NC State
UNC-Greensboro
Wolfpack Brings Momentum Into Contest vs. UNCG
12/21/2015 3:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (8-3) vs. UNC Greensboro (4-7) | ||
| Date | Tuesday, Dec. 22 | |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena – Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | GoPack.com | |
| Television | ESPN3 (Andrew Sanders, Chris Corchiani Sr.) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | UNCG | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | UNCG | |
| Live Stats | GoPack.com | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook | |
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THE STARTING 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. REACHING THE CENTURY 'MARK'Â Â Â Â
NC State's victory at Missouri was win No. 100 at NC State for Mark Gottfried. The coach reached the mark in 155 games, making him the second-fastest Wolfpack coach to 100 wins in school history. The legendary Everett Case reached 100 wins at NC State in just 120 games. Jim Valvano reached the mark in 156 games, meaning Gottfried reached 100 wins one game faster than Valvano.
2. BIG CAT IS BIG TIMEÂ
There aren't many players in college basketball performing at a higher level than Cat Barber right now. The 6-2 junior is currently leading the ACC in scoring (22.2 ppg) and is second in the league in assists (5.6 apg). The blazing-fast Barber has driven to the rim enough to rank second in the country in both free throws made (100) and attempted (116). He's also grabbing 5.5 rebounds per game while playing a league-high 38.1 minutes per game. Barber, a second team preseason All-ACC pick, scored 33 points in the win at Missouri on Saturday and also boasts a 37-point effort against Winthrop earlier this season. Barber scored 26 points and hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer against High Point last week. For his efforts, Barber was voted ACC Co-Player of the week, sharing the honor with Brice Johnson of UNC Chapel Hill.
3. SUCCESS AGAINST NON-CONFERENCE IN-STATE OPPONENTSÂ Â
Since Mark Gottfried's arrival in 2011, NC State has dominated against non-conference opponents from the state of North Carolina. The Wolfpack is 11-1 against in-state non-ACC teams under Gottfried, including two wins over UNC Greensboro. The Pack beat UNCG 89-68 on New Year's Eve in 2012 and then won 68-63 at Greensboro Coliseum in 2013. The lone loss was a 2013 overtime game against NC Central, a game in which the visiting team set a team arena record for free throws made (41).
4. NEED MORE FROM ABU, WE GOT MORE FROM ABU
After a mini-slump that saw him score just two points against Winthrop and Michigan, Mark Gottfried publicly said the team needed more from Abdul-Malik Abu. The 6-8 sophomore has risen to the challenge, flirting with double-doubles in each of the last four games. Abu, NC State's leading rebounder, had a double-double against USF (11 points, 14 rebounds) and Missouri (13 points, 11 rebounds) while also scoring double figures against Bucknell and High Point. Abu is averaging 12.0 points and 10.8 rebounds over the last four games.
5. NOBODY IN ACC HAS WON MORE AWAY FROM HOME Â
NC State already owns a pair of road wins, having claimed victory at South Florida and Missouri. The Wolfpack is one of just two teams in the ACC to already have two road wins. Wake Forest is the other team, with wins at Bucknell and Rutgers. NC State owns seven road wins dating back to last season and has won three straight road games.
