North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Hosts Youngstown State Thursday Night
12/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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Dec. 15, 2010
RALEIGH, N.C. -
NC State Hosts Youngstown State: For the first time in a span of 20 days, the NC State men's basketball team returns to the RBC Center when the Wolfpack plays host to Youngstown State Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.
The Wolfpack (5-3) started its current six-game homestand with a 79-60 win over USC Upstate at Reynolds Coliseum this past weekend. NC State's freshmen trio combined for 50 points, and the Pack shot a combined 53.2 percent from the field.
The Penguins (5-4) are a perfect 5-0 at home this season, but 0-4 on the road. On Monday, Youngstown State defeated Malone, 78-62.
This game will be streamed online, on GoPack.com's All-Access.
The Series Versus Youngstown State: This will be the first meeting between the teams. NC State is 5-2 all-time against teams from the Horizon League.
RBC Center Dominance Against Non-Conference Foes: NC State's home court has not been welcoming to non-conference opponents since the RBC Center opened for the 1999-2000 season, as the Pack has posted an 86-11 (.887) record in such games. Under Lowe, the Pack has posted a 30-5 (.857) mark against non-conference opponents at home, losing only to No. 10 Alabama in 2007, New Orleans in 2008, Marquette in 2009, and Northwestern and Florida last season.
Last Time Out for NC State: NC State's freshmen trio combined for 50 points, as the Woflpack returned to Reynolds Coliseum and defeated USC Upstate, 79-60, Saturday afternoon. After taking a week off for final exams, the Wolfpack came out slow and trailed 9-3 seven minutes in, but a 10-0 run gave the Pack a lead it would not surrender. NC State shot 53.2 percent (33-62) from the field, and led by as many as 25 points in the second half. Freshman guards Ryan Harrow (20 points) and Lorenzo Brown (17 points) both scored career-highs, and fellow rookie C.J. Leslie finished with 13 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
Harrow Named ACC Rookie of the Week: Freshman guard Ryan Harrow was selected as the ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance this past weekend against USC Upstate.
In NC State's only game this past week, Harrow came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points in Saturday's 79-60 win over visiting USC Upstate. The Marietta, Ga., freshman hit on 10-of-13 from the floor, handed out five assists without a turnover, and had three steals in his 25 minutes of playing time.
Harrow is the second NC State player to win Rookie of the Week honors this season. C.J. Leslie earned the same honor after the first week of the season.
Alabama A&M Game Time Changed: The Wolfpack has changed the game time for the December 28 contest versus Alabama A&M. The game will now be held at 4:00 p.m. at the RBC Center, for fans wanting to watch the football team's bowl game at 6:30 p.m.
Unpack the Bags: After playing five of the first seven games away from Raleigh to start the season, the Wolfpack can unpack its bags until ACC play starts in January. NC State is currently in a six-game homestand, and will not leave the state of North Carolina until a January 11 trip to Boston College, the first ACC road contest of the season.
The Pack started the homestand with a 79-60 win over USC Upstate in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday. NC State's game against Youngstown State will be the first game in the RBC Center for the Pack since November 27, a span of 20 days.
The Pack started the season at home against Tennessee Tech, then played three games in four days at the Charleston Classic. After returning home to play Fairleigh Dickinson, the Pack had back-to-back road games at Wisconsin then Syracuse.
Racking Up Assists: Scoring has been an overall team effort for the Wolfpack this season, as NC State is currently third in the ACC in assists per game (15.6). In fact, the Pack has recorded an assist on 60.1 percent of its made field goals this season (208 FG, 125 assists).
Three different NC State players have at least 20 assists thus far. Freshman Lorenzo Brown ranks sixth in the ACC in assists with 4.3 per game, and has finished with six assists in four different games. Fellow freshman Ryan Harrow has 28 this season, including an ACC-best 10 against East Carolina, and senior Javier Gonzalez has 22 assists.
