Wolfpack lose in first round of ACC tournament

Unlucky results for the NC State Wolfpack  losing to Maryland 74-69 in the first round of the ACC tournament.  A disappointing ending to a disappointing season, to say the least.  The Wolfpack let Maryland run all over them with outside shooting and completely shutdown the Wolfpack’s inside passing.  The score was tied 29-29 at halftime and the Wolfpack actually led by 1 point with 4 minutes left in the game.  Problems arose for the Wolfpack throughout the game, there were about 5 possessions in which NC State dribbled the ball down and passed it around the arc until the shot clock got down to 3 seconds then fired a off balanced 3 pointer.  To me that shows bad preparation for the game, if something is not working, trying the next plan, don’t just pass the ball in a circle and let the other team have it. 

What’s wrong?

• Inconsistent play from all of our starters, Costner, McCauley, Javi, Fells and Smith.  Why is Mays, a freshman who hasn’t played in 6 games, the best player on the team?  I am happy for the guy for sure, but frustrated at the level of inconsistent play from our starters.
• Either coaching or not listening to the coach.  I do not know what Lowe said to them before the game, but I sure hope it was something like this “Listen guys Maryland has two weapons, Gravis and 3-pointers, lets double team Gravis and contest every shot they take”.  Neither happened, which is pretty disappointing.

What’s right?

• Although Fells can be one of the best defenders in the league, his inconsistencies constantly hurt the Wolfpack more than it helped.  Maybe with Fells leaving we will be able to fill the 3 spot with a more consistent player.
• Lowe did some pretty good recruiting, I am looking forward seeing Scott Wood, Lorenzo Brown and Richard Howell put on the Red and White next year.

What’s next?

Nothing really.  The likelihood of NC State even getting a NCAA or NIT bid is too low to even talk about.  Maybe next year.  Keep up with the Wolfpack Journal through out the off season for late breaking recruiting news and the hopes of a great football season coming our way.  Regardless of what gets you down, just remember we beat UNC 41-10 last year and this year we have them at home.

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2009 ACC Tournament Schedule

Here is the ACC tournament schedule for 2009. NC State Wolfpack are seeded at #10 and will play #7 Maryland in the first round. The winner will play Wake Forest at 2pm on Friday afternoon. The tournament is being played in Atlanta, Georgia.

Thursday, March 12
No. 8 Virginia Tech vs. No. 9 Miami, Noon (Raycom)
No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 Georgia Tech, 2:30 p.m. (Raycom)
No. 7 Maryland vs. No. 10 NC State, 7:00 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 6 Boston College vs. No. 11 Virginia, 9:30 p.m. (Raycom)

Friday, March 13
Game No. 5: No. 1 North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech/Miami winner, Noon (Raycom/ESPN2)
Game No. 6: No. 4 Florida State vs. Clemson/Georgia Tech winner, 2:30 p.m. (Raycom/ESPN2)
Game No. 7: No. 2 Wake Forest vs. Maryland/NC State winner, 7:00 p.m. (Raycom/ESPN2)
Game No. 8: No. 3 Duke vs. Boston College/Virginia winner, 9:30 p.m. (Raycom/ESPN2)

Saturday, March 14
Game No. 9: ACC Semifinals, 1:30 p.m. (Raycom/ESPN)
Game No. 10 - ACC Semifinals, 4:00 p.m. (Raycom/ESPN)

Sunday, March 15
Game No. 11 - Championship Game, 1:00 p.m. (Raycom/ESPN)