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YOUR BALANCE
Tonight's game: Clemson vs. NC State
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Tonight's game: Clemson vs. NC State


Jan 25, 2011, 12:28 PM

Sorry this is a tad late...I was hoping to update with Tanner's condition, and work is a bear this week. But here we go...

Who: NC State (12-7, 2-3 ACC) at Clemson (13-6, 2-3 ACC)
When: Tonight, 7 p.m. in Littlejohn
Is it a sellout? Tickets are available
Is it on TV? Yes, if you get Fox Sports South. But how would I know that?
When last we met: It was one-and-done time for Clemson in the ACC tourney as State won 59-57.
The Line: Clemson by 7, Pomeroy has Clemson by 8, RPI Now has Clemson by 10.
After 2 losses, that's good news isn't it? Well, yes and no. Obviously it's better to be favored, but without Tanner Smith (who as of now is doubtful for the game) the Tigers face some difficult matchups against the Wuffies.

NC State can score points, sometimes lots of them. They can rebound. They aren't an especially bad shooting team.

But so far this season, they have rarely been able to do them all in one game. Their recent 72-70 win over Miami featured a near defensive collapse in the second half, and in games when their defense has been decent, the offense is missing.

The Wuffies may yet put together a complete game. We just need to make sure it isn't tonight.

Who do we watch for NC State? Here's a familiar face 6-8 forward Tracy Smith (15 ppg, 6 reb). He's averaging nearly 20 ppg in ACC contests is just as strong on the offensive as defensive glass and has generally been a pain for opposing defenses. Which makes sense, given his experience. I swear this guy was one of Jim Valvano's last signees.

He's got help underneath in freshman 6-8 forward CJ Leslie (11 ppg, 8 reb) Although still green, Leslie has an impressive shot and can get into position for rebounds. He's young, though and can pick up fouls if caught out of position.

Another promising youngster is freshman guard Ryan Harrow (11 ppg, 4 ast, 93 percent at the line). He gets about half his points at the line, so if defenders can avoid his fall-into-you-shot for a cheap foul, his offense is limited. FSU attacked him and he scored 17. Miami ignored him and he scored 5. cover him tight at your own risk. But he's a decent passer and is adept at getting the ball inside.

Another new face is guard Lorenzo Brown (9 ppg, 3 reb, 4 ast) His production is often hampered by foul trouble. As the tallest guard (6-5) he's been getting saddled with the sort of assignments Tanner Smith would get on defense ... and he's just not up to it yet. Whoever is covered by Brown should take him inside early and often and put him on the bench.

Scott "Woody" Wood: a dead-eye shot from the outside.


There are two more guys you might recall. First is Scott Wood (10 ppg, 46 percent from the arc) the wunderkind bomber of last year. Think of him as TO with a bit of a conscience. He's shot over 50 percent from the arc against 3 ACC teams so far and has solid range.


Javier Gonzalez, left, before his demotion

The other guy is ... holy cow, is Javier Gonzalez still out there? Didn't he march into Havana with Che and Fidel? Could be, but the influx of freshmen talent has pushed him down the depth chart. But we'll probably see him out there. Be sure to stand and sing a verse of La Bayamesa when he hits the court ... I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

Sidney Lowe at a recent Pack gathering.

Of course, the Wuffies are led by Sidney Lowe, a pretty dang decent guard in his day. Under Low, the Pack hasn't won a road ACC game since ... well, since they beat Clemson in the ACC opener last year. Which means they've won one since we have.

As a team, State looks to score as many points as possible and hope their opponent can't keep up. They are far better in hanging on to the ball than in the past, but not especially adept at forcing turnovers. Aside from Wood they haven't shown much skill shooting behind the arc, so most of their offense is coming inside. And they are good on the offensive glass, since everyone is heading that way, anyhow. Smart teams who can get the defensive rebound can often find an easy transition bucket waiting.

In a nutshell, State has skilled players and an opportunistic offense. The defense is marginal and has a tendency to foul ... normal, given their youth. Unlike Clemson last two opponents the Tigers match up well size-wise, which should help.

