Following an ugly loss to one of the worst teams in the ACC, the NC State men’s basketball team travels south for a showdown with rival Clemson at Littlejohn Coliseum tonight.
With March comes madness in college basketball, and it couldn’t be more evident in the Wolfpack’s recent play. Prior to a crippling home loss to Virginia, the Pack saw itself slumping, losing four of its last five games.
Then, after stringing together three straight victories, which included impressive, resume-building wins on the road at Louisville and UNC-Chapel Hill, the Wolfpack (17-12, 8-8 ACC) laid an egg Saturday on the road at Boston College. Now, the Pack faces the Tigers (16-12, 8-8 ACC) who won’t go down without a fight.
The Tigers and Pack last met Jan. 28 in PNC Arena, with Clemson running away with a 68-57 victory. The Pack dug itself in a hole early in the game, scoring only 16 points in the first half. Despite 17 points from junior guard Trevor Lacey and a late rally, the Wolfpack fell to a surprisingly good Clemson team.
Clemson guard Jordan Roper, a man who averages 6.7 PPG on the season, dropped 18 points in the first meeting with State. The Pack also shot a jaw-dropping 18-for-63 in that game, indicative of the team’s “beat anyone, lose to anyone” roller coaster of a season so far.
The Tigers’ leading scorer Jaron Blossomgame has lived up to his 13.0 points per game average, as he’s scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games. Blossomgame, who has shot close to 50 percent on the year, along with guard Rod Hall, who averages 3.5 APG, have provided the Tigers with leadership and productivity all season long.
Despite Saturday’s loss, the Wolfpack seems to have turned its season around. Having won three of its last four, it appears the Pack has moved off the bubble for the NCAA Tournament, but that doesn’t guarantee anything.
Clemson’s 8-8 conference record doesn’t correlate to the true skill of this Tiger team. The Tigers took both Notre Dame and Louisville down to the wire and earned quality wins over Syracuse, Arkansas and Pittsburgh.
However, the Tigers do have some hiccups on their resume including losses to Gardner-Webb, Rutgers and Winthrop. Bad losses aside, the Tigers’ overall body of work illustrate the ACC’s depth and competitiveness this season.
One advantage State does have entering Tuesday’s contest comes in the paint. The Wolfpack rank 41st and 17th nationally in rebounds and blocked shots, respectively. With seven blocks in his last two games, look for sophomore forward BeeJay Anya to create defensive trouble in the paint for Clemson.
A mid-season turn around many Wolfpack fans and players alike have noticed has been sophomore guard Anthony “Cat” Barber’s play over the last month. Barber scored in double figures in six of his last seven games and hasn’t committed more than three turnovers in a game in more than a month.
Including Tuesday’s matchup with the Tigers, the Pack has two games remaining in the regular season before the ACC Tournament begins next week in Greensboro.
At the moment, many experts and bracketologists have the Wolfpack in the Big Dance, but nothing’s certain until Selection Sunday. The Pack can’t afford any slip-ups as it heads into the regular season’s home stretch.
