The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/89497
■ PACK PAST cal foul. That hurt him later because when the season ended, Thompson had scored 838 points — a 29.9 average that ranked third in the nation. He was two points shy, however, of be- coming the first ACC player to average 30 or more points a game since Wake Forest's Len Chapell averaged 30.1 in 1962. No one has come within 3.2 points per game since. When the regular season ended, the Pack was tied for second with the Tar Heels and Tigers. But the Pack lost again when it drew the No. 4 seed in the ACC Tourna- ment, a significantly more difficult path than the second- and third-place teams. State beat fifth-seeded Virginia, earn- ing a rematch against the top-seeded and second-ranked Terps. Thompson wasn't about to lose to Lefty Driesell's team for a third time, and the Pack built as much as a 15-point lead with less than four minutes remaining. Thompson, however, was crippled by leg cramps, no matter what his 30-point performance might suggest. Carr came off the bench to score 21 points and grab 11 rebounds, but Thompson was carted off to the locker room in the second half. Carr also made a three-point play in the final seconds that gave the Wolfpack an 87-85 win over the team's most fierce rival at the time. The victory put the Wolfpack in the ACC title game for the third consecutive season, to face the 12th-ranked Tar Heels and their super freshman, Phil Ford. Thompson, still hampered by his sore leg, made must seven of his 21 shots and scored only 16 points. Monte Towe made only six of his 21 shots. Ford, who became the first freshman to win the Everett Case Award as the ACC Tournament's Most Valuable Player, poured in 24 points ,and the Heels posted their second straight win over NC State after losing nine in a row to the Wolfpack. In retrospect, it certainly wasn't a bad season. Who wouldn't be happy with a second-place finish in the ACC, a berth in the league's championship game and a No. 7 ranking in the final national poll of the season? But for a team that had won the last two ACC Tournament titles, was the reigning NCAA champion and had fulfilled all its expectations the year before, going 22-6 overall and 8-4 in the ACC seemed like a letdown. The team voted immediately after the loss in the ACC Tournament finals not to accept a bid to the NIT, a decision none of them question today, even though it deprived fans of college basketball a few more opportunities to see the ACC's great- est player in action. ■ You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu. NOVEMBER 2012 ■ 123 Rocky Patel Padron BACKING THE PACK SINCE 1947! Featuring Cigars From: And Many More! Arturo Fuente Drew Estate Montecristo Visit us on the web at www.havanaphils.com. Check out our Robusto Room, memberships available! Ashton XIKAR, Colibri, Prometheus, Diamond Crown & Dupont Accessories Sports Memorabilia CORPORATION Five convenient locations to serve you with crushed stone: WAKE STONE I-40 at Harrison Ave. US 1 at Deep River 919-677-0050 Triangle Quarry Moncure Quarry 919-755-7349 Knightdale Quarry Hwy. 64 East 919-266-9266 Nash Co. Quarry I-95 at Gold Rock 252-985-4411 N. Myrtle Quarry Hwy. 9 East, SC 843-756-3400