Section 128 again. If there are any crews on tww represtin' 128, holla at me.

Site: RBC Center
Date: December 17, 2008
Time: 7:00 PM EST

Opposing Team: East Carolina University (8-1)
Location: Greenville, North Carolina
Nickname: Pirates
Conference: Conference USA
Head Coach: Mack McCarthy, 2nd Year at ECU, has won 13 regular season or conference titles in his 20 years of coaching.
Last Game: 97-53 W vs. UNCG
Leading Scorer: Sam Hinnant (17.4 ppg)
Leading Rebounder: Darrius Morrow (8.6 rpg)
Assist Leader: Brock Young (8.6 apg)

We've played two of the same schools so far this season, Winthrop and UNCG. While we both took it to UNCG, ECU edged out a 3 point win at Winthrop.

Keys to the Game
Payback. Ask the team how shitty it made them feel to not only lose to ECU, but to become the first team in the ACC to ever lose to ECU. Get them pumped up Sid. We need to show our support too.

ECU is a high scoring team so we're going to have to play sound defense with our more athletic players. I don't know the injury situation, but I hope fells is good to go, we need him. I like the way we played the first 15 minutes of the WSS game. Hopefully we can work on extending that through an entire half, or dare I say, a whole game. No laziness. Get back on defense.

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 8:46 PM. Reason : he's not from finland, he's from charlotte, they're close, right?]

12/16/2008 8:43:27 PM

we better win this year.

12/16/2008 8:43:47 PM

The Fightin' Slave Famouses

12/16/2008 8:44:33 PM

On the radio last night, Lowe said Smith and Fells didn't practice Monday, and that he hasn't decided if Degand is gonna play. (What did Degand do to piss off Sid?)

12/16/2008 8:48:17 PM

We better win this one or that seat is going to be flaming hot... Two years in a row losing to ECU would be UNACCEPTABLE, no matter what injuries we have.

Hopefully we win going away...

12/16/2008 8:58:08 PM

Quote :

"We better win this one by 20 or that seat is going to be flaming hot... Two years in a row losing making it competitive to ECU would be UNACCEPTABLE, no matter what injuries we have."

12/16/2008 9:14:11 PM

Quote :

"What did Degand do to piss off Sid?"

sorry if i'm out of the loop here, but did sid say he wasn't sure degand was going to play for discipline reasons or was that just speculation? degand could still be having issues with his knee. maybe he's not ready for 100% effort yet. (?)

12/16/2008 9:17:33 PM

wtf so tracy smith is injured now too?

12/16/2008 9:19:11 PM

Smith has been injured since the Davidson game.

I think Degand was going to sit out of the last game regardless....so this one may be due to the injury. Of course, if he's in Sid's doghouse, and still not 100%, its a good excuse to keep him out.

12/16/2008 9:22:49 PM

well he wasn't even dressed for the last game, he just wore a jump suit. I figured that if he were injured and couldn't play, he would have dressed nicely for the game.

12/16/2008 9:24:38 PM

^pretty sure it was said degand didn't play against WSSU because of disciplinary issues (maybe in addition to injury). And Smith apparently injured his knee in the Davidson game when he only played 5 minutes. He still got 13 minutes against WSSU though.

12/16/2008 9:33:29 PM

this on tv?

12/16/2008 10:16:58 PM

of course not

12/16/2008 10:19:33 PM

anybody need two student tickets? turns out I can't go

first to PM me gets 'em

12/16/2008 10:21:18 PM

haha we just made Andy's Upset Alerts on ESPN

this bodes well, a L really wouldn't surprise me at this point

12/16/2008 10:41:50 PM

Katz just put us on upset alert during the halftime of Marquette vs. Tennessee game.

12/16/2008 10:42:29 PM

which way would the upset go

12/16/2008 10:42:57 PM

^i think ecu



Bold prediction: we end up dominating the game and winning easily

12/16/2008 11:47:34 PM

Quote :

"I don't know the injury situation, but I hope fells is good to go, we need him"

If we need Fells to beat ECU then Lowe needs to be fired now. With that said, we don't need Fells. We should be able to beat ECU with any 5 scholarship players on our team.

12/16/2008 11:48:34 PM

I hope everyone in here knows that ECU is 8-1......granted it wasn't the greatest competition.

