Yardbarker: North Carolina State Wolfpack

Redskins sign defensive lineman to practice squad

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:59:48 -0500

Defensive lineman Antoine Holmes has been signed to the practice squad, the Redskins announced today. An undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State, Holmes (6-2, 289) originally signed with Minnesota; he was released Sept. 5 and spent three weeks on Arizona's practice squad this season before being released Nov. 24. Holmes is a native of Williamsburg, Va.

Around the ACC: 11.30

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:02:52 -0500

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

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A clean sweep yesterday, huh? Really nice to see FSU pull out a big win and Clemson win a thriller against Butler. Those wins are going to look great for the conference come March. The ACC/Big Ten Challenge starts tonight with Virginia vs. Penn State, so start getting geared up now.

NC State 69, New Orleans 52
State's defense really helped in this game, holding New Orleans to 35% shooting and just 24 points in the second half. The Wolfpack shot 8-16 behind the arc, with CJ Williams and Javi Gonzalez hitting a combined 5-10. Tracy Smith led the way with 20 points and 8 rebounds on 8-12 shooting. The Pack draw Northwestern next in the Challenge.

UNC 80, Nevada 73
Here we go again. The Tar Heels let a team hang around and end up pulling out a victory by under a dozen points. This is going to haunt them if it keeps happening this way. Deon Thompson stepped up again with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Larry Drew II had a solid game as well, getting a career-high 10 assists to go with 12 points. Ed Davis had his most effective game this season too, finishing with 16. UNC went through a 5 minute drought that netted only two FTs and eight missed shots.

Clemson 70, Butler 69
Clemson needed this one. The loss to a solid Texas A&M team actually may have been a blessing in disguise, as it probably loosened the Tigers up. This one came down to the wire as Demontez Stitt (19 points, 3 assists) netted both FTs with 3.3 seconds to put the Tigers up one with 3.3 seconds. Butler went the length of the floor and called time out and got one last chance, but Trevor Booker (12 points, 8 rebounds) blocked the shot and gave Clemson the win.

The stats were in Butler's favor, with the Bulldogs outshooting and outrebounding Clemson, but the Tigers hit 5 more FTs and hit 2 more threes, which was just enough. Gordon Hayward led Butler with 20 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulldogs are going to walk away really hoping that they had taken at least one against Minnesota or Clemson, but will have another chance to prove themselves against Georgetown and Ohio State later on.

Florida State 57, Marquette 56
In another exciting finish, Solomon Alabi came through with about 12 seconds left and FSU's defense held, with Marquette turning it over on their last possession. This was the shocker of the weekend. Marquette looked downright great their last two games against Xavier and Michigan.

Florida State, despite their 6-1 record, has looked shaky at times and got blown out of the gym against Florida. It's great to see them put it together though. Alabi is a beast and Chris Singleton (18 points, 10 rebounds) is looking very good so far. Lazar Hayward led the Golden Eagles with 19 points and 10 rebounds. The 'Noles will take on Ohio State next in another chance to prove what they're made of.

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NC State 69, New Orleans 52

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:03:20 -0500

Tracy Smith, top, shoots over New Orleans's Johann Mpondo (4) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday Nov. 29, 2009, at the RBC Center. Smith led all scorers with 20 points in the victory. (AP Photo/News & Observer,Ethan Hyman)" />

More photos » by Ethan Hyman - AP

about 13 hours ago: North Carolina State's Tracy Smith, top, shoots over New Orleans's Johann Mpondo (4) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Sunday Nov. 29, 2009, at the RBC Center. Smith led all scorers with 20 points in the victory. (AP Photo/News & Observer,Ethan Hyman)

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Four Factors NC State
New Orleans
eFG% 56.8 38.9 Turnover Rate 20.5 20.5 Off Reb Rate 24.0 34.1 FT Rate 56.8 6.3

Pts Poss OFF_EFF DEF_EFF UNO 52 63.4 82.0 108.9 NCSU 69 63.4 108.9 82.0

Box Score

-- New Orleans had 14 shots blocked (Vandenberg got three of them in seven minutes) and shot just 36.2% inside the arc, Richard Howell made his debut,Tracy Smith was back in typical form, and C.J. Williams finally got himself going offensively.

