winners and is being coached by winners, so I think there is a ton of real, authentic confidence there.

I think maybe the guys got a little bit over their skis in terms of how easy things would be, but I think reality set in yesterday. I think you’ll see a renewed focus, but the hope is that it’s enough to get us through this tournament and back home, where we can take these learnings and really embed them into the system and culture.

NC State is set to take on Boise State today at 2:30PM on ESPN2.