N.C. State is the only ACC team with five players who average at least 10 points a game.
The Wolfpack's balance helped them in Sunday's 79-74 win over Maryland, which was essentially a one-man show in Terrell Stoglin (25 points).
C.J. Leslie led State with 20 points against the Terps, Scott Wood added 19, Lorenzo Brown had 11 and Richard Howell finished with 10.
Three Points from N.C. State's 79-74 win over Maryland:
1) A little transparency can go a long way
Mark Gottfried told his team before the Maryland game that it needed to win 11 games in the ACC to make the NCAA tournament. He told the media the same thing on Friday and then repeated his goals after the win on Sunday.
"That's our goal, I'm not afraid to say it," Gottfried said Sunday night.
RALEIGH – Once again, N.C. State won a game with a collection of players fulfilling their roles, not having just one star individual who carried the rest.
That was the formula N.C. State used in a closer-than-it-looked 79-74 win over Maryland on Sunday night.
And executing this type of game plan set in by first-year coach Mark Gottfried will most likely determined whether the Wolfpack reach their ultimate goal: the NCAA Tournament.
In the ACC opener for both teams, the Wolfpack showed more maturity in the second half. They limited their turnovers. They helped each other on the defensive end. And when it was time to pull away and win the game, the Wolfpack did just that.
RALEIGH – N.C. State leads Maryland 36-30 at halftime in the ACC opener for both teams and coaches Mark Gottfried and Mark Turgeon. Here are a few observations from the first half here at the RBC Center.
-- N.C. State outrebounded Maryland 19-12 in the first half. That’s important for the Wolfpack against Maryland’s 7-foot center Alex Len. Not only are the Wolfpack holding the Terrapins to just one shot, but they are also taking advantage when they run in transition – which included at dunk from forward C.J. Leslie that was the biggest highlight in the first half that brought the home crowd to its feet.
Both Leslie (six rebounds) and forward Richard Howell (two rebounds) have been active on the backboard.
-- Leslie leads the Wolfpack with 12 points. A few of his baskets have come after grabbing offensive rebounds. At times Leslie was too aggressive in turning the ball over two times, but he’s outplaying any big man Maryland puts on him.
-- N.C. State built its lead, and maintained it for much of the first half, on a 5-0 run midway through the half by playing solid defense. The Wolfpack also finished the half well on the defensive end. N.C. State held Maryland scoreless for the final 2:36 left on the clock. The Terrapins have turned the ball over seven times, and some of them were unforced errors.
-- Forward Scott Wood has been sharp coming off screens. Wood started the game making his first three shots. His 3-pointer, coming off a screen, helped stretch Maryland’s defense. He also recorded a block in the first half.
-- This game should stay close throughout the second half as N.C. State’s biggest lead was five. Maryland clearly wants to take time of the clock and go through its offensive sets. When Maryland is passing the ball from side-to-side, the Terrapins have scored. Guard Terrell Stoglin leads Maryland with eight points.
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1. Fun and games
N.C. State hasn't had many chances, in the first 15 games, to have a little fun. The Wolfpack did just that Wednesday in the 78-44 win over Delaware State.
A 22-0 run to close the first half took any suspense out of the outcome and C.J. Leslie's alley-oop to himself during that run signaled the beginning of the fun and games.
RALEIGH — N.C. State has spent the first half of the season trying to prove it's a better team than it was a year ago.
Wednesday's paint-by-the-numbers 78-44 win over Delaware State is just the latest example of the Wolfpack's progress in coach Mark Gottfried's first season.
Last season, State needed a last-gasp shot by Scott Wood to eek out a 72-70 win over the same Delaware State team. And this season? The game, for all intents and purposes, was over by halftime.
Happy New Year, Three Points from Saturday's home win over the Catamounts:
1) Putting the 'free' in free throws
Since going 13 of 20 (65 percent) from the free-throw line in a four-point loss to Stanford on Dec. 4, N.C. State has gone 61 of 76 (80.2 percent) in the past five games.
State was 16 of 21 against Western Carolina but three of the misses were by reserves Kendall Smith and Staats Battle in the waning moments of the 82-55 blowout.
STANFORD, Calif. — Eight games is enough to convince Mark Gottfried that N.C. State's basketball team is headed in the right direction.
Almost daily, since Gottfried was hired in April, he had been preaching that the Wolfpack program, five-plus years removed from its last NCAA tournament appearance and coming off a 15-16 season, had a "long way to go."
After Sunday's disappointing 76-72 loss at Stanford, the second straight close call against a major conference opponent, Gottfried admitted Sunday that the Pack, with a 5-3 record, is "close" to being a good team.
STANFORD, Calif. — Mark Gottfried wants his N.C. State team to learn how to win.
For the second time in as many games, the Wolfpack couldn't close out a second-half lead. Stanford came back from a 12-point deficit to beat State, 76-72 on Sunday at Maples Pavilion.
Josh Owens (19 points) and Aaron Bright (15) led the comeback for the Cardinal, which trailed 52-40 and then 61-52 with 7:38 left.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Down 18 points to Texas in the second half, N.C. State needed a break Monday night in the TicketCity Legends Classic.
The Wolfpack got one when Texas' leading scorer J'Covan Brown fouled out with more than 8 minutes left in the game. From there, State out-played and out-hustled the Longhorns in an inspiring 77-74 comeback win.
With 16 points from a hobbling Scott Wood, including a key 3-pointer after Brown fouled out, and 17 from C.J. Leslie, the Wolfpack notched its first important nonconference win of the young season and for first-year coach Mark Gottfried.