-- Javi is averaging nearly nine assists per 40 minutes and has an assist percentage of 48.1, which ranks 4th nationally here in the early going.

-- This is the fourth time State has forced an opponent to turn the ball over 20+ percent of the time. The number of times State did that last season: four.

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WEEK 13 ACC FOOTBALL: AN ALL TOO PREDICTABLE DISAPPOINTING CONCLUSION

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:12:00 -0500

At the beginning of the college football season that is now winding down, national expectations for the ACC were limited. This was not going to be the year that the basketball powerhouse would take another step to becoming recognized for its pigskin prowess.Virginia Tech looked to be the lone hope for a BCS Championship squad and that was thwarted with an opening loss to Alabama. Teams came and went out of the polls, and finally after a roller coaster season it looked like, at the very least,...

WEEK 13: WINS

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:03:00 -0500

N.C. STATE 28, NO. 23 NORTH CAROLINA 27Russell Wilson threw four touchdown passes and Alan-Michael Cash blocked a field goal attempt with about 5 minutes left to help the Wolfpack rally past the 23rd-ranked Tar Heels.Wilson connected twice with Owen Spencer for scores, including the go-ahead 38-yard touchdown two plays into the fourth quarter that gave the Wolfpack (5-7, 2-6 ACC) a third straight win against their next-door neighbors and fiercest football rivals. All three have come since Tom...

Football: #23 UNC vs NC State

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 07:27:07 -0500

Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
When: Saturday, November 28th, Noon
TV: ESPN2
Records: UNC 8-3, 4-3 ACC; NCSU 4-7, 1-6 ACC

41-10

Those numbers have been a pox on the UNC house for over a year now. Any football discussion with NCSU fans comes back to that score. It was an embarrassment. It was humiliating. And for all the good we saw last season with Butch Davis turning the program around from a 4-8 season to finish 8-5 with a bowl game appearance, 41-10 became that ugly wart UNC could not rid itself of.

Until today.

Despite the atrocious nature of the NCSU defense which should make even T.J. Yates look good this game is fraught with danger. It is a rivalry game on the road. NCSU is as wounded as they possibly could be in terms of their record. At 4-7 and 1-6 ACC, this game serves as the thin line between crowing about a 3rd straight win over UNC and a season rendered completely worthless by every available measure. NCSU has nothing to lose so it is a safe bet the Wolfpack will throw everything they have onto the field. In addition to the already volatile nature of this game emotionally, NCSU lost their offensive coordinator Dana Bible for a period of time while he undergoes treatment for leukemia. That fact alone is enough to have Wolfpack players amped up to win one for their missing coach. Needless to say the Wolfpack will be ready to toss a monkey wrench into the Tar Heels’ season.

So do the Tar Heels do about it? They come is and beat the ever living crap out of NCSU. The Heels’ defense comes in and gives Russell Wilson all the encouragement in the world to go ahead and focus on baseball full time. The UNC offense, as woeful as it might be at times should do what every other offense in the ACC has done and score points in droves. Unlike last season UNC comes into this game on a roll. Ever since the loss to FSU, this team has been clicking, especially on the defensive end. Last season it felt like the Heels had peaked. In 2009 it just seems like UNC gets better with every game.

For the Heels this game is about nine wins and revenge. There is some stirrings that maybe Butch Davis did not emphasize this game enough with his team last season pulled a Herb Sendek in his approach. The irony of this season is Butch Davis does not really have to correct that mistake this season. These players know what the deal is and have had this game in their sights since last season. I expect the Heels to come out ready to play.

There is no excuse for them to do otherwise.

