NC State
Wake Forest
Tourney Time: Pack Opens ACC Tournament Tuesday At Noon
3/7/2016 7:21:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| #12 NC State (15-16, 5-13) vs. #13 Wake Forest (11-19, 2-16) | ||
| Date | Tuesday, March 8 | |
| Time | 12 p.m. ET | |
| Location | Verizon Center – Washington, D.C. | |
| Tickets | StubHub | |
| Television | ESPN2 (Sean McDonough, Doris Burke) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Wake Forest | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Wake Forest | |
| Live Stats | ESPN.com | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook | |
ACC TOURNAMENT BRACKET Â | Â ACC TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
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THE STARTING 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. 'MARCH' GOTTFRIEDÂ
Now is the time of year when, if history is any indication, Mark Gottfried will have the Wolfpack at its best. Under the fifth-year coach, the Wolfpack boasts a 20-11 record during the month of March. That total includes five NCAA Tournament victories and seven ACC Tournament wins. Dating back to 2014, NC State has an 11-5 record in March contests.
2. CAT'S A FIRST TEAMERÂ Â Â Â
After posting a season rarely seen in ACC history, Cat Barber was voted first team All-ACC by both the media and the conference's coaches. The 6-2 junior leads the ACC in scoring with 23.4 points per game (league-best 23.6 ppg in ACC play) and is on pace to become the second player in ACC history to average 23 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 4.0 apg (Kenny Anderson in 1990-91). Barber has a league-best eight games with 30 or more points, including six in ACC play. In NC State's last game against Wake Forest on Feb. 13, Barber exploded for a career-high 38 points. Additionally, he is also leading the conference in free throws made (226) and minutes per game (38.68) and is third in free throw percentage (.866) and seventh in assists (4.37).
3. IN THE ACC TOURNAMENT
 NC State owns a 70-52 all-time record in the ACC Tournament, including an 8-4 mark in the tourney against Wake Forest. Mark Gottfried is 7-4 in the ACC Tournament as head coach at NC State and owns a career record of 21-15 in conference tournament play (OVC, SEC, ACC). The Pack has won two tournament games in three of Gottfried's four seasons.
4. THE WOLFPACK'S PATH INTO THE DANCEÂ
In order to claim the ACC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, the Wolfpack will have to win five games in five days. NC State's next three opponents are set. Should the Wolfpack advance past Wake Forest Tuesday at noon, the Pack will play Duke Wednesday afternoon. A win over Duke on Wednesday would put the Pack into a Thursday afternoon game against No. 4 seed Notre Dame.Â
5. NC STATE-WAKE FOREST, EPISODE 244Â
 In its basketball history, the Pack has neither played nor beaten any team any team more than Wake Forest. Tuesday's tournament game will be the 244th meeting between the two schools, with NC State holding a 140-103 edge. The two rivals, located 104 miles apart, have played at least twice each year since the 1910-11 season except in 1929. This is the first time since 2006 NC State and Wake Forest will be meeting on a neutral court. Wake edged the Pack 82-71 in the 2006 ACC Tournament in Greensboro. The two teams also played in the 2005 ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C., with the Wolfpack winning 81-65.
