It gets a little overlooked in my front-page story today about N.C. State’s turnaround under Mark Gottfried, but the role of the classic UCLA high-post offense, handed down from John Wooden to Jim Harrick to Gottfried, should not be underestimated.

Wooden, who died in 2010, won 10 national championships in 12 years at UCLA running that offense (although not, as N.C. State fans would note, in 1974). Harrick, with Gottfried as an assistant, won another in 1995.

“The system we run is not the only way to play,” Harrick said. “It’s just the best. … It’s taken these kids this long to really learn it, but they’ve got confidence and see the reads now.”

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.

Bob Valvano, brother of the late N.C. State coach Jim, told an
interesting story today about the famous 1983 Wolfpack national
championship.

Subbing for vacationing host Brian Kenny on ESPN
Radio, Valvano recalled that Jim Valvano had two cherished keepsakes
from the Pack’s unlikely march to the title over Houston in
Albuquerque, N.M.