The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197085
wolfpack basketball in the spotlight league, especially after his previous tenure at Alabama in the footballdominated SEC. "You had to stand on your head to see if they knew you were playing half the time," Gottfried joked. Schedule Remains Challenging NC State head coach Mark Gottfried has believes that teams should schedule challenging out-of-conference slates to compliment their conference schedules, but he also admits that his philosophy was tested this year. The addition of Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and Syracuse into the ACC caused Gottfried to pause and wonder if he wanted his inexperienced squad to be pushed through a difficult non-league schedule before having to navigate a conference slate that will be loaded with challenges. In the end, Gottfried stuck with his beliefs. "You have to have a schedule that's go- NC State 2013-14 Men's Basketball Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time Oct. 30 UNC Pembroke^ 7 p.m. Nov. 2 Morehouse^ 5 p.m. Nov. 8 Appalachian State (ESPN3) 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at Cincinnati (ESPN) 5 p.m. Nov. 16 Campbell (ESPN3) 7 p.m. Nov. 20 North Carolina Central (RSN) 7 p.m. Nov. 26 Florida Gulf Coast (ESPN3) 7 p.m. Nov. 30 Eastern Kentucky (ESPN3) TBA Dec. 4 Northwestern# (ESPNU) 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 Long Beach State (RSN) 2 p.m. Dec. 14 Detroit (ESPN3) 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at Tennessee (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Dec. 21 East Carolina (RSN) 12 p.m. Dec. 28 Missouri (ESPN2) 8 p.m. Dec. 30 at UNC Greensboro 7 p.m. Jan. 4 Pittsburgh (ACCN) 12 p.m. Jan. 7 at Notre Dame (ACCN) 9 p.m. Jan. 11 Virginia (ESPN2) 5 p.m. Jan. 15 at Wake Forest (ACCN) 9 p.m. Jan. 18 at Duke (CBS) 2 p.m. Jan. 20 Maryland (ESPNU) 9 p.m. Jan. 26 Georgia Tech (ESPNU) 1 p.m. Jan. 29 Florida State (ACCN) 9 p.m. Feb. 1 at North Carolina (ESPN/ESPN2)2 p.m. Feb. 8 at Miami (RSN) 2 p.m. Feb. 11 Wake Forest (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Feb. 15 at Syracuse (ACCN) 3 p.m. Feb. 18 at Clemson (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at Virginia Tech (RSN) 2 p.m. Feb. 26 North Carolina (ACCN) 8 p.m. March 1 Miami (ACCN) 12 p.m. March 3 at Pittsburgh (ESPNU) 9 p.m. March 9 Boston College (ESPNU) 6 p.m. March 12-16 ACC Tournament* TBA ^ Exhibition; # Big Ten/ACC Challenge; * at Greensboro, N.C. Head coach Mark Gottfried put together a challenging schedule because he believes it will help his team improve while enhancing its postseason résumé. photo by ken martin ing to challenge your team, make you better and look good to the selection committee," Gottfried said. "It forces you to really learn about your team. "I want to become the best possible team we can be, and I think playing an aggressive schedule gets us there." To that end, Gottfried has NC State playing at Cincinnati (Nov. 12) and at Tennessee (Dec. 18), two teams Gottfried believes could be top-20 squads and in the NCAA Tournament. State will also host Missouri (Dec. 28) and play Northwestern in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Dec. 4) at the PNC Arena. Gottfried is quick to point out that some of the lesser-known teams will also help the schedule. "The thing that most people miss is when they talk about non-conference schedules, it's the caliber of the other groups, that's what separate your RPI from others," Gottfried clarified. NC State plays Florida Gulf Coast (No. 80 RPI last season), Long Beach State (No. 116) and Eastern Kentucky (No. 76). All three of those teams will play at the PNC Arena this year. Florida Gulf Coast had a Cinderella run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 last season, while Long Beach State played in the NIT along with another non-conference foe this year, Detroit (No. 66). The Pack will host Detroit at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. In addition, East Carolina (No. 73), which won the College Insider Tournament last year, comes to the PNC Arena. Next season, NC State is expected to host Cincinnati and Tennessee, travel to Missouri and likely play at a Big Ten team in the challenge. Gottfried said that a potential deal with Kansas "kind of died," but he is hoping to add one more marquee non-conference opponent for next season, preferably on a neutral site. Miscellaneous Notes • Primetime with the Pack was held at the PNC Arena Oct. 18. Players were introduced to the crowd wearing camouflage fatigues as part of Military Appreciation Day. Head coach Mark Gottfried then made an elaborate entrance, starting with a video of him skydiving and hopping onto a helicopter that took him to a Hummer, which drove him to the arena and through the tunnel leading to the court. After a three-point shooting contest that was won by walk-on guard Patrick Wallace, the Pack held its annual Red-White scrimmage. Sophomore guard Tyler Lewis led the White team (16 points and five assists) to a 39-38 win over the Red squad during the 20-minute scrimmage. Sophomore forward T.J. Warren scored 13 points to lead the Red. • NC State freshman point guard Anthony "Cat" Barber missed about seven or eight practices according to Gottfried after sustaining a concussion at end of the first practice when colliding with Warren on a loose ball drill. "He has a history before with a concussion in high school, and our medical staff is very conservative with that," Gottfried noted. "If two or three days go by and he has a little bit of a headache, we wait another two or three days. "It sets him back. I think he'll come on pretty quick. When you miss that early time there are a lot of things you put in each day you have to go back and teach one guy." Barber returned to practice Oct. 14 and should be fine for the start of the regular season. • When NCSU beat Clemson on Scott Wood's last second three-pointer last season, the unsung hero of the play was Richard Howell, who set a devastating pick to free Wood up in the corner. Howell was the Pack's best screener last year. Now they have to find someone to replace him. "The screener might be [freshman] Lennard Freeman [6-8, 245 pounds]," Gottfried said. "But there is not anybody on our team, yet, that could screen like Richard Howell." • Fans will notice one small change to the uniforms this year. Instead of just "State" on the front of the jerseys, it will now read "NC State." ■ 46 ■ the wolfpacker 44,46.Wolfpack Basketball.indd 46 10/22/13 2:31 PM