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Analyzing N.C. State's hoops schedule
Submitted by jpg on 08/27/2008 - 02:07
• Composite schedule
• UNC analysis
• Duke analysis
• ACC highlights
Home: High Point, Winthrop, UNC-Greensboro, Winston-Salem State, ECU, Lipscomb, Marquette, Loyola (Md.), Towson, N.C. Central
Road: New Orleans, Florida
Neutral site: Davidson @ Charlotte
Analysis: You never want to go into a season thinking NIT (certainly not when your neighbor is blocking off hotel rooms in August for the Final Four) but N.C. State needs to reach the postseason in Sidney Lowe's third season.
If you give State a 6-10 ACC record, that means the Wolfpack has to go at least 9-4 outside the ACC to qualify for the NIT. Given what happened to Wake Forest last season — left out of the NIT at 17-13 — State needs to shoot for 18 regular-season wins and then another win at the ACC Tournament.
On paper, Florida and Davidson look like losses. That leaves no margin for error against Marquette, Winthrop or Loyola, a competitive MAAC team under former Maryland assistant Jimmy Patsos.
This schedule doesn't look like much, and it has its share of filler, but if Lowe's not careful, he could be swimming up stream by 2009-10.
| Nov. 15 | @ New Orleans | 7 | none |
| Nov. 22 | High Point (@ Reynolds Coliseum) | 7 | none |
| Nov. 25 | Winthrop | 7 | none |
| Nov. 30 | UNC-Greensboro | 2 | none |
| Dec. 6 | vs. Davidson (@ Charlotte) | TBA | TBA |
| Dec. 13 | Winston-Salem State (@ Reynolds) | 7 | none |
| Dec. 17 | ECU | 7 | none |
| Dec. 20 | Lipscomb | 7 | none |
| Dec. 22 | Marquette | 7 | none |
| Dec. 29 | Loyola (Md.) | 7 | none |
| Dec. 31 | Towson | 2 | none |
| Jan. 3 | @ Florida | 4 | Â CBS |
| Jan. 10 |
@ Clemson |
noon |
Raycom |
| Jan. 14 |
Florida State |
7 |
none |
| Jan. 17 |
Georgia Tech |
noon |
Raycom |
| Jan. 20 |
@ Duke |
8 |
Raycom |
| Jan. 24 |
@ Boston College |
2 |
Raycom |
| Jan. 28 |
Miami | TBA |
 TBA |
| Jan. 31 |
UNC |
3:30 |
ABC |
| Feb. 3 | N.C. Central | 7 | FSN |
| Feb. 8 |
@ Virginia Tech |
1:30 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 11 |
Wake Forest |
TBA |
TBA |
| Feb. 14 |
@ Georgia Tech |
1:30 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 18 |
@ UNC |
8 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 21 |
Virginia |
1 |
Raycom |
| Feb. 26 |
@ Wake Forest |
8 |
Raycom |
| March 1 |
Maryland |
7:30 |
FSN |
| March 4 |
Boston College |
TBA |
TBA |
| March 7 |
@ Miami |
noon |
Raycom |
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Comments
You can chalk up Marquette
Sat, 08/30/2008 - 08:42 — ACC Bball Fan (not verified)You can chalk up Marquette as a likely NC State loss as well.
NCSU basketball schedule
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:36 — Harold (not verified)This coming season's schedule is only slightly better than the traditional candy ass non-conference slate the Pack usually has. It's not as bad as it was in the Les Robinson years when they tried to schedule their way to a good overall record and failed miserably. I'm a long time State fan and I'm tired of it. Sure the conference is tough but grow a pair and play with the big boys.
The entire SEC is another case in point regarding football scheduling - our conference is so, so tough so why go looking for even more trouble (and losses.)
cmon jpg, you should know me
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 12:31 — gvillegatrcmon jpg, you should know me better than that! you should be ashamed for falling for that one!!
I do not see a Big Televen
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 10:24 — gvillegatrI do not see a Big Televen team, in early Dec, on the schedule anywhere!
As the 12th-place ACC team,
Wed, 08/27/2008 - 10:48 — jpg (author)As the 12th-place ACC team, State was left out of the Big Ten Challenge