UNC 38 NCSU 7

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Game Notes: NC State @ Akron

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:45:29 -0500

NC State at Akron Date 11/20/2009 3:30:00 PMLive StatsCheck At Gametime.TV None Team Stats

2009 Scouting Report / 2009 Game Plan
2009 Stats
2010 Roster
2010 Schedule

Akron Offense '08-'09

Four Factors Percent Nat'l Rank eFG% 48.1 207 Turnover Rate 20.6 191 Off Reb Rate 34.3 115 FTA/FGA 36.2 182

The Zips return almost all of the important pieces from a team that finished 23-13, won the MAC, and earned a 10-seed in the NCAA tournament a year ago. They've got a couple of players on the preseason all-conference team and they've not surprisingly been picked to win the MAC once again.

The one starter they lost, forward Nate Linhart, led the team in defensive rebounding percentage, block percentage, steal percentage, and 2FG%. That's a bit worrisome for a team that lacked good shooting and hung its hat on defense last season. If the first game of this season (a 3-point loss to fellow Glenn Wilkes-er Austin Peay) is any indication, those shooting problems will persist, and they may have lost some of their edge at the defensive end.

Offensively, they were the very definition of mediocre in 2009--pretty much right at the national average in all four factors. Forty percent of their field goal attempts were threes, so this was a very three-heavy offense. They had seven guys who would shoot from outside on a regular basis but only one that shot better than 35%.

Starters:

Darryl Roberts (6-0, 165) -- More of a 2 than a 1, from what I can tell. Looking at the assist rates of the starters, I can't find a true point guard. Roberts was easily the Zips' most efficient player a year ago, as he kept the turnovers to a minimum, made almost 40% of this three-point attempts, and was automatic from the line. Just a role player, though.

Brett McClanahan (6-4, 185) -- Played sparingly in '09 but took a lot of shots when he was on the court, an alarming majority of which did not go in. His 3-10 effort in the opener is not an encouraging sign.

Tim Carroll (6-5, 215) -- A walk-on who logged 43 minutes last season and just 3 in the Austin Peay game. He's starting for some reason, but I don't suppose we'll see him for very long.

Chris McKnight (6-7, 225) -- He'll do most of his scoring inside, but like just about everybody else on this team, he's willing to step outside from time to time. Good offensive rebounder, though not so much at the other end, and the Zips' most frequent free throw shooter. He wasn't very effective from the field (49.2 2FG%) or the line (65.4 FT%) last season.

Nikola Cvetinovic (6-8, 230) -- Posted a line similar to McKnight's, except with more turnovers. Averaged 6.5 fouls per 40 minutes in '09.

Bench:

Head coach Keith Dambrot has sort of a mad scientist thing going on here. I'm not sure if it's inspired or crazy. The guy that made this offense go--moreso by shooting in bulk than by shooting efficiently--and led the team in scoring came off the bench last season. It appears he'll continue to be the sixth man. That's Brett McKnight (6-6, 245). McKnight's huge workload (used 30.4% of the possessions, took 32.6% of the shots) was probably higher than the Zips would've liked, and it certainly took a significant toll on his efficiency, but the team didn't have much in the way of alternatives.

Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens (5-9, 168), started from day one in '09, was the team's best distributor and a big part of the offense, all of which earned him all-freshman honors. He's been demoted to the bench, but I'd expect him, along with Brett McKnight, to check in quickly and see heavy minutes.

Zeke Marshall (7-0, 218), ranked in the class of 2009's top 50 by both Rivals and Scout, was an impressive get by the Akron staff. He scored 10 points and grabbed 12 boards in his college debut. He's raw but nonetheless figures to be another significant factor off the bench.

Akron Defense '08-'09

Four Factors Percent Nat'l Rank eFG% 45.5 33 Turnover Rate 26.0 6 Off Reb Rate 36.3 295 FTA/FGA 45.7 319

Akron's tough pressure defense made for a lot of missed shots and turnovers, and that made this a very successful unit despite their rebounding issues and propensity for fouls. Prior to his team's date with the Zips in the tourney last year, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said he's never in 20 years seen a team that plays as hard as Akron. This preview refers to the Zips as "scrappy" and "rugged" several times, and in this particular case, that description doesn't appear to be hot air. I mean, the McKnight brothers grew up playing pickup games against prison inmates.

