With the N.C. State men’s basketball team’s record currently sitting at 13-7 and 3-4 in the ACC, this coming week will go a long way in determining whether the Wolfpack will reach the postseason. Beginning with a hard fought victory over Georgia Tech, the Pack has an opportunity to build its resume and climb the ladder in the ACC. State welcomes Florida State Wednesday night.
State is coming off a hard-earned 80-78 overtime win over Georgia Tech, a team that had an identical record in conference play. With the win, State was able to overtake the Yellow Jackets in the standings and now sits in a tie for eighth in the conference. Trailing for most of the game, the Wolfpack earned the victory with a small lineup and a tenacious zone, which fixed State’s porous defensive play and allowed it to claw its way back into the game. Sophomore forward T.J. Warren’s runner in the lane with 6.2 seconds left gave the Wolfpack the victory.
The Wolfpack hopes to carry the momentum of the Georgia Tech win into its conference tilt with the Seminoles tonight. Warren leads the way for third-year head coach Mark Gottfried’s bunch, averaging 22.1 points per game. That’s nearly double the output of State’s next-leading scorer, freshman guard Anthony “Cat” Barber with 11.1 points per game. Warren also leads the Pack in rebounds with 7.3 per contest, followed by freshman forward Lennard Freeman with 5.8.
FSU enters with a 13-6 record overall and is 4-3 in the ACC. The ‘Noles have won eight of their last 11 games and have won four of their past five games against the Wolfpack in Raleigh. They will be playing their second game in the Triangle in four days, having lost 78-56 to No. 17 Duke in Durham on Saturday.
Boasting one of the top defenses in the ACC, Florida State will look to come in and stop Warren and junior guard Ralston Turner. The Seminoles are fifth in the nation in field goal-percentage defense (.372) and are also first in the ACC in blocked shots (6.3 bpg). Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton emphasizes a defensive philosophy to his players. Expect to see tough defense against the Wolfpack playmakers.
Florida State is also second in the ACC in field goal percentage, hitting 48 percent of its shots from the field. FSU is deadly from behind the three-point line, and it leads the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (.336). Senior guard Ian Miller, a Charlotte native, leads a balanced Seminole scoring attack with 13.1 points per game. Sophomore guard Aaron Thomas and senior forward Okaro White are FSU’s next-leading scorers, with 12.5 and 12.4 points per contest respectively. White is also his team’s top rebounder, averaging 6.9 boards per game.
FSU, who played a very tough non-conference schedule, currently has an RPI of 26. The Wolfpack currently has no wins against the RPI top 50 and only three against the top 100 while boasting an RPI of 63. Wednesday’s contest, coupled with Saturday’s 1 p.m. road clash with rival UNC-Chapel Hill, presents a golden opportunity for the Pack to gain a couple of resume-boosting wins.
Wednesday’s game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. and will be televised by the ACC Network.
