BY TONY HAYNES
Raleigh, N.C. – By now, airplane rides and hotel rooms have become a way of life for NC State. After winning three games in four days at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, the Wolfpack is packing its bags again.
This time the location will be quite a bit colder and the opponent bigger and stronger than any of the teams the Pack faced in Orlando.
Now back in the A.P. top 25 following its run to the title at Disney World, the 24th ranked Wolfpack (4-1) squares off against No. 10 Michigan State (4-1) as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Wednesday night at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
“It’s a big show,” NC State coach Sidney Lowe said of the annual challenge, now in its ninth year. “You’ve got great teams going against each other and great competition. It’s fun.”
Lowe and the Wolfpack had plenty of fun over Thanksgiving weekend, posting three consecutive comeback wins to capture the Old Spice Classic trophy.
Before the tournament, Lowe cancelled his team’s reservations at the official tournament headquarters, choosing instead to stay at another hotel, one that was separate from the other teams. The bonding experience appeared to have a positive affect on a team that seemed to have some chemistry issues in the aftermath of a stunning upset loss to New Orleans back on November 18.
“We didn’t stay in the hotel with the other teams,” Lowe said. “I wanted it to be just us and not in a situation where they had to see other players. If you see other players, you’re going to talk and laugh about things and I just didn’t want to be in that type of atmosphere. We were down there to go to war and go to battle; I wanted them to keep that focus.”
Using a rotation of eight players, Lowe got tremendous contributions from everyone during the course of the tournament. The one steady force was junior guard Courtney Fells, whose energetic defense and perimeter scoring paced the Pack.
“He’s a very talented player,” said Lowe. “He certainly has the ability to impact the game and not just offensively. I know everyone talked about his offense this weekend, but he defended; he chased guys around and denied them the ball. He guarded some of the toughest guys in the country this weekend.”
Fells will likely earn another tough assignment on Wednesday night. A pre-season All-American, Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel is the Big Ten’s leading returning scorer from last season. In four games this year, the 6-0 senior is averaging 14.6 point per game, while shooting 50 percent (13-of-26) from the 3-point line.
“We want to make it difficult for good players,” Lowe said. “You try to limit certain things. Part of playing defense is trying to take an individual away from his strength. People think you get out there and just start guarding. You have to have a plan when you’re guarding someone who’s talented and can score the ball. We’ll talk to Courtney about his strengths and things that you want to eliminate.”
The Pack’s Gavin Grant could also have his hands full at the ‘3’ position since he’ll likely match-up with Michigan State’s leading scorer, Raymar Morgan. A 6-7, 225-pound junior, Morgan averages 17.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
If NC State doesn’t compete any better on the boards than it did in Orlando, it will run the risk of being manhandled by the Spartans. The Big Ten’s best rebounding team in eight of the last 10 years, Michigan State has posted a plus-11 rebound margin in its first five games this season. In Saturday’s 75-71 victory over Oakland, 11 of Michigan State center Goran Suton’s 20 rebounds came on the offensive glass. The Spartans have more offensive rebounds than its opponents have defensive boards.
The Wolfpack’s three opponents at the Old Spice Classic grabbed an average of 20 offensive boards per game.
“They’re a very good ballclub,” Lowe said. “They really come after you and they’re going to pound you on the boards. I think the main concern is their aggressiveness and how they play. Their talent level is a given.”
The Spartans also have a significant home court advantage, having won 29 straight over non-conference opponents at the Breslin Center. The streak is the sixth-longest active streak in the country.
Speaking of streaks, the ACC has won all eight previous challenges with the Big Ten. With a 4-3 mark, Michigan State is the only Big Ten team with a winning record in the challenge. NC State is 5-3 in the event.
This will be the first meeting between the two clubs since the Wolfpack downed the Spartans 69-58 in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament.
Courtesy: Associated Press
