North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Another Big Challenge For Pack
11/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TONY HAYNES
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
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
“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
“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,
“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
If NC State doesn’t compete any better on the boards than it did in
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
Speaking of streaks, the ACC has won all eight previous challenges with the Big Ten. With a 4-3 mark,
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.
