MCLAMB'S MUSINGS: Finding Value in February

PLAYING INFERIOR OPPONENTS

NC State knew the two home games would not follow a script. The objective was to pick up a pair of ACC wins, keep the good vibes going, and find some value from each contest to take forward. 

Mission accomplished for the Wolfpack. 

Florida State and Georgia Tech were not bringing impressive records into Raleigh, but they weren’t carrying fear, either. The Seminoles, currently 8-16 overall, have defeated ACC contender Pittsburgh on the road. Georgia Tech, now 8-15 and having given NCSU a scare recently in Atlanta, have a home win over Miami.  

The Pack did not mess around with FSU, and it was not long before the Noles were ran out of the gym. The shooting was lights out, and the defense was engaged. Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton was left to lament how well NCSU's players could take defenders off the dribble and he marveled at the Wolfpack defense, which he said was the best he had seen from an NC State team during his coaching tenure in the ACC.

Georgia Tech was another matter. The Yellow Jackets led early and did not get flustered when NC State led by nine in the second half. It was a one-point deficit for the Wolfpack with less than three minutes to play. 

That is when 19-5 teams do what they do, and 8-15 teams show why they can't do the same. NC State closed the game out on a 14-3 run and walked off the court one victory away from 20 wins just a year after the program lost 21. 

One game was easy, while one was hard, but both provided context to NC State's character and potential.

Winners are winners. Losers are losers. Champions are champions. The point spreads are meaningless. 

Forty years ago, it was NC State who won a national title. When the game was close, the Cardiac Pack found a way. When NCSU could drop the hammer and outclass the opposition, they pulled that off as well -- with the Utah and Georgia games serving as proof that the Wolfpack did not always leave it late. The banner hangs, but it has no caveats, conjecture, or nuance. It just says, "Champions." 

The season's team is solid. Now comes the next step. NC State is a program trying to cross the bridge from good to elite. The Wolfpack will have to win a lot of different ways if it is going to compete for titles, and it can compete for them. 

This past week can serve as proof that NCSU can grind out wins even on its off days. That's the value of the victory over Georgia Tech. The Pack takes the contest seriously and can both score and defend extremely well. That's the value of the victory over Florida State. Now comes a vital road trip. 

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Virginia, Boston College, and Syracuse. Three teams, three road games, and seven days. 

We will know exactly where NC State stands in the ACC and national landscape when the Wolfpack heads home from Syracuse on Valentine's Day. 

If the Pack loses out (0-3 in three games), they will be 19-8 overall, 9-7 in the ACC, and the fight will be for the double-bye in the ACC Tournament along with the best possible seeding for postseason. 

If the Pack splits (1-2 or 2-1 in three games) they will have at least 20 wins overall, at least 10 wins in the ACC, and control their own destiny for an ACC top-4 finish. 

But if the Pack runs the table and wins all three games, suddenly you are looking at a team that will sport a lofty 22-5 overall record -- literally one of the best marks that late in a season in the program's history. The 12-4 record in ACC play, could potentially be good for a three-way tie for first place in the ACC.

Standings/League Record/Games Through 2/14/23

Clemson (hosting Florida State) and Virginia (at Louisville) both play on February 15th. 

Looking at the records and upcoming schedule, if the Wolfpack can conjure magic in its travels there is a chance NCSU could be hosting UNC while in first place. Ironically, that might require Pack fans rooting for the Tar Heels against Clemson and Miami -- something Wolfpack Nation probably will not be coaxed into doing. 

When assessing the situation, there are two items of good news for NC State and its fans.

1. Clemson has only one win ever at North Carolina. Virginia is next on NC State's schedule, so the Wolfpack can gain a head-to-head advantage there. Pittsburgh has lost at home to Florida State this season. 

All the teams ahead of NC State seem to have legitimate chances for losses in the next two weeks. The Wolfpack cannot control most of that, but if it handles its business, climbing the ladder is likely – and reaching the top is a real possibility. 

2. Going to the work of assessing upcoming schedules, wondering about the availability of injured players, and being excited for the upcoming month of basketball is a refreshing change within Wolfpack Nation. The coaches and players will rightly tell folks they are not worrying about that stuff (probably not true), but that is, at least, the correct approach. If NC State just worries about what it can control and accomplishes the tasks ahead, this season can go from good to special. 

As for the fans, embrace these moments. NC State might win, and it might lose, but playing with pride in themselves and the name across their chests has gotten them here. That demands gratitude. 

This is the moment you have waited for. This is why you care. This is why you subscribe to websites credentialed to cover the Wolfpack. It will be tense, but that is far better than apathy. Your team matters. 

NC State is a winner. The Wolfpack now hits the road trying to elevate itself into a championship contender.