After missing out on participating in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge a year ago, State looks to remain perfect and give the ACC a win when it takes on the Northwestern Wildcats at home.

N.C. State has gotten off to a hot start early in the season as it won the Glen Wilkes tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla., beating Auburn 60-58. Much of the success can be credited to junior forward Tracy Smith, who is leading the team in points and rebounds per game with 16.2 points per game and 10.4 rebounds. Continued success by him will be a factor as the Pack looks to continue its streak.

State fans will see a familiar offense when the Pack takes on the

Wildcats, as it runs a Princeton-style offense, like the one run by former

State head coach Herb Sendek.

“That’s going to be a different ball game for us, for our young guys,” coach Sidney Lowe said. “It’s going to be an experience for them to play against a team that runs [the Princeton offense] all the time.”

The main focus for the team as it prepares for the Wildcats is making sure it stays mentally tough during the game and does not give up easy baskets.

“It’s going to be more a mental game than it is physical,” Lowe said.

“Physically it’s going to be tough because they do play tough and they do cut hard. But mentally, just being mentally tough enough and disciplined not to get back-doored, to not to allow them to pop and get a wide open three.”

Even though the team is playing against an unusual offense, the players are still confident that if they play their game and do not give up easy baskets they should come away with the victory.

“We’ve just got to play smart and be ready to watch for the back doors,” Smith said.”[Lowe] said they play a 1-3-1 zone, so we’ve just got to execute our plays and be patient and we should come out with a win.”

With the ability of the Princeton offense to create easy baskets and wide open shots, the players know Northwestern has the ability to go on huge scoring runs, and the test is knowing how to respond to it.

“They have a lot of guys that can shoot the ball. They do a lot of back-door cuts,” sophomore forward C.J. Williams said. “So it will be a definite test of our mental toughness to stay with it even if they make a run, to come right back at them and make another run.”

Offensively the Pack has to stay disciplined and focus on not trying to force things and on taking what the defense gives it.

“Playing against Northwestern, you have to be disciplined,” Lowe said.”What we have to do is just play the same way, in terms of playing smart, playing our game, and taking what’s there and not feeling any pressure to where we’re trying to force things.”