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 11:49 PM. Reason : better than last year]

12/16/2008 11:49:34 PM

Can we have someone "Nancy Kerrigan" Sam Hinnant as he's running out by the student section so that he doesn't have a repeat performance?

[Edited on December 16, 2008 at 11:53 PM. Reason : ]

12/16/2008 11:52:35 PM

Settle down folks.

(I think) We've got this.

12/16/2008 11:55:26 PM

They only beat Winthrop by 3 when we won by 30 but they beat UNCG badly last time out....

They lost to George Mason and that's the best team they have played. We SHOULD win easy but I have a feeling it will be close.

11/14/08 vs. Coker Greenville, N.C. W, 71-56
11/16/08 vs. St. Andrews Greenville, N.C. W, 94-58
11/19/08 vs. Campbell Greenville, N.C. W, 86-65
11/22/08 vs. George Mason Greenville, N.C. L, 77-71
11/25/08 vs. VCU Greenville, N.C. W, 93-90 (OT)
11/29/08 at Winthrop Rock Hill, S.C. W, 63-60
12/03/08 at UNC-Wilmington Wilmington, N.C. W, 99-85
12/06/08 vs. Limestone Greenville, N.C. W, 69-43
12/13/08 vs. UNC Greensboro Greenville, N.C. W, 97-53

12/17/2008 12:11:35 AM

Pack 79
ECU 61

12/17/2008 12:14:25 AM

It should also be noted that three of their wins are against non-NCAA Division I teams...theres ~350 Division I teams, how do you end up having to schedule three that arent?

Hopefully our fans show up for this...Im sure they wont, but who knows. Sadly Im sure ECU will have a good turnout.

12/17/2008 12:23:34 AM

Two years in a row losing to ECU would be UNACCEPTABLE, no matter what injuries we have.

12/17/2008 12:24:42 AM

^^ yeah w/ classes being out the student section will probably be weak and i'm sure ecu will show up en masse.

[Edited on December 17, 2008 at 12:26 AM. Reason : ^ yeah. that'd be very bad.]

12/17/2008 12:26:04 AM

i would be there but i have to go to the airport at 6:30. didn't realize i'd have to miss the game until yesterday. sucks.

12/17/2008 12:31:35 AM

I'll be there in 103

12/17/2008 12:54:20 AM

^ me too

12/17/2008 12:57:18 AM

I'll be there in 111. GO PACK!

12/17/2008 2:02:32 AM

62-47 ECU

12/17/2008 3:19:44 AM

104, Row A, WHAT WHAT

We'd seriously better win this game. That is all.

12/17/2008 7:01:13 AM

Quote :

"We better win this one by 20 or that seat is going to be flaming hot... Two years in a row losing making it competitive to ECU would be UNACCEPTABLE, no matter what injuries we have."

12/17/2008 8:25:06 AM

If anyone has a student ticket to this they don't want I'd gladly take it, pm pretty please

12/17/2008 8:54:44 AM

http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/822140.html

Quote :

