NC State
Northeastern
Wolfpack Closes 2015 With Defending CAA Champ Northeastern
12/28/2015 10:51:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (9-3) vs. Northeastern (8-4) | ||
| Date | Tuesday, Dec. 29 | |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena – Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | GoPack.com | |
| Television | Fox Sports South (Wes Durham, Mike Gminski) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Northeastern | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Northeastern | |
| Live Stats | GoPack.com | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook | |
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THE STARTING 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. WIN STREAKÂ Â Â Â Â
A win over Northeastern Tuesday night would give NC State a six-game win streak heading into the new year. The Pack has collected five straight victories - two of them on the road - since a close loss to Michigan four weeks ago. The Wolfpack has posted a win streak of six games or more in each of Mark Gottfried's previous four seasons at NC State. During the team's current five-game run, Cat Barber is averaging 25.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting .400 from 3-point range.Â
2. THERE IS CAT - AND THERE'S EVERYONE ELSEÂ
Cat Barber is curently posting numbers that no other player in college basketball can match. The 6-2 junior point guard is the only player in the country to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game this season. Barber has averages of 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He is currently the ACC's leader in scoring and stands third in assists. Additionally, he ranks second in the nation with 105 made free throws and is making better than 85 percent of his free throw attempts.
3. CLOSING A QUALITY YEAR AGAINST A QUALITY OPPONENTÂ Â Â Â Â Â
NC State's year in 2015 featured wins over four Hall of Fame coaches, a Sweet 16 run and a 9-3 start to this season. The calendar flips after the Pack hosts Northeastern, which also enjoyed a banner year. The Huskies won the 2015 CAA Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Coincidentally, NC State and Northeastern both stayed at the Westin Convention Center hotel in Pittsburgh during the opening weekend of the tournament. NC State enters Tuesday's game with a 22-13 mark during the 2015 calendar year.Â
4. BIG PRODUCTION FROM THE BIGSÂ Â Â Â
Mark Gottfried has often said a key for his team this season would be finding production from his post players. Abdul-Malik Abu has answered that question. During the team's five-game win streak, Abu has scored in double figures and grabbed at least nine rebounds in each game. Over the last five games, Abu is averaging 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. BeeJay Anya, known for his shot blocking prowess, has also increased his productivity on offense. The 6-9 Anya scored a career-high 17 points at South Florida and had 10 points vs. UNCG.Â
5. 10 WINS OUTSIDE OF THE LEAGUEÂ Â Â
Should NC State defeat Northeastern the Pack will have earned 10 non-ACC wins for the fourth time in five years under Mark Gottfried. The Wolfpack won 11 non-conference games in each of the coach's first two seasons and won 10 in 2013-14, his third season. Last season, playing one of the most rugged non-league schedules in the nation, NC State won nine games. However, a rare early ACC game with Wake Forest last December gave NC State 10 wins before the calendar turned to 2015.
