WrestlingGoodman named ACC wrestler of the week
The ACC on Monday named Ryan Goodman, a redshirt sophomore who wrestles in the 197-pound weight class, its wrestler of the week.
Goodman earned the distinction by tallying his third pin of the season Saturday during N.C. State’s 22-18 upset victory against No. 18 Indiana.
State trailed the Hoosiers 18-13 heading into the match’s final two bouts. Goodman pinned Nate Everhart in the second period of their bout to earn six points for the Pack, giving State a 19-18 edge with only the heavyweight bout remaining.
Pack senior heavyweight Jainor Palma scored a takedown to win his bout 4-3, sealing State’s win.
With his pin of Everhart, Goodman improved to 14-2 on the season, and he is ranked No. 15 in the nation in the 197-pound weight class, according to USA Today/InterMat/NWCA rankings released Jan. 30.
Next up for Goodman and the Pack is a rivalry match with North Carolina on Wednesday. Although Goodman won his match 9-7 against Dennis Drury, the Tar Heels defeated State 16-14 on Jan. 19 in the team’s first meeting of the season.
Goodman is the defending ACC champion at 197 pounds, and he won the ACC tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award last season.
-Compiled by Brian Grossman
Men’s BasketballAnalysts honor Pack, Lowe
ESPN college basketball analysts Dick Vitale and Andy Katz commended N.C. State following the Wolfpack’s 83-79 upset win Saturday over then-No. 3 UNC.
Vitale heaped his trademark praise on State and coach Sidney Lowe in his weekly awards column, honoring the Pack and Lowe with his Team of the Week award and Coach of the Week award, respectively.
“Sidney Lowe had to be proud of his Wolfpack after back-to-back wins over teams that were leading the ACC at the time of their game,” Vitale said of State in his column. “First came a stunner at Virginia Tech, followed by a big victory over Roy Williams’ Tar Heels.”
Vitale had similarly flattering words for Lowe.
“Most prognosticators figured the Wolfpack would contend for the basement in the ACC,” he said in the column. “Engin Atsur has been sidelined for much of the season. Andrew Brackman opted for baseball. N.C. State stunned Virginia Tech and North Carolina and let me tell you, Lowe is going to be a star down in Raleigh. He has a cool demeanor and he will get the job done.”
Katz proclaimed State to be the Team of the Week in the Weekly Watch column featured on ESPN.com.
“The atmosphere at the RBC Center seemed Stanley Cup-like, at least through the TV screen,” Katz said in the column. “The Wolfpack continued to attack the Tar Heels and never seemed to be fazed as UNC responded.”
Katz later wrote every game may still be tough for the Pack this season, but teams should be wary of State.
“N.C. State won’t be an easy out under Sidney Lowe,” he wrote. “This week, the Wolfpack became the headline team in The Triangle — and with UNC and Duke as competitors, that’s something to savor.”
-Compiled by Brian Grossman
Pack earns votes in AP top 25
Consecutive wins over ranked teams pushed N.C. State’s record to 13-8 (3-5 ACC), but the wins also propelled the Pack into the Associated Press top 25 picture.
Although State is not ranked, the team received 15 votes in the latest AP poll released Monday.
North Carolina dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 after losing to State. Duke dropped from No. 13 to No. 16 after its home loss to Florida State. Virginia received 124 votes — 20 short of being ranked. Virginia Tech and Boston College are listed at 71 and 68 votes, respectively. FSU (24 votes), Clemson (15 votes) and Maryland (nine votes) round out the ACC’s representation in the poll.
Clemson, previously No. 25, and Virginia Tech, No. 16 a week ago, both fell out of the rankings.
-Compiled by Brian Grossman