" NC State (5-1) returns to action tonight at the RBC Center, when the Wolfpack entertains the East Carolina Pirates (8-1) at 7:00 p.m. NC STATE HOSTS EAST CAROLINA NC State returns to action at the RBC Center, when the Wolfpack entertains the East Carolina Pirates on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Both teams come into the game with just one loss apiece, and the two squads have combined for 13 wins on the season. The Wolfpack is a perfect 4-0 at home this season, but will only be playing in the RBC Center for the third time after two games were held in Reynolds Coliseum. The Pack has won its two games in the RBC Center by an average of 26.5 points, defeating Winthrop, 74-48, and UNC Greensboro, 79-52, both in late November. The game will be broadcasted on ACC Select. THE SERIES VERSUS EAST CAROLINA NC State currently owns a 17-1 record in the overall series with East Carolina, with the Pack's average margin of victory in the series 20.7 points. Only three of the Wolfpack's wins have been decided by less than 10 points, and NC State has prevailed in each of the 17 previous games on their home court. The two teams are meeting for the third straight season. Last season was the first game between the two teams in Greenville, as ECU came away with a 75-69 win in early December, and the Pack downed the Pirates in Coach Lowe's first season, 64-57. LAST YEAR VERSUS EAST CAROLINA Sam Hinnant scored a career-high 30 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 2:09 left to help East Carolina to a 75-69 victory in Greenville, N.C., on December 8. The win was ECU's first win against an ACC team, and the first win against NC State in 18 tries as the Pack was playing its first-ever game in Greenville. With the score tied 38-38 at the half, NC State went on a 9-0 run to open play in the second half, but ECU responded with a 15-6 run to even the game up. The Pirates were 10-of-18 on three-point tries, including six by Hinnant. Gavin Grant tied his career high with 25 points, while J.J. Hickson added 15 as he returned to the starting lineup. LAST TIME OUT FOR NC STATE The NC State defense limited Winston-Salem State to 28.1 percent form the floor, including just 11.1 percent (2-18) from three-point range, as the Wolfpack easily defeated the Rams, 74-46, in Reynolds Coliseum Saturday night. The Wolfpack started the game on a 16-5 run, and were up 40-20 at the half. Trevor Ferguson (12 pts) and Simon Harris (6 pts, 6 reb) each notched their first career starts, while Courtney Fells missed the game with an ankle injury. NC State used 22 assists on its 28 made field goals, and the 28-point win also marked the most lopsided win in the Sidney Lowe era. RBC CENTER DOMINANCE AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE FOES NC State's home court has not been welcoming to non-conference opponents since the RBC Center opened for the 1999-2000 season, as the Pack has posted a 74-8 (.902) record in such games. Under Coach Lowe, the Pack has posted an 18-2 (.900) mark against non-conference opponents at home, losing only to No. 10 Alabama in 2007 and to New Orleans last year. NC State has been even more impressive at home against against non-conference opponents from the state of North Carolina. The Wolfpack has won the last 19 games against in-state non-conference foes at the RBC Center, and 21 of 22 overall at the RBC Center, only losing in the 2000-01 season to Charlotte. KEEP THE BAGS UNPACKED After opening the season on the road for the first time since 1997, the Wolfpack will not have to leave the state of North Carolina until January. NC State is currently in a stretch of playing 9 of 10 games all at home, with the only road contest during that span being December 6 in Charlotte against Davidson. RACE TO 1,000 A trio of Wolfpack players have the chance to do what only 40 other NC State basketball players have done before, score 1,000 career points. Seniors Courtney Fells and Ben McCauley and redshirt junior Brandon Costner made up the 2005 recruiting class for NC State, and all three have the chance to reach 1,000 career points during this season. Costner is currently the closest to that mark as he has 942 career points, followed by McCauley with 856 and Fells with 823. If all three players reach 1,000 points, it will mark only the second time in NC State history that three players from the same recruiting class all accomplished that feat (1980 - Thurl Bailey, Derek Whittenburg and Sidney Lowe). In fact, only nine times have a pair of players in the same recruiting class each scored 1,000 point during their careers, the last were Ilian Evtimov and Julius Hodge from the 2002 class. PACK GETS IT DONE ON DEFENSE The NC State defense has helped the Pack to a quick 5-1 start on the season. The Wolfpack currently leads the ACC giving up a mere 55.5 points per game, as only one opponent has scored over 60 points. NC State is also the only team currently holding opponents under 60.0 points a game in the conference. The Wolfpack is also leading the conference in both field goal percentage defense (.346) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.264). Only one opponent has shot over 40.0 percent in a game this season, New Orleans (.458), and the Pack is allowing the opposition to hit just 31.4 percent of its shots at home this season. In Sidney Lowe's three seasons, the Wolfpack is 7-0 when it holds opponents under 50 points, a perfect 16-0 when teams score under 60 points, and 30-3 when holding teams to under 70 points. LONG RANGE WOES Although NC State's field goal percentage this season ranks in the middle of the ACC, its three-point shooting ranks near the bottom. NC State is currently ninth in the conference, hitting 31.0 percent of its long range shots. Only twice this season, High Point (45.0) and Winston-Salem State (35.3), has NC State shot over 30.0 percent, and over the last four games the Pack has hit just 27.6 percent (21-76) of its three-pointers. On the other end of the court, NC State has improved in its three-point field goal percentage defense since the first two games of the season. In those opening two contests, the Pack allowed New Orleans and High Point to shoot a combined 43.2 percent (16-37) from long range. But over the last four games, teams have combined to shoot just 17.8 percent (13-73), with Davidson having the top game at just 25.0 percent (6-24). FELLS HOBBLED Senior Courtney Fells had a string of 44 consecutive starts snapped against Winston-Salem State, when he was forced to miss the first game of his career due to an injury. Fells was was hurt in the game at Davidson, and then missed a week of practice. In the first half, Fells was going for a loose ball and injured his shoulder. After receiving some treatment Fells returned only to suffer an ankle injury in the second half. The leading scoring entering that game, Fells hit only two shots and scored four points, and was also missed on defense. DEPTH SLOWED DOWN After missing all but 10 games last season with a torn ACL, junior point guard Farnold Degand has once again been hit with the injury bug early this season. After starting the game at New Orleans in the season opener, Degand sat out the second half and missed the next three games. Degand had been limited since practice began in mid-October, after sitting out the Pack's exhibition games in Canada over Labor Day. Degand practiced the week before the game at Davidson, but only saw four minutes of action. He also missed the Winston-Salem State game, but that was due to disciplinary reasons. MCCAULEY GETTING IT DONE Senior Ben McCauley is enjoying a fine senior season, as he currently leads the Pack in both scoring (15.2) and rebounds (9.3). McCauley has increased his scoring 9.1 points a game from last season, the second largest increase in the ACC. His average of 9.3 boards is also a career-best average, bettering the 6.9 he pulled down as a sophomore two years ago. He is the only Wolfpack player this season to score in double figures in every game. Over the last four games, three of which were double-doubles, McCauley is averaging 15.5 points and 11.3 rebounds. TWO EARN FIRST CAREER STARTS Last time out against Winston-Salem State, a pair of Wolfpack players earned their first career starts. Senior Simon Harris started at small forward for the injured Courtney Fells and finished with career-highs of six points and six rebounds. Junior Trevor Ferguson got the nod at shooting guard, and hit three-of-five three-pointers in scoring 12 points. REBOUNDS ON THE REBOUND A season after finishing last in the ACC in rebound margin (-1.0), the Pack has changed things around early this season. NC State is currently third in the ACC, outrebounding its opponents and average of 8.3 boards a games. The Pack won the rebound battle in five of the six games this season, but only outrebounded at Davidson 45-39. Before that Davidson game, the Wolfpack had increased its rebound totals in each of the first four games of the season, including a season-high of 49 against UNC Greensboro. That marked the most rebounds in a game for NC State in 224 games, dating back to 2001- 02. "

