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Gottfried’s comments following State win at Georgia Tech

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Mark Gottfried’s post-game press conference

Opening Statement
“The first thing that jumps out at me was that our defensive effort was as good as it has been in a while. I thought that was the key to the game. We had a game where we went 1-for-11 from the three. Scott Wood seemed to struggle to get in a groove, but I thought the difference was how we defended. We had active hands, we really pressured the ball well, disrupted the post–feed pass to go inside, so I thought that was the key for us tonight.”

Something you saw on defending the post
“We just talked the last couple days about being sound fundamentally. But again, being in a better stance, having active hands. Instead of getting our hands by our sides, we’ve got to be more active with everything that we do. We spent some time on that this week and I thought our guys carried that into the game.For us to become a good basketball team, that has to get better for us. Tonight was a good step in that direction.”

On the play of Richard Howell
“I thought Richard was great. You run out of adjectives for that guy. He plays so hard, he had a big-time first half and I wasn’t sure that he could have a second half like the first half, but he was really good offensively and at rebounding the basketball. He did everything he always does.”

On how big C.J. Leslie’s layup was with the score 51-49
“I thought it was a big shot. I’ll tell you another shot that I thought was big for us was Tyler Lewis’ three (10:52 mark of second half). There was a stretch where we had a couple empty possessions, were a little out of sync and Tyler’s three was huge for our team as well.”

On the early 28-14 lead
“We’re on the road and they’re going to respond. I felt they would be really competitive and come back like they did. I thought (in the first half) we played 17 minutes of great defense. Then we had three in there right towards the end where we didn’t get a rebound, they hit a three pointer, got another three pointer. But out side of that stretch I thought our defense was awfully good.”

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, The skinny, UNC

Does Virginia’s win over Duke help or hurt Carolina and State?

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While everybody but Duke was probably rooting for Virginia to defeat the Blue Devils, it remains to be seen if the Cavaliers 73-68 victory over the Devils will help or hurt NC State and North Carolina.

Miami isn’t going to lose its last three games so the Hurricanes are a lock for regular season championship and the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament. That leaves three other teams to get byes in the first round of the ACC Tournament. A bye is a big advantage so Duke, Virginia, State and Carolina really want to finish second, third or fourth.

Certainly if the Tar Heels win out, which includes a win against Duke, the UVA win could help them get a higher seed and a bye in the ACC Tournament but probably only if Duke also loses to Miami at home Saturday.

Duke, 11-4, has games at home against Miami and Virginia Tech before finishing the season in Chapel Hill. Virginia, 10-5, plays at Boston College and Florida State before ending the season at home against Maryland. NC State, 9-6, plays at Georgia Tech, home against Wake and at Florida State. Finally, UNC, 10-5, hosts Florida State and travels to Maryland before Senior Day against Duke.

The Wolfpack has the easiest remaining schedule and would finish 12-6 if they win out. They’d need Carolina to lose just one game to be tied with the Tar Heels and, according to tie-breaker rules, would be seeded ahead of UNC if the one Tar Heel loss is to Duke because the Pack would have a better record against the teams ahead of UNC and State. It appears that a two-way tie between UVA and UNC for third would favor the Cavaliers if Miami and Duke are No. 1 and No. 2 because the Cavs will have a better record against Miami and Duke.

If there is a three-way tie for third between Carolina, State and Virginia, the Cavaliers would get third and the Tar Heels would get fourth by virtue of each team’s record against the other two. Virginia is 2-1 against Carolina and State; Carolina is 2-2 against State and Virginia; and State is 1-2 against Carolina and Virginia.

If State wins out, Duke loses to Miami and Carolina, for instance, Virginia loses to Maryland or Florida State and Carolina loses to Maryland, there would be a four-way tie and things get complicated. It appears that Virginia, by virtue of a 3-1 record against the other three, would be the second seed while Carolina, with a 3-2 record against the other three, would be third. Both Duke and State would be 2-3 against the others and I’m not sure which team would be the fourth seed.

