After a heartbreaking loss at Clemson on Feb. 25, N.C . State was seemingly dead in the water for a sixth consecutive season.
Less than a month later, the Cinderella of March Madness might be wearing a red and white slipper.
The No. 11 seed Wolfpack (24-12, 9-7 ACC) will play for a ticket to the Elite 8 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tonight in St. Louis, Mo. against the No. 2 seed, Kansas (29-6, 16-2, Big 12). The Regional match-up is the last Sweet 16 game to be played, and the winner will face either the number one seed North Carolina Tar Heels or the number 13 seed Ohio Bobcats.
The road to St. Louis went through Columbus, Ohio where State started out by brushing aside six-seed San Diego State, 79-65. Junior forward Richard Howell piled up 22 points to help set up a match up with three-seeded Georgetown, which N.C . State held on to win, 66-63, in dramatic fashion.
Following a five-11 conference record last season, coach Mark Gottfried has been one of the main catalysts in turning around State’s fortunes on the hardwood. Gottfried said the next test – a Kansas team ranked number six in the final regular season AP Poll – will provide a stern challenge.
“[Kansas] is obviously very talented,” Gottfried said. “They get up and down the floor very well; maybe as good as anybody we have played all year. We have to convincingly beat them. We’ve just got to go in there and not expect them to give us the game.
“That’s not going to happen.”
The Jayhawks are led by Thomas Robinson, who leads the team with 17.9 PPG and 11.8 RPG. Gottfried felt Robinson and seven foot guard Jeff Withey would pose a unique challenge for the Pack.
“Robinson inside is a monster,” Gottfried said. “He is strong, he is tough, he scores and they go to him a lot. Then you take a guy like Withey , and he has more blocked shots than John Henson. It tells you right there that he has the ability to change the game at the rim.
“I think what impresses me the most about them is both those two guards get baskets, get them at key times, and both can take the ball off the dribble and score.”
In the last game against Georgetown, the Pack was successful in getting key Hoya players into foul trouble, and Gottfried would love to repeat the scene once more.
“If we are good offensively, that can also help us defensively,” Gottfried said. “If we can get their bigs in foul trouble, they are a different team when they go to the bench just like we are. We have to be aggressive on how to attack them inside.”
If the Jayhawks do get into foul trouble, sophomore guard Calvin Leslie will be one of the vital reasons why. Heading into St. Louis, Leslie said his first year coach has been an influential figure.
“He seemed like a great guy at first; I talked to him, I liked how he talked to me at first and what he had planned for me,” Leslie said. “That guidance is definitely great. It feels good to be under coach Gottfried ; it’s definitely a great position to be in.”
State is one of just two ACC teams left in the tournament this year, along with Carolina. However, the All-ACC performer who is averaging 14.5 points per game in the NCAA Tournament felt it was a moment the Wolfpack deserves to cherish on its own rather than for the whole conference.
“We are representing ourselves,” Leslie said. “It’s great for our family. We can take that and enjoy that. The ACC has great teams, but it’s something we enjoy for our own family.”
As Leslie’s partner in crime, Howell has also been in a lot of foul trouble this season, despite putting up solid offensive numbers throughout the year. The Marietta, Ga. native led the Pack in scoring during the first two games of the postseason.
“[Foul trouble] was very frustrating,” Howell said. “It seemed like I was in foul trouble everyday. All of junior year, I have been in foul trouble, but I don’t let that stop me from being aggressive and trying to get my team a W.
“I am going to come out and still go as hard as I can.”
With a dream match up against UNC in the Elite 8 potentially awaiting the Pack, Howell felt that was something the team was definitely looking forward – even if its focus is on the big game before that.
“That’s one team we definitely want to get back at,” Howell said. “I feel they got away with two of them, and we definitely want the re-match. But, it’s one game at a time.
“We want to take care of Kansas first.”