After starting the season with five straight home wins and then losing two consecutive games on the road, the men’s basketball team will return home for Saturday’s game against Savannah State.
Sophomore Ben McCauley said Raleigh would be a welcomed sight after the disappointing road trip.
“It’ll be very good for us, because obviously going on the road, facing some tough competition wears on you after a while,” McCauley said.
On the trip, N.C. State lost by five to Virginia on Sunday, and Wednesday it lost to West Virginia by 11.
But despite the losses, McCauley said the experience was good for the team early in the season.
“We’ve got a lot of learning to do being that we are kind of inexperienced, especially without [senior guard] Engin [Atsur] now,” McCauley said. “But it was a learning experience going on the road. The first ACC game was tough and then West Virginia. We learned a lot and we learned how do deal with adversity. Now we know what’s going to happen when we go on the road.”
Junior guard Gavin Grant said the losses gave the team examples to look back on as what not to do.
“We learned how to win if anything,” Grant said. “Even though we lost, we’re learning what we need to do to win games, which is do what we didn’t do.”
Against West Virginia, specifically, State had a tough time defending the 3-point line, allowing the Mountaineers to connect on 13-of-28 attempts from behind the arc.
Grant said teams that shoot well from the 3-point line give the Pack trouble, but added he still had confidence in the defense.
“We can play defense,” Grant said. “West Virginia was making some tough shots. I’m not real worried about our defense. We enjoy playing defense.”
Even though Saturday’s game will be in Raleigh, it won’t be in the familiar confines of the RBC Center. Instead the game will be played in Reynolds Coliseum.
“We’ve got great fans and I’m sure we’re going to have a great turnout on Saturday being that the game’s at Reynolds,” McCauley said. “It’ll be good to come back and play in front of the home crowd and hopefully get a win coming off two losses.”
Junior guard Gavin Grant said he enjoyed playing in Reynolds despite the high temperatures the 57-year-old building can produce when its full of people.
“It’s a little hot, but with the energy and intensity in Reynolds it’s like nowhere else I’ve ever played,” Grant said. “It’s like playing in Cameron Indoor [Stadium] or one of those places. It’s one of my last games in Reynolds. I’ve only got two left, including this one, so I’m definitely going to try to enjoy it.”
Since moving to the RBC Center for the 1999 to 2000 season, the Pack has played four regular season games in Reynolds winning all four by an average margin of 31 points.
Grant said the old coliseum creates a rowdier atmosphere than the spacious RBC Center, which the team feeds off of.
“The crowd is so close. They’re right there and everybody’s really into the game,” Grant said. “It gets so loud. If you can’t get up for a game in Reynolds, you shouldn’t be playing basketball.”
As for this year’s opponent, Savannah State, McCauley and Grant both admitted they know nothing about the Tigers. McCauley did say, though, between now and Saturday that would change.
“Coach gave us the day off [Thursday],” McCauley said. “Obviously having two rough games here back to back, he gave us the day off to try and let us get our legs back underneath us. I’m sure tomorrow we’ll hit the film room and go over what they have to offer in practice tomorrow.”
So far this season the Tigers are 5-6 record and will come to Raleigh Saturday riding a six-game losing streak that includes an 81-34 thumping at the hands of Big-Ten power Illinois.
But no matter the record or the name on the opponent’s jersey, Grant said the team is focused on this game and realizes the importance of every game, especially considering the way the last two games have gone.
“We’re going to treat this game like any other game,” he said. “And try to go out and get a win.”