The rules say that if the head-to-head doesn’t solve things then each tied team’s record shall be compared to the team occupying the highest position in the final regular-season standings. Duke would have lost to Miami twice while State would have lost to Miami once but the tiebreaker system says that 0-1 is no better than 0-2. Both Duke and State are 0-1 against Virginia so then you’d have to go to the third place team. That would be Carolina and each team would be 1-1 against them. If I’m reading the tie-breaker rules right, and I haven’t gotten clarification from the ACC office yet, it sounds as if it could come down to how Duke and State did against Maryland or Florida State.

Of course if State wins out and Carolina loses to both Maryland and Duke, then there would be no need for a tie-breaker as the Tar Heels would be fifth and would not get a bye.

Here are the tie-breaker rules:

(1) When two teams are tied in the standings, regular season head-to-head results are used as the tiebreaker.

(2) If the tied teams played each other twice in the regular season and split their games, then each team’s record vs. the team occupying the highest position in the final regular season standings (or in case of a tie for first place, the next highest position in the regular season standings) and then continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.

a. When arriving at another pair of tied teams while comparing records, use each team’s record against the collective tied teams as a group (prior to their own tie-breaking procedures), rather than the performance against the individual tied teams.

b. When comparing records against a single team or a group of teams, the higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against a team or group is unequal. (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1; 1-0 is the same as 2-0; 2-0 is the same as 4-0; 2-1 is the same as 4-2; 1-0 is better than 1-1; 0-1 is the same as 0-2; 0-2 is the same as 0-4). If the winning percentage of the tied teams is equal against a team, or a group of tied teams, continue down through the standings until one team gains an advantage.

(3) If three or more teams are tied in the standings, the following procedures will be used:

a. The combined record of conference games between the tied teams involved will be compiled. Ties will be broken, and seedings assigned, based on the winning percentage of the combined conference records. The higher winning percentage shall prevail, even if the number of games played against the team or group is unequal (i.e., 2-0 is better than 3-1; 1-0 is the same as 2-0; 2-0 is the same as 4-0; 2-1 is the same as 4-2; 1-0 is better than 1-1; 0-1 is the same as 0-2; 0-2 is the same as 0-4).

b. If procedure (a) fails to break the tie, then each tied team’s record shall be compared to the team occupying the highest position in the final regular-season standings, continuing down through the standings until one team gains an advantage by a higher winning percentage.

c. If the tie is broken by (a) or (b) regarding one of more teams, but three or more teams remain tied, then procedures (a) and (b) will be reapplied among those tied teams only.

d. If two teams remain tied, procedures (1) and (2) will be followed.

(4) If there is more than one tie in the standings, and when utilizing the tie-breaking procedures there are a pair of teams tied, a team’s record against the combined tied teams (prior to their own tie-breaking procedures) is used, rather than performance against the individual tied teams.

(5) If procedures (2) and/or (3) fail to establish an advantage, a coin flip to break the tie will be conducted by the commissioner after the final regular season game before the Conference Championship.

(6) If a coin flip or draw (for a three or more team tie) is required, the procedure takes place immediately following the conclusion of the last regular season game prior to the Conference Championship.

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State, UNC

ACC announces 2013 football schedule which includes Pitt and Syracuse

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The 2013 Atlantic Coast Conference football schedule released Monday by Commissioner John Swofford is a slate which is the largest in league history, incorporating new league members Pittsburgh and Syracuse into the 14-team ACC. NC State has an amazing eight home games while North Carolina has seven of its 12 games at home.

The Wolfpack hosts Syracuse in an ACC matchup on Oct. 12 while the Tar Heels travel to Pittsburgh on Nov. 16 in another first-time ACC matchup. At first glance, it seems that UNC has a tougher non-conference schedule with the season opener at South Carolina. The schedule seems to get easier as the year goes along for Carolina, with a strange late-season game at home against Old Dominion.

NC State’s schedule, on the other hand, appears to get tougher as the season goes on – which is traditionally the way you’d want it to be.

Duke, which hosts NC State and travel to UNC, has seven home games including a mid-year non-conference game against Navy on Oct. 12.

