The NC State men’s basketball team did exactly what it was supposed to do at the 2015 ACC Tournament, dropping Pittsburgh, 81-70, Wednesday before falling to No. 2 Duke, 77-53, the following day.
The Wolfpack’s two-day stint in Greensboro was shorter than fans may have wanted, but the team accomplished its season-long goal of sealing a berth to the NCAA Tournament for a fourth-straight time, the first such streak since 2003-2006.
“I’m excited for our players,” head coach Mark Gottfried said. “I’m excited we’ve been able to get back to the tournament.”
Gottfried also achieved some personal benchmarks, reaching 20 wins in each of his first four seasons with the program. Everett Case was the only other coach to accomplish such a feat with the Pack.
Wednesday’s contest was characterized by the aggressive and dominant play of sophomore guard Anthony “Cat” Barber. Barber notched a career-high 34 points, the most by an NC State player in the ACC Tournament since 1975.
“He’s really raised his game to another level,” Gottfried said.
The point guard’s quickness has always been his best attribute, and that speed was on full display against Pitt.
However, Barber also showed off his improved shooting skills, going 4-for-5 from three-point range and a perfect 12-for-12 from the line, leaving the Panthers with no answers.
“It was just his night,” Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon said. “He hit threes, and he’s not known for three-point shooting. He made shots, he made plays. It was a good day for him.”
However, Thursday was a completely different story for the Pack’s star point guard. Barber was completely nullified by a Duke defense intent on denying the sophomore once he let go of the ball.
“[Our goal was to] just make him work,” said Duke guard Quinn Cook, who checked Barber throughout Thursday’s contest. “His last 10 games, he’s been averaging 17 points, so he’s a hot player, one of the hottest players in the country. We just make him work and not leave him.”
Barber failed to score a point before his night ended early, as he had to have help back to the locker room after getting blindsided by a screen.
The point guard was cleared to play Friday, with team officials saying the guard suffered a spasm in his neck muscles. Barber is expected to be at full strength for the NCAA Tournament.
Post play was another huge factor for State in both games. After a dominant showing in the interior against the Panthers, the State big men were shut down by Duke’s pair of 7-footers.
Against Pitt, sophomore forwards BeeJay Anya and Lennard Freeman combined for 16 points and 12 rebounds, winning the scoring battle in the paint, 30-16.
“It’s important for our big guys to contribute offensively,” Gottfried said. “Sometimes that’s scoring the basketball, sometimes that’s passing, sometimes that’s rebounding the ball.”
However, the State bigs didn’t have an answer when confronted with the size of the Devils’ front court. The Pack shot just 11-for-25 within the paint, while Duke racked up six blocks.
Consistent play from the big men has been an area of concern for State all season. The four post players in the Pack’s rotation have contributed just 29.5 percent of the team’s offense, while Barber, Trevor Lacey and Ralston Turner have combined for 58.4 percent.
While the backcourt has shouldered the load for the majority of the season, Gottfried said in order for his team to be at its best, all five players must contribute.
“We’ve had a lot of scoring from our guards throughout the year,” Gottfried said. “But when our bigs have scored and done some things, it’s really made our team better.”
State will need its entire team to step up when the Pack faces a tough Louisiana State team in the second round of the tournament Thursday. As State fans well know by now, the Pack can beat anyone in the country, but unfortunately, it can lose to anyone as well.
