Despite a furious second-half rally that eventually ended in defeat Feb. 3 in Winston-Salem, the NC State men’s basketball team looks to play giant killer once again tonight against the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers at PNC Arena.
Having lost five of its last seven games, the Wolfpack (14-10, 5-6 ACC) desperately needs a win against the Wahoos (21-1, 9-1 ACC) if it wants any chance to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Wednesday’s matchup comes at the end of a brutal three-game stretch for the Cavs. After dropping a hard-fought game at home against No. 4 Duke, the Wahoos went into Chapel Hill and dominated the No. 12 Tar Heels, then returned home to narrowly edge out the No. 9 Louisville Cardinals.
Conversely, the Pack has enjoyed over a week of rest since its 88-84 loss at Wake Forest. Head coach Mark Gottfried and his players said they hope extra practice time will give them the edge over a Virginia squad that, aside from a five minute stretch against Duke, has dominated the ACC this season.
“We were going hard for a couple of weeks now,” sophomore forward Beejay Anya said. “It was nice to take it easy, rest our bodies and relax.”
The storyline of the Pack this season starts and ends with one word: volatile. State looked like a dangerous team after jumping out with a 20-point lead on No. 8 Notre Dame and in a win over then-undefeated, No. 2 Duke. But losses at Miami, Wake Forest and Clemson at home had Wolfpack fans scratching their heads. A win over Virginia would help change that aforementioned storyline.
Another positive sign for the Pack has been the recent renaissance of sophomore guard Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber. Over his last two games, Barber averaged 25.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.
“I’m getting back to playing smart basketball,” Barber said. “Everybody’s telling me I look like the old Cat Barber, so I think I’m getting back to playing better ball.”
The news heading up to Wednesday’s matchup has been overshadowed by the announcement that Virginia guard Justin Anderson, an All-American candidate, would miss six-to-eight weeks with a fractured finger.
Anderson’s absence is a big blow to the Cavs as he sits as the team’s second-leading scorer with 13.4 points per game and leader in 3-pointers, shooting 48 percent in the season.
“Sometimes when a guy is out, it’s easy to rally the troops,” Gottfried said on Anderson’s injury. “We obviously did it at Florida State without Cat. Thier system is more predicated on style and team play than just one player. They’re a terrific team, and I’m anticipating getting their best shot.”
The two teams’ last meeting came in Charlottesville, Virginia back on Jan. 17. The Wolfpack kept it close, but the Cavs pulled away in the end, walking away with a 61-51 victory.
Anderson led the way for Virginia, scoring 16 points and shooting 4-for-9 from downtown. Redshirt senior guard Ralston Turner’s 14 earned him top scoring honors that night for the Pack.
UVa head coach Tony Bennett preaches defense, and the Wahoos are one of the best, if not the best, in the country on that side of the ball.
Coming into Wednesday’s matchup, the Cavs rank first in the NCAA in defense, allowing an average of 50.7 opponent points per game.
“I think they’re a team that can compete for a national championship,” Gottfried said. “We got our hands full, and we’re excited for the opportunity to play them.”
With March just around the corner, every game is crucial for State if the team wants to be in discussion for the Big Dance. After Wednesday’s game against Virginia, the Pack has six games left before the ACC Tournament, four of which come away from Raleigh.