The ACC’s scheduling is ambitious because conference members are playing 11 games against non-conference opponents that finished the 2012 football season ranked in the nation’s Top 25, nine games with non-conference teams ranked in the final AP Top Ten, including contests against each of the top four teams in the USA Today’s final poll. Nine games are against teams projected by ESPN in its Early Top 10 for the 2013 season.

“The 2013 ACC Football schedule showcases some tremendous matchups this year as our league is arguably playing the toughest nonconference schedule in the country,” said ACC Commissioner John Swofford. “This is an exciting year as we look forward to welcoming Pitt and Syracuse into the ACC. Both teams are opening league play at home, with Florida State at Pitt on Labor Day Monday Night and in its first ACC game, Clemson at Syracuse in the Carrier Dome.”

No other BCS Automatic Qualifier conferences will play more than eight non-conference games against 2012 Top 25 foes and no more than four games against 2012 Top 10 non-conference opponents.

When Florida State (8th) and Clemson (9th), each ranked in the final USA Today Top 10, are included in the schedule, ACC teams will face eight of the final Top 10 teams in the Coaches poll.

The Conference will again enjoy national exposure on Labor Day Monday, as Pitt, in its first ACC football game, hosts defending ACC champion Florida State at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., in a nationally-televised prime-time contest on ESPN. The game, which will have an 8 pm (ET) kickoff, will nationally showcase a pair of opponents who have not met on the gridiron in 30 years. The Seminoles last ventured to Pittsburgh in 1983. The game will mark the sixth time the Seminoles have appeared on the ACC’s Labor Day Monday Night contest.

In all, the schedule is comprised of 113 games and incorporates new conference members Pittsburgh and Syracuse. Syracuse will compete in the Atlantic Division and will play its first official ACC game against Clemson at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on Oct. 5. Pitt will compete in the ACC’s Coastal Division. All ACC teams will face eight conference opponents.

The schedule includes 56 regular-season conference match-ups over a span of 14 weeks and is capped off with the Ninth Annual Dr Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game, which returns to Charlotte, N.C. this year and will be played on Saturday, Dec. 7 in Bank of America Stadium.

ACC teams will face 56 games against 48 nonconference opponents which had a combined winning percentage of .558 in 2012–by far the highest of any of the BCS AQ Conferences–including 43 games against FBS opponents who won .566 percent of their games last fall, also the highest.

From the final 2012 USA Today poll, ACC teams will face national champion Alabama (Virginia Tech), No. 2-ranked Oregon (Virginia), No. 3-ranked Notre Dame (Pitt) and No. 4-ranked Georgia (Georgia Tech, Clemson), as well as No. 7 South Carolina (North Carolina, Clemson) and No. 10 Florida (Miami, Florida State).

Twenty-three of the league’s 56 nonconference games (41 percent) are against 17 teams that earned bowl berths in 2012, again the most of any AQ league.

Including games against the eight ACC teams which earned bowl bids in 2012, no ACC team plays fewer than five opponents who went to bowl games last fall, with Virginia facing the most with eight followed by Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Pitt and Wake Forest with seven each.

Adding in North Carolina (8-4) and Miami (7-5), no ACC school will play fewer than six teams with six or more wins, including Virginia which will face a league-high 10 opponents followed by Georgia Tech and Pitt, which will each face nine foes who had six or more wins in 2012.

ACC teams will also play nine non-conference games against six teams selected by ESPN.com in its early preseason Top 25 including matches with projected top-ranked Alabama (Virginia Tech), fifth-ranked Oregon (Virginia), sixth-ranked Georgia (Clemson and Georgia Tech), seventh-ranked Florida (Miami and Florida State), ninth-ranked Notre Dame (Pitt) and 10th-ranked South Carolina (North Carolina and Clemson).

ACC schools will play a total of 11 non-conference games against teams tabbed by ESPN.com in the early preseason Top 25 as Syracuse will also face Northwestern (projected to be 24th) and Wake Forest will play at Vanderbilt (projected to be 25th). Clemson is ranked 11th and Florida State 16th in the most recent ESPN Preseason Top 25.

