It has been hard to miss, but Boston College coach Steve Donahue is as aware as anyone of C.J. Leslie's second-half surge for the Wolfpack. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged more than 17 points per game in N.C. State's final 10 games, and Donahue on Wednesday noted Leslie's improvement.
“I think he’s as talented as anybody in the league, for sure," Donahue said. "I think he’s made incredible strides, not only from last year but the middle of the season on, just so confident. With his size, he’s hard to guard, he can go off the dribble, he’s got a great feel for the game. Very difficult -- it’s a hard matchup for our guys, no doubt about it.
“They have a lot of different pieces. They have a good point guard. They have an outstanding shooter in Wood, a power player in Howell. They have Painter who can come off the bench and make shots. Williams does all those things. Offensively, they’re as talented a group as you’re going to find.”
Leslie, a second-team all-ACC selection, had 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting in N.C. State's first win over Boston College and was 5-for-12 for 13 points in the second. The Eagles and Wolfpack face off in the 5-12 game at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at (919) 829-8947, @LukeDeCock on Twitter or