ACC Roundup - State’s Disastrous Loss

If you want to get a real sense of how bad things are for State right now, don’t read the N&O. Read this article by Ed Hardin. It’s pretty devastating.

Some quotes:

• With 2:27 left in what would ultimately become an 88-58 blowout loss to Wake Forest, freshmen Dennis Smith Jr. motioned to his coach...He wanted out...Mark Gottfried probably feels the same way....N.C. State is done. All that’s left now is the aftermath.
• As the final seconds ran off a clock that seemed to run in slow motion Saturday, center BeeJay Anya was arguing with a fan.
• “Meet me after the game!” he said.
• “We knew if we got up on them early, they’d quit,” Wake guard Keyshawn Woods said.

Unfortunately he was right and Hardin probably is too. It’s hard to see how State can recover from this train wreck of a season.

Wake Forest scored first with a John Collins dunk. State offered a Dennis Smith airball next and then Collins dunked twice more and basically, Woods was right. State...well, State packed it in.

There is growing unhappiness in the fan base. We just typed in firegottfried.com and guess who owns it.

Smart move. Very savvy.

Notre Dame, a team that has been reeling lately, pulled off a key win by beating Florida State. Bonzi Colson had a monster game with 33 points and 13 rebounds.

He’s become one of the most intersting players in the ACC, a modern day sort of Charles Barkley.

Florida State is just .500 in the last six games and the loss helps to jumble the ACC race at the top: UNC and Virginia have three losses. FSU, Duke and Louisville have four. Notre Dame and Syracuse have five each.

Right now, due to tiebreakers, Duke is in fifth place, meaning that it wouldn’t get a bye in the ACC Tournament if that continues.

Miami nearly changed that equation. The ‘Canes led Louisville for a good bit of the game before the Cards came back and claimed a 71-66 win.

The game marked the return of Quentin Snider from injury.

Despite winning, Rick Pitino graciously said "They were the better basketball team tonight. But we showed incredible character to win this game and I'm real, real proud of that. ... We didn't shoot well, we didn't pass well. But then when the game was on the line, we did all of the above."

Surprisingly, Miami outscored Louisville in the paint 34-18. The Cards shot just 39%.

Louisville hit 22 shots to Miami’s 23 and 16 free throws to Miami’s 15. The difference?

Six more three pointers.

The game was incredibly close in most other statistical categories. Rebounding: 36-32 Louisville. Assists: 13-13. Steals: 4-4. Blocks: 4-4. Turnovers: 8-9 in favor of Louisville. Fouls: 18-17 with Louisville getting one more.

The loss to Pitt was overshadowed for Syracuse by the way-too-soon death of former player Fab Melo, who was just 26. He died at home in Brazil, the second former player to die this year after Pearl Washington.

Syracuse lost another road game at Pitt and unlike the last two road wins, couldn’t hit threes, making just 6-20.

Keep in mind that Pitt is last in the ACC in FG percentage defense and next to last in defending three pointers.

Not Saturday.

Pitt held Syracuse’s starting front court to 15 points.

Every loss for Syracuse is critical now and losing to a mediocre team like Pitt hurts.

If you looked at just the record you’d think BC hadn’t improved but the Eagles really have. It’s just a very competitive league. Look how hard it’s been for Wake Forest to move up.

BC lost its ninth straight game, this time to Georgia Tech, which has a great center in Ben Lammers and a superb freshman guard in Josh Okogie.

Lammer had 13 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks while Okogie had 12.

The offensive star though was Tadric Jackson who had 29 off the bench.

BC’s talented backcourt had 30 with Jerome Robinson scoring 17 and Ky Bowman 13.

By the way, last win for BC?

Over State back on January 11th.

• Stephen Schramm: Wolfpack's misery continues in blowout at Wake Forest
• Pitt upsets Syracuse behind Young's 21 points
• Driesell honored by Maryland with banner from rafters
• NC State finding out it’s not nearly as good as it thinks it is – DeCock
• NC State’s effort, heart questioned after latest blowout loss
• SU falls at Pittsburgh: Best, worst from game
• Jim Boeheim, Syracuse players, basketball community react to Fab Melo's death
• Cameron Johnson is latest 3-point specialist to torch Syracuse basketball zone
• Syracuse basketball couldn't make 3s: 'Their defense was much better than I've seen it'
• Tyler Lydon limited to 8 points in loss to Pittsburgh: 'It was just one of those games'
• Why did Tyus Battle play only 16 minutes in Syracuse basketball loss at Pitt? He was sick
• Pitt downs Syracuse, 80-75, for second win in a row
• Georgia Tech second-half surge swamps Boston College
• Tech guard Josh Heath gives update on health of his ankle