1. NC State must play their game and not overlook USF.
USF is not very good as evident by their 2-7 record. NC State cannot be casual in their cause as they do not possess the personnel that can just go through the motions to win. The Pack have had a week off and hopefully learned something valuable in their last game against Bucknell, and that is if they run the offense they can score effectively.
The Pack did an excellent job of pushing the pace at every opportunity, yet more impressive they pulled it out and ran the high post offense when needed. Maverick Rowan had his best game yet as he scored 27 points, his shot selection was spot on. Maverick lined up correctly and attacked within the offense finding himself open from three and driving for his midrange.
It will be Cat Barber’s job to get this group into their sets and playing their brand of basketball early. If the junior can continue his run of good games then the Pack should walk out of Tampa with a win.
2. Play some defense.
Defense has been awful for this group thus far, there is no way around that. If this group wants to win come ACC play they will have to have a better showing on that end of the court. In tomorrow’s contest the Pack must look at it as an opportunity to shut the Bulls down completely.
I am waiting to see if Gottfried will deploy an all out defensive scheme where he presses for the majority of the game. I think the Wolfpack have the personnel to excel in this type of scheme as they are stacked with length and athleticism, as well as rim protection. I understand his reluctance as he cannot afford to wear Cat down and depth is a concern, but at some point it may be too good of an option to ignore.
NC State will have to contain guards Roddy Peters and Jahmal McMurray. These two are the leading scorers for USF, if the Pack can take these two away the Bulls will struggle mightily. Neither of these guys are efficient as both are shooting below 42% from the field. It will be up to Barber and Caleb to keep these guys out of the paint and force them to shoot away from the basket.
With a week off one would hope to see improvement in fundamentals on the defensive end, we will have to wait and see come 4 o’clock Sunday.
3. Movement on offense.
When all 5 guys are moving on offense everything looks better, the Pack must continue to progress in this area. The Bucknell game was a step in the right direction as the team realized that it is better to move, versus watching Cat dribble. Everyone looked better as the big men worked off the ball and the wings moved with a purpose.
Coach Gottfried’s system demands movement as it is key to catch the ball in certain spots. The high post man needs to catch the ball at the elbow on the free-throw line as it makes the duck pass much more accessible. The wing needs to catch near the three-point line as this gives them a good angle to hit the UCLA cut, and makes the pin down screen more effective.
If State can build upon their movement and execution from last Saturday’s game tomorrow, they should win easily.
Tip-ins
The game will be shown on ESPNU at 4 o’clock with Allen Bestwick and Mark Wise with the call. Entering the game Cat Barber ranks 30th in scoring as he is averaging 20.8 points per game. NC State will need to attack the basket with caution as USF is averaging over 6 blocks a game.
