It has been a season of ups and downs for the Wolfpack. Early on the team got off to a hot start in non-conference play, jumping out to a 10-3 record. However, a rough schedule in the ACC, including a seven game ACC losing streak, dropped State to a 14-13 record. But just when the team looked down for the count, it came back to life with a two game win streak against Miami and Wake Forest. The team returned to its losing ways Wednesday, falling to Virginia Tech in its final road game of the season, 71-59.
No matter the loss, freshman forward Scott Wood and the Wolfpack are continuing to persevere through each game, hoping to try and build momentum for the ACC tournament next weekend with a win over Boston College Saturday.
“We just hopefully can get this last win,” Wood said. “It is Senior Night and I know Dennis [Horner] and Farnold [Degand] want to get a win on their last time on their home cut. So we just want to try to get that win.”
And once the team gets into ACC tournament play, Wood said anything is possible, including an NCAA tournament bid if the team is able to hit a hot streak, go on a run to the finals and bring home the tournament title for the first time since 1987.
“In the ACC tournament anything can happen,” Wood said. “Everybody starts with a clean slate and that automatic bid into the NCAA tournament will be something that everybody is fighting for.”
With that in mind, Wood said that if the team is able to play a full 40-minute game like it did when it upset Duke earlier in the season, it can compete and has a chance of beating any opponent, including Boston College.
“It is one of those things we do think about. Everybody is pretty high on our chances,” Wood said. “It has just been a matter of about five minutes where we have struggled and that five minutes has just killed us this year. If we can just put together a full 40 minute game, it is going to be hard to beat us.”
But before the team can start to focus on the ACC tournament and the postseason, it must turn its attention to taking down the Golden Eagles of Boston College. The Eagles sit at 6-9 in the ACC and 15-14 overall, while State has a 4-11 record in the ACC and 16-14 record overall. However, with this being the first time the team has played BC this season, Wood and the other players will have to study tape to learn how the Eagles play and what they like to do.
“They run a lot of flex offense,” Wood said. “They are really fundamental, they set their screens and are well coached. We just have to scout them well and try to take away the things they want to do.”
Regardless of the outcome of the game against Boston College or the ACC tournament, Wood and the Pack want to go out fighting and play the hardest they can play.
“It may be a long shot, but we are going to keep playing hard until our last game is played,” Wood said. “Whether we make the tournament or not, we just want to make sure we go out playing our best.”
