NC State
Michigan
Wolfpack Hosts Michigan Tuesday In ACC/Big Ten Challenge
11/30/2015 2:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (4-2) vs. Michigan (4-2) | ||
| Date | Tuesday, Dec. 1 | |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena – Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | GoPack.com | |
| Television | ESPN2 (Mike Patrick, Len Elmore) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Michigan | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Michigan | |
| Live Stats | GoPack.com | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook | |
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THE STARTING 5 - The top 5 storylines for Tuesday's game
1. BIG CATÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Known famously as 'Cat', the NC State starting point guard is playing more like the nickname his mother, Pamela, gave him when he was a baby: Big Cat. Cat Barber is averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 assists and 6.3 rebounds to lead the Wolfpack after six games and was voted the ACC Player of the Week this week. Barber dropped a career-high 37 points in Friday's win over Winthrop, and that came averaging he scored 21.0 points per game in the Pack's two games at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Barber is currently second in the ACC in both scoring and assists while leading the conference in minutes played per game (39.17).
2. CAT QUICKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
With the ball in his hands, Cat Barber is in the conversation among the quickest players in all of college basketball. With an emphasis this season of less contact to offensive players, it's nearly impossible to keep the 6-2 junior in front of you if you're guarding him. As a result, Barber has used his speed to get to the basket more and has drawn fouls at a torrid pace. Barber currently leads the nation in both free throws made (66) and attempted (75). He knocked down 19 of his 22 free throw attempts against Winthrop and was 12-for-12 at the line against LSU. Barber is currently fourth in the ACC with an .880 free throw percentage.Â
3. THE CHALLENGEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
This week marks the 17th ACC/Big Ten Challenge, and the Wolfpack's 16th appearance in the event (NC State didn't play in 2008). NC State owns six ACC/Big Ten Challenge wins, including a 69-48 win over Northwestern two years ago. These two teams have met three times in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, with Michigan having won twice. The last meeting was a 79-72 contest in 2012 in Ann Arbor when both teams were nationally ranked. Historically, NC State is 113-100 against the current membership of the Big Ten.
4. CALEB AND MAVERICK DOING THE SHOOTINGÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
One question coming into the season for NC State would be how to replace the long-range shooting of Ralston Turner and Trevor Lacey. The duo combined for 172 made 3-pointers last season. Caleb Martin and Maverick Rowan have done the work for the Pack so far, as the two young players have combined to make all of the team's 33 shots from beyond the arc. Martin is second in the ACC with 19 made 3-pointers and Rowan is ninth in the conference with 14 treys. Aside from Martin and Rowan, the rest of the team is 0-for-13 from 3-point range.Â
5. A ROTATION BUILT FOR MARCHÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Under normal circumstances, a tourney-bound basketball team would pare down its rotation during the postseason. NC State hasn't been afforded those normal circumstances. The Wolfpack is essentially playing a seven-player rotation. In the two games in Brooklyn, seven players played all 425 possible minutes (Shaun Kirk appeared for 0:06 of game time vs. Arizona State). NC State's primary seven-player rotation has played 1,214 of the season's 1,225 minutes (99.1 percent). Cat Barber is playing an ACC-leading 39.2 minutes per game, while Caleb Martin is third in the league in minutes (36.7) and Maverick Rowan is ninth (33.5).