Two of Akron's three leading scorers, brothers Brett and Chris McKnight, grew up playing against prison inmates in Lancaster, Ohio, south of Columbus.

Casual pick-up games?"Oh, not at all. It's soooo physical," said Chris McKnight, a senior forward averaging 9.2 points per game -- 2.2 points below sophomore Brett, the team leader. "Those games take me back to the games we'd play with my dad in the driveway."

Phillip McKnight is a prison guard supervising 150 inmates at the Southern Correctional Institute in Lancaster."There are no fouls. You get knocked down, you better get back up and keep playing," Chris said.

And forget pouting over the lack of a call while splayed on the court.

The referees? Other prisoners.

So their "blue collar work ethic," or whatever you'd like to call it, is no joke.

"You just embarrassed yourself in front of T-Bone."

That the Wolfpack's guards take care of the basketball is critical, obviously, and the guys need to stay focused on the inside-out strategy. If they stick to the plan, they should have plenty of second chance opportunities and trips to the line, perhaps enough of both to earn the win.

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NC StateNameGPMinsPtsAstsRbdsStlsBlksTOsFG%3P%FT%Off Eff Tracy Smith 1 25.0 18.0 0.0 11.0 1.0 0.0 1.0 57.1 0.0 83.3 97.4 Julius Mays 1 21.0 16.0 0.0 1.0 2.0 0.0 1.0 50.0 0.0 90.9 108.3 Dennis Horner 1 34.0 15.0 0.0 4.0 0.0 1.0 3.0 60.0 50.0 100.0 68.6 Javier Gonzalez 1 31.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 2.0 0.0 2.0 37.5 25.0 50.0 144.3 Scott Wood 1 30.0 8.0 1.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 37.5 16.7 50.0 95.0 CJ Williams 1 28.0 2.0 1.0 4.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 16.7 0.0 0.0 39.5 Jordan Vandenberg 1 10.0 2.0 0.0 2.0 1.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100.0 139.1 DeShawn Painter 1 9.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Josh Davis 1 10.0 0.0 2.0 3.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 122.9 Kaycee Obi-Gwacham 1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Enrico Kufuor 1 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Richard Howell00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Spencer Greenway00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Kendall Smith00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0 Johnny Thomas00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0

NC State: Toney Baker Granted Sixth Year

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:53:59 -0500

The NCAA has granted NC State senior tailback Toney Baker a sixth year of eligibility, Wolfpack head coach Tom O'Brien announced following Thursday's football practice.

[snip]

"We will sit down with him after the end of the season and talk about it and see what he wants to do,"O'Brien said at the Dail Practice Field. "We still have two games to play. There is plenty of time to talk with him about what he wants to do."

Baker will graduate in December with a degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. While he has the option of returning, he has not made a firm decision yet.

One more go 'round, Toney?

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ACC OWNS UP TO BLOWN CALL AND REVIEW

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:34:00 -0500

N.C. State has announced that football coach Tom O'Brien has been informed by ACC officiating coordinator Doug Rhoads that a key play in last week's loss to Clemson should have been ruled a fumble.The play occurred in the third quarter was a fumble that would have given the ball to the Wolfpack with Clemson leading 24-14. Clemson was driving and would eventually score a touchdown.Officials initially ruled that Clemson running back C.J. Spiller was down and the play was dead before the...

Clemson’s CJ Spiller Fumbles Against NC State

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:48:36 -0500

CJ Spiller took a pitch left during Saturday’s NC State/Clemson pigskin match-up with Clemson leading 24-14 and lost the ball after he was hit. The Wolfpack’s Clem Johnson recovered but the referees ruled Spiller down. Clemson hurriedly ran their next play a clear sign of a fumble. The officials inexplicably failed to initiate [...]

Clemson’s CJ Spiller Fumbles Against NC State; Officals Blow Call

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:48:36 -0500

CJ Spiller took a pitch left during Saturday’s NC State/Clemson pigskin match-up with Clemson leading 24-14 and lost the ball after he was hit. The Wolfpack’s Clem Johnson recovered, but the referees ruled Spiller down. Clemson hurriedly ran their next play, a clear sign of a fumble. Notice Spiller signaling with his hand [...]

