North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Hosts Virginia Tech Saturday Night
2/20/2015 12:00:00 AM
| NC State (15-11, 6-7) vs. Virginia Tech (10-16, 2-11) | ||
| Date | Saturday, Feb. 21 | |
| Time | 6 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena - Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | SOLD OUT | |
| Television | ESPN2 (Dave Lamont, Jim Calhoun) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Virginia Tech | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Virginia Tech | |
| Live Stats | GameTracker | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball  | Facebook  |
|
PROMOTION: Desmond Lee Trading Cards (Available at Sections 115 & 129)
Student Food Giveaway: Bojangles
The Starting 5 - The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. SECOND IN THE NATION
According to ESPN.com's Daily RPI, NC State has played the nation's second-toughest schedule. Only Big 12 leader Kansas has played a more challenging schedule than NC State. After 13 ACC games, NC State's conference strength of schedule is No. 1 in the country. The Pack has already played nine games against the current RPI top 50, highlighted by quality wins over Duke, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Boise State. Overall, the Wolfpack has six wins against top 80 teams (Duke, Louisville, Boise State, Pitt, Louisiana Tech and Tennessee) and nine of NC State's 11 losses are to teams in the top 70 of the RPI.
2. JUST CALL HIM CAT DADDY
On Monday's ACC teleconference, Mark Gottfried told the media he called Cat Barber the "Cat Daddy." And wanted him to play like that, with an elevated confidence. The sophomore guard has been terrific in recent games, averaging 20.8 ppg with 17 assists against three turnovers over the past four contests. Barber totaled 23 points and seven assists at Georgia Tech on Jan. 31 then followed that with a career-high 28 points at Wake Forest on Feb. 3. He scored 21 points in NC State's win at Louisville last Saturday.
3. COMPETITIVE GRIND EVERY NIGHT
Win or lose, NC State has seen some razor-thin margins in ACC play. The Wolfpack is second in the conference with four losses by four or fewer points (Georgia Tech has five). The Wolfpack also captured an 81-80 overtime win at Georgia Tech after a buzzer beater 3-pointer by Trevor Lacey. Overall, NC State has played seven games this season that have been decided by four points or less.
4. DON'T OVERLOOK CALEB
While his scoring numbers are modest, the effective all-around play of Caleb Martin is being noticed as important for NC State down the stretch. Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com noted in a column this week that the younger of the Martin twins has made major contributions in recent games. Martin is averaging 9.0 rebounds per game over the last three outings, with a career-high 10 boards at Louisville. He added six points against the Cardinals, including a momentum-swinging dunk and a 3-pointer in the second half that helped NC State take command of the game.
5. `GOTT' THE HOKIES FIGURED OUT
While this is the first meeting between NC State and Virginia Tech with Buzz Williams coaching the Hokies, the series has been successful for the Wolfpack in recent years. Mark Gottfried is 4-0 against Virginia Tech as the Pack's coach, including an 80-63 win in the 2013 ACC Tournament. T.J. Warren scored 31 points to lead the Wolfpack to a 71-64 win at Virginia Tech a year ago.
