NC State
Notre Dame
Regular Season Finale Set For Saturday At Notre Dame
3/4/2016 12:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (15-15, 5-12) vs. Notre Dame (19-10, 10-7) | |
| Date | Saturday, March 5 |
| Time | 12 p.m. ET |
| Location | Joyce Center – Notre Dame, Ind. |
| Tickets | StubHub |
| Television | CBS (Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas) |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) |
| Game Notes | NC State | Notre Dame |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Notre Dame |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook |
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THE STARTING 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. 'MARCH GOTTFRIED'Â Â
"Be at your best when you best is needed." One of John Wooden's credos of competitive greatness, Mark Gottfried has in years past gotten NC State's best when needed. Under Gottfried, the Wolfpack boasts a 20-10 record during the month of March. That total includes five NCAA Tournament victories and seven ACC Tournament wins. Also, the Pack has won its last regular season game three times in Gottfried's four years.
2. CAT'S HISTORICAL SEASON
Cat Barber has authored a season that has been truly historic. The 6-2 junior is leading the ACC in scoring with 23.2 points per game (league-best 23.3 ppg in ACC play) and is on pace to become the second player in ACC history to average 23 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 4.0 apg (Kenny Anderson in 1990-91). Barber has a league-best eight games with 30 or more points, including six in ACC play. He averaged 23.4 points per game during the month of February, including a 38-point effort against Wake Forest and a 32-point night against UNC Chapel Hill. Additionally, he is also leading the conference in free throws made (222) and minutes per game (38.61) and is third in free throw percentage (.867) and eighth in assists (4.37).
3. RECORD-BREAKING WOLFPACK
BeeJay Anya, still a junior, owns an NC State career record and Cat Barber is three made free throws away from a single-season school record of his own. With 12:53 remaining in NC State's win over Boston College, Anya swatted an Eagle lay-up for his 208th career block. Thurl Bailey blocked 207 shots from 1979-83 and held the record until Anya passed his mark. Barber, with 222 made foul shots this year, is closing in on State's single-season mark of 224 (Sammy Ranzino, 1950-51).Â
School record! @BAnya_Allday pic.twitter.com/6vemoNqnw9
— NC State Men's Bball (@PackMensBball) March 3, 2016
4. RECALLING THE LAST VISIT TO NOTRE DAMEÂ
NC State traveled to Notre Dame in January 2014, the first year in the ACC for the Irish, and overcame strange circumstances to earn a key road victory. With a polar vortex causing temperatures to approach 30-below zero, the Wolfpack invaded the Joyce Center and won 77-70. Cat Barber scored 16 points and hit a half-court shot at the halftime buzzer. Barber, Lennard Freeman and BeeJay Anya are the only three players on the current roster who played in that game 26 months ago.Â
5. POSTSEASON UPDATEÂ
Heading into Saturday's season finale, the Wolfpack already has its first postseason assignment. The Pack will play Tuesday, March 8 at noon against long-time rival Wake Forest in the first game of the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. A victory over Wake Forest would put the Wolfpack in a 2 p.m. game on Wednesday afternoon against the No. 5 seed. Starting in the league tourney, NC State will wear the 2016 adidas Made in March Uniform Collection, which features the latest adidas basketball footwear including special editions of the Crazylight Boost 2.5 Low and D Lillard 2 in team colors. The game uniforms feature the same lightweight, sweat-wicking technology used in the NBA.