there is more....long article

12/17/2008 10:40:18 AM

Quote :

"NC State has been even more impressive at home against against non-conference opponents from the state of North Carolina."

12/17/2008 11:13:35 AM

i'll be there in 318.... go pack! lets not embarrass ourselves at home plz

12/17/2008 11:17:48 AM

really wanted to bet this game; line was us by 9.5

i couldn't do it though; don't have enough faith in this team at this point. went with two nba games instead.

12/17/2008 1:20:51 PM

come on Pirates!! try and keep it close

12/17/2008 1:42:11 PM

student ticket needed pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

anyone?

12/17/2008 1:43:56 PM

Quote :

""We better win this one by 20 or that seat is going to be flaming hot... TwoThree years in a row making it competitive to ECU would be UNACCEPTABLE, no matter what injuries we have.""

12/17/2008 1:48:58 PM

Anyone have an extra student ticket? I wasn't able to get one.

12/17/2008 2:22:45 PM

can we please get some tv coverage for christ's sake.

WRAL WTF are you ???

12/17/2008 2:45:00 PM

you'd think they'd be able to work out a deal to show it on one of WRAL's digital channels from the jumbotron feed at the very least

12/17/2008 3:22:04 PM

68-61 Pack

12/17/2008 3:27:08 PM

Online system says its too late to get ticks. Am I SOL? Does anyone have an extra student?

12/17/2008 4:09:16 PM

why would anyone put NC State-ECU basketball on tv? Seriously... MAYBE if we were Top 25 or something.

12/17/2008 5:33:40 PM

if wral put a game or two on, especially an in-state "rivalry" (haha), i imagine there would be plenty of viewers.

12/17/2008 5:45:11 PM

tickets? anyone got anyyyyy at all?

12/17/2008 5:47:16 PM