Nonconference opponents who earned bowl bids this past season include Alabama, Ball State, BYU (2 games with the ACC), Central Michigan, East Carolina (3 games), Florida (2 games), Georgia (2 games), Louisiana Monroe, Navy (2 games), Nevada, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oregon, Southern California, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and West Virginia.

In all, the ACC will play five games nationally-televised by ESPN on Thursday night beginning with North Carolina travelling to South Carolina (Aug. 29) for the first Thursday night game of the year on ESPN. NC State then hosts Clemson on Thursday night (Sept. 19) followed by Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech (Sept. 26); Miami at North Carolina (Oct. 17) and Georgia Tech at Clemson (Nov. 14).

The league will also play two games nationally-televised Friday games, with Boston College hosting and Wake Forest on Sept. 6, a game which will have an 8 p.m. kickoff and will be televised by ESPN or ESPN2; and Pittsburgh hosting Miami on Thanksgiving Friday, Nov. 29, in a game which will be televised by ABC, ESPN or ESPN2, with the game time to be determined at a later date.

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Carolina, Paige get revenge against State

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North Carolina, and particularly Marcus Paige, played poorly earlier in the season during a loss at N.C. State. Paige was the catalyst this time around as the Tar Heels took the lead with seven minutes to play and never looked back in a key 76-65 victory over the Wolfpack in Chapel Hill.

The win puts Carolina in sole possession of third place, two games behind Duke and four games behind Miami with four ACC regular season games to go.

The Tar Heels led the Pack 40-30 early in the second half but over the next nine minutes State outscored Carolina 23-9 to go up 53-49 with 8:35 to go.

Reggie Bullock drew the Heels closer, taking advantage of a screen to hit a three from the top of the key. But it was Paige who gave Carolina the lead for good when he hit a three-point shot in transition.

“I was wide open and hesitated but I was so open I had to take it,” said Paige, who ended with 14 points, eight assists, no turnovers and three steals.

In the 91-83 loss at State, Paige went only two of 11 and committed three turnovers.

“I was a little more focused (than the first game) and we had a better start,” Paige said. “I think the first time I was a little timid playing my first big-time matchup against (Lorenzo) Brown.”

Paige’s open three jump started an 18-2 run over a four-minute period that helped the Tar Heels pull away in a game that had 13 lead changes and eight ties.

Bullock scored eight points, including two long threes, during the game-deciding run. He was the the leading scorer and rebounder for the Heels with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Scott Wood had 19 points for State and Richard Howell had 17 rebounds.

While UNC coach Roy Williams praised Bullock and Paige, he said it was a true team effort as he ran down a litany of contributions from various players.

“I like the fact that our guys have played harder and with a better sense of urgency,” Williams said. “We did a better job of taking care of the basketball than we did in Raleigh.”

Carolina had only eight turnovers while the regulars were in the game (over the last minute there were two more turnovers). In addition, Williams said this time around the Tar Heels only took one or two shots they shouldn’t have taken.

“When State came back to take a four-point lead, our guys could have hung their heads but they didn’t and they just kept playing,” Williams said.

North Carolina improves to 9-5 in the ACC and 19-8 overall while N.C. State falls to 8-6 in the ACC and 19-8 overall. The Tar Heels play at Clemson Thursday night.

Boxscore

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State’s Warren turns from super sub to super starter

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Freshman T.J. Warren, making his third start in NC State’s last six games, had career highs in points and rebounds to lead the Wolfpack to an 84-66 victory over Florida State on Tuesday night at PNC Arena.

The freshman legacy player from Durham had 31 points and 13 rebounds for his first career double-double, topping his previous scoring and rebounding highs of 22 points and eight rebounds set in the Pack’s second game of the season, a 72-55 victory over Penn State in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

His 31 points tied the third most ever scored by a Wolfpack freshman, matching the total Scott Wood had in 2010 at Florida State and J.J. Hickson had against William and Mary in 2007. Hickson had 33 in his first game as a freshman against Western Carolina for second-place, and Ernie Myers had a school-record 35 as a freshman against Duke on Jan. 26, 1983.

Warren’s efforts gave the Wolfpack (19-7 overall, 8-5 ACC) a solid home victory over the Seminoles, who came into the contest a full game behind fourth-place State in the ACC standings.

