Last week the full 2015-2016 NC State Men’s Basketball schedule was released.  Over the next few weeks we are going to breakdown each month of the NC State’s season, highlight each team with a brief summary and what to expect from the Wolfpack.

Here is a preview of the month of November on the Men’s Basketball 2015-16 schedule:

The Schedule (7 games 5 at home): 

• Cal State Los Angeles 11/08/15 at PNC
• William and Mary 11/13/15 at PNC
• South Alabama 11/15/15 at PNC
• IUPUI 11/18/15 at PNC
• Arizona State 11/23/15 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY
• TBA Winner of LSU and Marquette 11/24/15 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY
• Winthrop 11/27/15 at PNC

What to watch for: 

NC State starts the season off with an exhibition game versus Cal State Los Angeles.  It will be important for the Pack to use this game as a full dress rehearsal as they play William and Mary the following
Friday.  The Tribe will be a tough early test for the Pack, as they return four starters from a team that won 20 games a season ago in the CAA.  Another reason why the Tribe will be a formidable foe is that the four returning starters are all upperclassmen (2 Jr’s and 2 Sr’s) and they return 76.8 % of the minutes played from last season.  Experience will be in the Tribe’s favor!

Another intriguing match-up is Arizona State, as Levi Watkins faces his alma mater and the place where he was the Director of Basketball Operations under both Sidney Lowe and Mark Gottfried.  Watkins joins Bobby Hurley, who accepted a job at ASU after a successful stint with Buffalo.  Hurley is familiar with the Pack, because he served as the point guard for the Duke Blue Devils in the early 90’s, leading them to two NCAA titles.  ASU will have plenty of growing pains as they will look to rebuild a program that has seen little success in the past 15 years.  In fact, they only made the NCAA Tournament 3 times in that span.

Most Intriguing: 

If the cards fall correctly NC State could have a potential showdown with the LSU Tigers in the championship game of the Legends Classic in Brooklyn on November 24th.  The match-up would be a rematch of the exciting game in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament last season.  In that game, BeeJay Anya converted a soft left handed jump hook to edge the Tigers at the buzzer.  I am sure LSU would love to have an opportunity to knock off the Pack in an act of revenge.  They have a couple of highly touted recruits in tow that should give them ample firepower to do so.  The Tigers bring in the 3rd ranked recruiting class and the #1 recruit in Ben Simmons.  Simmons is a 6’10” do it all Power Forward, who has been singled out as the type of talent that can change an entire program.  I hope that the Pack gets the opportunity to play the Tigers and Simmons as it will be a great test for them going forward.

3 Keys for November: 

1. Establish a defensive standard:

The Wolfpack has a roster that is equipped with enough versatility and athleticism that they can become one of the best defensive teams in the NCAA.  However, this has to become a mindset and an attitude.  Defense is all about who wants it more.  Coach Gottfried must create an environment where those who defend will get the minutes.  He has to hold his team accountable and have defense at the forefront.  It is still unknown what defensive scheme the Wolfpack will use this season, but I think a good mix of full court pressure and aggressive man-to-man defense would be ideal.  Last season it looked like the Pack were the most stingy on defense in their zone full court pressure and when Gottfried allowed Cat to pressure the ball in the backcourt.  I see no reason why a mix of the Martin twins and Cat cannot gamble in the backcourt, especially with Anya as a rim protector.

2. Play their game:

Early in the season it is easy for a team to overlook certain opponents, especially ones that are not household names. NC State has always had an ability to play down or up to whoever they are playing.  This has to stop. They must be the same team each and every game.  That means running the offense, making cuts hard, valuing the ball, and playing defense with an all-or-nothing mentality.  The elite programs play hard no matter who they are playing, and NC State must do the same.  In some of the early games there is little doubt that the Pack will win, but what is more important is how they win.  The so called cupcakes should still have their respect and the players goal should be to play the cleanest game possible.

3. Build a foundation:

The first month of the season is all about building a foundation.  It is important to get a firm grasp of both the offensive and defensive playbook.  In my personal opinion, the one thing a team does not want to do is peak too early.  Every year some team comes out of the gates hot only to fade as the season moves forward, but the teams that continually grow throughout the season are usually the ones that have the most success come March.  Coach Gottfried is all about his team playing their best basketball come March.  He shares this fact with his team weekly.  They know what his expectations are and realize that an uneven showing in November can be useful as long as they correct the problem and learn.  College Basketball is a marathon, not a sprint.  I believe that Gottfried does as good a job as anyone in conveying this message to his teams.  I think this is why his teams always seem to  find a way into the dance and never throw in the towel.

NC State’s foundation must be established on the defensive end if they are going to contend for a top finish in the ACC. On the offensive end, it will be all about Cat and Abu.  These two need to gel and use November as a time to get familiar with each other and their tendencies.  Cat and Abu could form one of the best one-two punches in the NCAA when it comes to the pick and roll, but they need time to develop that chemistry to make the most of their talents.

Summary: 

November is not the month when tournament tickets are punched, but it can certainly be a time where hopes are dashed.  Teams need the first month to gel and build team chemistry and most importantly confidence in each other in order to be successful.  It doesn’t have to all click for a team in November but a team must begin to turn the corner by the conclusion of the first month.  NC State has a solid mix of talented teams and teams that should pose a good opportunity for them to develop experience in the first month of the season.  It will be critical for Gottfried to develop confidence in his bench the first month and to figure who pairs best with who.  If State uses the first month to build and develop a thirst for defending, they could set themselves up to shock the ACC.