After suffering an overtime loss to Virginia Tech last Saturday, the men’s basketball team will be looking for their third ACC victory in one of the oldest matchups in college basketball history. N.C. State (12-9, 2-6 ACC) holds the all-time series against the Demon Deacons (18-3, 5-3 ACC) in the rivalry 130-97 dating back to the 1910-11 season.
“It’s definitely a rivalry, and a big game against a very good ball club,” coach Sidney Lowe said in his weekly press conference. “We go back to the times when we used to play in the Big Four Tournament. Those were always great games and nothing has changed.”
Last weekend, the Wolfpack blew an 18-point lead and ultimately lost 91-87 as they committed 12 turnovers in the final 13 minutes against the Hokies.
“I thought we played well for most of the ball game, but we just didn’t make the plays down the stretch and lost a tough one,” Lowe said.
Meanwhile, No. 7 Wake Forest is coming off of a 93-76 win against Boston College after suffering back-to-back losses on the road against Georgia Tech and Miami.
“Our kids played a very spirited, high-energy game,” Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said. “Our defense was the difference in the game, holding them to zero 3-point field goals in the second half.”
Last year in the RBC Center, senior Ben McCauley dunked in a missed Gavin Grant 3-pointer as time expired to give the Pack a 67-65 win.
“Ben McCauley made a great effort play when he tipped in the winning shot,” Gaudio said. “We have great respect for them in this very heated rivalry.”
Demon Deacons guard Jeff Teague, who ranks second in the ACC in scoring (20.9 ppg) and steals (2.1), may be the biggest concern for the Pack, who are averaging 67.6 points allowed per game.
“He’s very explosive,” Lowe said. “He’s quick, he can come down and pull up with a shot, he can get to the basket, he’s a good ball-handler and he just plays hard.”
While the Demon Deacons boast one of the league’s stellar guards, Lowe indicated that State’s point guard situation still remains up in the air for tonight’s game. Lowe did, however, praise Javier Gonzalez’s performance in the team’s last outing.
“Javy did a great job for us [against Virginia Tech], playing well and pushing the ball down the court,” Lowe said.
However, Lowe indicated the need for consistency as State closes out down the stretch.
“The game really comes down to that last five minutes of the ball game,” he said. “You have to have a guy that’s going to be able to take control out there and make a play. You can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Although Lowe admits that his lineup may not contain any pure athletes such as UNC-Chapel Hill’s Ty Lawson or Boston College’s Tyrese Rice, the guards he has all have the potential to effectively run the offense.
“If you go to the NBA and talk about Larry Bird, he wasn’t a great athlete – wasn’t quick, wasn’t fast, but he just knew how to play the game,” Lowe said. “Obviously he was talented because he could shoot the ball and pass, but because he was so smart – that’s what made him such a great player.”
Tip-off for the game tonight is slated for 7 p.m. in the RBC Center.