“T.J. really played fantastic tonight,” NC State second-year head coach Mark Gottfried said. “He found ways to get open all night long, in transition and on the boards. It was just a terrific, terrific game for him tonight.”

He was one of three Pack players in double figures, as junior C.J. Leslie added 19 point and 10 rebounds and senior Scott Wood had 13 points.

Wood, with three 3-pointers on the night, became the second player in NC State history, after all-time leading scorer Rodney Monroe, to amass more than 300 career baskets from beyond the arc. He now has 302, which ranks ninth in ACC history.

Junior Lorenzo Brown added nine assists for the Pack.

“I thought everyone played at a high level, and that’s what we need to win games like this,” Gottfried said.

The Pack owned the boards all night long, with a 45-21 rebounding advantage over the Seminoles. State’s offensive rebounding total of 21 matched FSU’s overall total. That domination of the boards helped get Gottfried’s transition offense going, particularly in the first half.

“We want to get out and run,” Gottfried said. “We did that tonight by getting rebounds and steals. That got our offense moving right out of the gates.”

The Pack’s offense centered around Warren, whose father Tony also played for the Pack from 1977-79 under head coach Norm Sloan. The younger Warren made 12 of 15 field goals. Eight of his 13 rebounds were on the offensive end.

“That might be the biggest stat of the whole night,” Gottfried said. “He just found ways to get to the ball and put it back in the basket.”

The Pack jumped out to an early lead and never trailed the visitors from Tallahassee. Warren made an early 3-pointer and finished with two in the game, his first game with more than one since the Pack’s win over Norfolk State on Dec. 15.

State owned a 40-30 halftime lead, with Warren posting a team-high 11 points before intermission. The Pack’s lead stretched to 21 points on Warren’s final basket of the night, a put-back of fellow freshman Tyler Lewis’ missed jumper.

The Pack returns to action this weekend, traveling to Chapel Hill to face rival North Carolina in a 4 p.m. ESPN2 contest at the Smith Center. State returns to PNC Arena next Wednesday to face Boston College in an 8 p.m. contest on the ACC Network.

– News release

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Pack wins their 7th (close) ACC game as Wood keeps making shots

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Following Saturday’s 90-86 overtime victory over Virginia Tech, N.C. State has won seven ACC games this year by four points or fewer. And what would they be without the three-point shooting of Scott Wood.

Following a last-second three at Clemson for a win and a six of 11 performance against the Hokies, not to mention a season’s worth of evidence, it appears that the Wolfpack’s fate this year will rest on the long-range shooting of the 6-foot-6 senior from Marion, Ind.

Scott has played more minutes than any other Pack player and while he isn’t usually the top scorer (in fact his 22 against Virginia Tech was the first time he’s been the Pack’s leading scorer in a game), he is the player that steps to the front when the game is on the line. Against Virginia Tech, a pair of shots – one late in regulation and one giving the Pack the lead in overtime – may have salvaged State’s season.

If the Pack were 5-7 instead of 7-5 there would be a big question mark about making the NCAA tournament and even being in the top half of the league. This is a team that was predicted to win the ACC. A losing record in the ACC would be disastrous after such a build up.

If the Pack can keep winning these squeakers, they can be contenders for second or third place in the league going into the ACC tournament and then who knows what can happen. Especially if Wood keeps hitting the big threes.

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Wolfpack, Rodon falls to Appalachian in baseball season opener

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No. 8 NC State baseball fell 6-3 to Appalachian State in its season-opener, Friday, in front of an opening day record 2,396 fans at Doak Field at Dail Park.

Pack sophomore Carlos Rodon (0-1) suffered the first loss of his collegiate career after allowing five earned runs over six innings while striking out eight. Friday’s outing marked the first time that Rodon exited a game with the Wolfpack trailing. It also represents his first loss since May 21, 2010, when Rodon was a high school junior.