Russell Wilson better in worse year for N.C. State

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:52:00 -0500

From Darryl Slater at the Richmond Times-DispatchBLACKSBURG This time last year, quarterback Russell Wilson was leading North Carolina State to wins in its final four games, which made the Wolfpack 6-6 and eligible for a bowl game. A redshirt freshman, Wilson impressed everyone with his poise, and after the season, he was named ACC rookie of the year and became the first freshman quarterback in league history to be chosen first-team all-conference.Read the rest of this entry here.

College Basketball Prospectus 2009-2010 Available

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:18:57 -0500

You can download a pdf version for eight bucks.

Here's an excerpt:

Tracy Smith (6-8, 240, Jr.). As noted above, Smith was a force of nature on the offensive glass last year. Nevertheless his overall offensive efficiency is hurt by the fact that he

Got turnovers?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:10:03 -0500

It didn't take long. Maryland quarterback Chris Turner’s first pass was intercepted in the flat by defensive end Willie Young. Only 13 seconds had elapsed in the game when N.C. State took over on Maryland’s 21. Two plays later, Russell Wilson fired a touchdown pass over the middle to 17 yards to tight end George Bryan to put the Wolfpack ahead, 7-0. TBut the Terps, going no-huddle, drove 69 yards in 10 plays on their next possession, tying the game on a third-and-inches leap into t...

Tracy Smith Leads NC State in Exhibition Win

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:55:31 -0500

Enhanced Box Score

Not surprisingly, junior Tracy Smith was NC State's biggest scorer in Thursday night's preseason exhibition game against St. Paul's at Reynolds Coliseum. The 6-foot-9 forward was, after all, the tallest starter on the court.

He had 21 points in less than 25 minutes of action to lead all scorers in the 84-42Wolfpack victory.

Ten of Smith's points came in the first 10 minutes of the second half, when he completely out-sized and out-classed the smaller Division II opponent, which did not have a player taller than 6-foo-4 on its roster.

NC State takes care of St. Paul's, 84-42. Scott Wood hit 4 threes in the first half.

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North Carolina State Wolfpack @ Florida State Seminoles Preview

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:52:28 -0500

More photos » by Ethan Hyman - AP Russell Wilson should have a field day against Florida State's defense. Can FSU outscore the 'Pack? (AP Photo/The News Observer, Ethan Hyman) Browse more photos » Time: Noon EasternTV: Raycom or Espn360.com WeatherLine: FSU -10/ (Over/Under 64) Last year, Florida State pulled the game out 26-17 on a Thursday night in Raleigh. The Pack's offense tore up F...

The Conversation- Talking NC State with BackingThePack.com

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:34:50 -0500

To get our readers ready for the Homecoming game, I swapped bounced some questions off Akula Wolf of BackingThePack.com, the premiere N.C. State site. He also asked me a few. My answers are here, check them out. A lot was expected out of Russell Wilson this year by some in the national media. How has he lived up to the hype? What are some of the reasons for his shortcomings? He's struggled a bit in conference play, at least by his standards. He's averag...

Is This the Beginning of the End For Sidney Lowe at NC State?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:01:52 -0500

It probably wasn't more of a blip on your sports radar, but Brandon Costner is leaving NC State and entering the NBA Draft.I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel a bit sorry for NC State. Growing up in Charlotte, State was actually a good program. They had a championship head coach in Jim Valvano and routinely were near the top of the ACC standings. UNC-NCSU games used to be epic.That was nearly 20 years ago. Since then, State has had a few grasps at the ACC's gold ring b...

What's More Awkward?

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:38:51 -0500

Martha Stewart having your back? Or having Julius Hodges'?

N.C. State football Recruiting Class 2008

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:12:50 -0500

North Carolina State has a pretty good recruiting class for 2008, starting with quarterback Mike Glennon.