As the calendar turns to 2016, so does the NC State men’s basketball team’s schedule, as it has begun ACC play. The Wolfpack fell to the Virginia Tech Hokies in its conference opener in Blacksburg, Virginia Saturday.
The Wolfpack was up by as much as 16 points in the first half but floundered down the stretch as it lost in overtime. With the struggles this team has faced so far, the Pack has no margin for error as it enters the grunt of conference play.
Thursday’s game against the Louisville Cardinals is a winnable game for the Pack. The Cards sit at 12-2 (1-0 ACC) with a majority of their wins over abysmal non-conference opponents. Until its most recent win over Wake Forest Sunday, Louisville has beaten the likes of Grand Canyon, St. Francis (Brooklyn) and Kennesaw State to name a few.
The jury is still out on just how good this Louisville team is at the moment, so the Wolfpack needs to win Thursday’s game while conference play is in its early stage.
The Wolfpack follows up the Louisville game with a quick trip down the road to Wake Forest, then returns home for a matchup with the Florida State Seminoles. Then, the gauntlet begins.
The 11-game stretch for the Pack includes seven games involving teams currently ranked in the AP Poll and four games against Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill — not to mention games against well-coached teams Georgia Tech and Florida State.
The Tar Heels sit at No. 6 in the most recent poll and look like legitimate title contenders. The Blue Devils are not the same team as last year as they lack the size and point guard play they had in Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones. Both teams are top-10 teams this season and will be tough matchups for the Pack.
The Miami Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Panthers are also quality teams, as both are ranked in the top 25 as well. The Hurricanes boast a veteran backcourt while the Panthers are well coached by Jamie Dixon. The Wolfpack will have to travel to Pittsburgh and Coral Gables, Florida to play these two teams, and it will not be an easy road trip.
The backend of the schedule favors the back as three of its last five games are at PNC Arena. But with the bulk of the schedule looming, the Wolfpack needs every win it can get.
The Pack should receive some help when Terry Henderson comes back from injury. The West Virginia transfer injured his ankle in the season opener and is expected to return in late January or early February. His return will bring more depth to the Pack, as it can go eight players deep.
Another promising sign for the Pack has been the play of junior guard Anthony “Cat” Barber. Averaging 22.9 points, 4.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, Barber’s play has kept the Pack in games this season and won several of them. If Barber is able to continue to play at a high level, the Pack will have a chance at winning a handful of difficult ACC games.
Sophomore forward Abdul-Malik Abu has also improved his play during the last few weeks. In his last six games, Abu’s posted a double-double in four of them, bringing his season averages to 10.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG. The Wolfpack needs Abu to play well as the clear weakness for this team lies in its frontcourt. Juniors Lennard Freeman and BeeJay Anya need to follow suit and improve their productivity either in the starting lineup or off the bench.
Currently sitting at a 10-4 (0-1 ACC) record, the Wolfpack has a shot to win 20 games for the fifth-straight season under head coach Mark Gottfried. But as far as the NCAA Tournament goes, the road to receiving a bid is a long and tumultuous one for the Wolfpack.