Appalachian State (1-0) jumped out to a terrific start behind a three-run homer from Jaylin Davis. The Mountaineers added to that lead with solo shots from Preston Troutman and Noah Holmes in the second and fourth innings. NC State (0-1) rallied with two runs in the fourth, and another in the eighth to make it 5-3. An unearned insurance run in the ninth set the final margin at 6-3.

Sophomore Trea Turner scored twice and stole two bases for the Wolfpack in a 2-for-4 outing with a double. Senior Tarran Senay drove in two RBIs while Jake Fincher and Will Nance accounted for the Pack’s other two hits.

Appalachian State’s Jamie Nunn (1-0) earned the win on one earned over six innings, fanning five Wolfpack hitters. Rob Marcello (1) claimed the save with a perfect ninth.

Hector Crespo led off the game with a single up the middle. Will Callaway followed one out later with a single to short to set the table for Davis’ homer to left. Holmes homered on the first pitch he saw in the second to make it a 4-0 game. Troutman built on that lead with a solo shot to right with one out in the fourth.

The Pack rallied in the fourth behind Turner’s lead-off double, a chopper sent over the third baseman’s head. Brett Austin walked to put runners on the corners with one out for Senay. Senay grounded to second, but a pair of errors on the attempted double play sent Turner and Austin to the plate to make it 5-2. Turner started another rally in the 8th with a line drive single to center. After stealing second and third, Turner scored on Senay’s sac fly to left.

NC State returns to action on Saturday with a 1 p.m. start in game two of the three-game series. Live stats and streaming coverage will be available on GoPack.com. Fans can tune into 88.1 WKNC for radio play-by-play, or follow @NCStateBaseball on Twitter for live updates.

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State

Duke, State learn about home court advantage but escape

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What is going on this year in the ACC? There has always been a home court advantage but home teams, regardless of record, are twice as likely to win at home even against superior teams. Duke and NC State learned first hand about playing on the road Sunday but they both escaped with late-game heroics against inferior teams.

Duke 62, Boston College 61
Mason Plumlee had 19 points and 10 rebounds, hitting the game-winning free throw with 26 seconds left on Sunday to help No. 4 Duke rally from early and late deficits to beat Boston College 62-61.

Seth Curry added 18 points for the Blue Devils, who watched the three teams above them in the AP Top 25 lose to unranked opponents this week – and then nearly joined them.

Olivier Hanlan scored 20 points for Boston College (10-13, 2-8 Atlantic Coast Conference). The Eagles led by five points with 2:15 left and had a chance to win it after Plumlee made one of two free throws but Hanlan’s jumper was wide and the rebound popped out of bounds as the buzzer sounded to end the game.

Duke (21-2, 8-2) won its fifth straight game.

NC State 58, Clemson 57
Scott Wood hit a 3-pointer with one second to go to lift North Carolina State to a 58-57 win over Clemson on Sunday.

Lorenzo Brown, returning after missing two games with an injured ankle, drove to the hoop before passing to Wood on the winning basket for the Wolfpack (17-7, 6-5 Atlantic Coast Conference).

The Wolfpack set up the winning play after a timeout with 7.5 seconds to go.

Brown also hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to cut Clemson’s lead to two. The Tigers (12-11, 4-7) led for most of the game, but Milton Jennings missed the front end of a 1-in-1 with 12.3 seconds left.

Duke, Featured stories, N.C. State

Duke on fire in stopping NC State 98-85

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Mason Plumlee scored 30 points and No. 4 Duke was hot from the beginning from the three-point line to avenge an earlier loss to North Carolina State 98-85 Thursday night in Durham.

Seth Curry added 26 points and Quinn Cook had 21 for the Blue Devils who improve to 20-1 overall and 7-2 in the ACC. The Blue Devils, who never trailed, shot 54 percent and led by as many as 21 points before a late Wolfpack rally.

The Pack, led by Richard Howell’s 23 points, falls to 16-7 overall and 5-5 in the league. It seems a long time since NC State was predicted to win the conference.

Boxscore

See below for media coverage of the game.

Plumlee scores 30, No. 4 Duke tops NC State 98-85

Plumlee scores 30 as No. 4 Duke fends off NC State

Duke starts fast, holds off NC State for 98-85 win