North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Normal Is Nice For Wolfpack
2/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh,
Tallahassee for Saturday’s 1 p.m. ACC basketball meeting with
The second half scenario the Wolfpack encountered Wednesday night at
North Carolina was anything but normal. After playing the fifth-ranked Tar Heels to a virtual standoff in the opening half, the Pack received shocking news just before returning to the floor for the second 20 minutes. Lowe, who had been suffering flue-like symptoms all day, would not be accompanying his players back to the court.
And while assistant coach Monte Towe was trying to hold things together in the second half, Lowe was receiving treatment for dehydration about a half mile away at UNC Hospital.
“We all know how much
Sidney means to everyone of us and we certainly missed him in the second half,” Towe said. “It’s really hard in the middle of a game to step in and try to do what somebody else is doing.”
Leading just 41-40 at the break, UNC exploded in the second half and went on to post an 83-64 victory at the
Smith
Center.
With Lowe back in the saddle on Saturday, NC State hopes to get back on track against a
Florida
State team that has redefined the meaning of the word streaky. Since putting together consecutive victories over
FSU’s problems can directly be traced to a season-ending injury suffered by point guard Toney Douglas, who fractured his hand in the second half of a loss at Clemson on February 7. Not coincidently, that defeat started the ‘Noles’ current skid.
A bright spot for FSU has been the play of senior forward Al Thornton, who has scored 20 or more points in 10 of his last 13 games.
Thornton is also the league’s top scorer and rebounder in conference games, averaging 22.4 points and 9.1 boards per contest.
As matchups go, the 6-8
Thornton is about as tough as it gets in the ACC. Quick enough to drive and big enough to post-up most of the people who try to guard him, Thornton also features a feathery touch from the perimeter that has allowed him to knock down 43 percent of his 3-point attempts.
On the flip side,
Florida
State may also have a difficult time finding defensive matchups for NC State’s Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner. The 6-9 McCauley is 11th in the ACC in scoring (15.6 ppg.) and ranks No. 2 in field goal percentage (59.8 percent). The 6-8 Costner leads all ACC freshmen in scoring (16.2) and rebounding (7.8).
With its ability to score inside and out, the Wolfpack has put together some impressive offensive showings this season and against
Florida
State, the Pack will be facing a team that has some defensive issues. The Seminoles have allowed their opponents to shoot 45 percent from the floor, a figure that ranks 10th in the league. NC State, meanwhile, shoots 49.3 percent from the field, which is second only to
North Carolina in the ACC.
Dating back to 1999, NC State has won 14 of its last 15 meetings against
Florida
State, with the only blemish during that period coming two seasons ago. The Wolfpack has also won five games in a row in the building now known as the
Donald
Tucker
Center.
When it returns to
Tallahassee on Saturday, NC State will have Lowe sending in offensive and defensive calls from the bench, calling timouts when necessary and running the show.
Normal will be nice.