How will Clemson respond? It's hard to mention Clemson without once again lamenting the loss of Tanner Smith. However, Brian Narcisse (4 ppg, fouled out vs. Maryland) should have better luck as a replacement against the Pack. His high-energy style better suits the look-for-a-decent-shot offense of State, and hustle will get him opportunities against a young defense.

That said, this game will hinge on guard play. With Jerai Grant (12 ppg, 7 reb, 3 blk) matching up with Smith and Devin Booker (8 ppg, 6 reb) tangling with Leslie, the inside game looks like a push.


Any wuffies want to try and stop this?


When they aren't in a zone (and if we can hit the 3s they won't stay in that long) State will likely by Lorenzo Brown on Demontez Stitt (14 ppg, 4 reb, 3 ast) to try to fluster the senior with size. If so, Brown will be on the bench in short order with fouls. Stitt has been a force inside and out the past month, and a freshman covering would be fun.

Andre Young 11 ppg, 4 ast, 42 percent from outside) will once against have to work for open 3-pointers, and we might see more of Corey Stanton since his size and skill level match up well with State.

If there's one guy who could make a big difference tonight, it's Milt Jennings (9 ppg, 5 reb). With State likely going to a 3-guard offense, and Booker and Grant occupying the inside guys, Jennings is going to have a major height advantage on somebody. All he has to do is recognize and execute. Tonight is a double-double waiting for him. all he has to do is take it.


All night long, wuffies! I will break you!


And, I'm not kidding, this would be a good night to give BoBo Baciu (why even bother with his numbers?) some serious minutes. for the first time in a while we face a foe with nobody remotely close to his size. DeShawn Painter (6-9) is the only guy with minutes. BoBo could have 10 points just by stretching his hand up and slamming.

That's not likely to happen, though. This is going to probably be a higher scoring game, with State's edge in depth keeping the tempo moving. But I think Clemson understands what's at stake in this game and has the horses to pull it out.

Look for a win and tacos.

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Excellent as usual - hoping to see some better play from


Jan 25, 2011, 12:33 PM

Jennings and a bucket or big play from Nuke.

Now I cannot wait for the game tonight!

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Hey rev if a person is a Narcisse fan


Jan 25, 2011, 12:35 PM

does that make them a Narcissist? Just curious. I'll hang up and listen. Thanks

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State has a fairly sizeable advantage over Clemson.....


Jan 25, 2011, 12:36 PM

in points per game (80th vs. 145th) and rebounds per game (48th vs. 212th), but Clemson does have the better field goal percentage (105th vs 86th).

That said, I think you're right that the game will hinge on Clemson's guard play.




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Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.


you'll need to work on your keyboarding


Jan 25, 2011, 12:38 PM

to get as bad at it as me. Just saying

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In ACC action...


Jan 25, 2011, 12:44 PM [ in reply to State has a fairly sizeable advantage over Clemson..... ]

Clemson and NC State are dead-even in offense at 75.4. Of course, State go 90 against Wake, which skews things a bit.

Clemson allows 6 fewer ppg than State in conference play.

We've got a slight edge in FG anf FT percentage, and 3-point shooting (thanks mainly to Wood) is about a dead heat.

But NC State does lead the league in offensive rebounds. We need to be tougher there.

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Re: State has a fairly sizeable advantage over Clemson.....


Jan 25, 2011, 12:58 PM [ in reply to State has a fairly sizeable advantage over Clemson..... ]

To be honest, these rankings don't mean much in the grand scheme of things. The PPG and RPG both hinge on the pace of the game as a major factor. With higher paced games, there will be more shots, and therefore more points and more rebounds.

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TACOS!!!


Jan 25, 2011, 1:15 PM

though I rarely actually use those tickets hahaha

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Fox News is reporting that according to the USDA


Jan 25, 2011, 1:37 PM

Taco Bell's seasoned beef does not qualify as beef by
USDA standards. It's 35% beef, the rest is "binders, extenders, dust agents, and filler"

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But they still taste like victory!***


Jan 25, 2011, 1:42 PM



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wow.....what a wealth of information***


Jan 25, 2011, 2:15 PM



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