NC State G Matt Able met with Wolfpack Sports Network after NC State's 113-69 win over Florida State to discuss his 15 point performance.
Matt Abel, congratulations. Part of a record-setting win here on the road at Florida State. That's the largest win margin over the Seminoles in Pack history. It had previously been 28 points in 1956, I believe. It's not common. Florida State's been really good.How did it feel out there to you guys this week? Take me back, Boston College and now here in Tallahassee. It feels like you guys are starting to really come together here.
Yeah, I think it's a big part of, we just knew coming into it that we were going to be on a little bit of a road game, road stretch. And we knew how important it was to start the season off well. That was one thing Coach was talking to us a lot about, just starting off the season well, getting momentum early.
That way, that momentum carries you into a lot tougher games and just games that we might not be shooting as well in. And I think that, overall, it was just a great team atmosphere.
Everyone was excited and happy.I mean, I feel like if you look at the bench after every play, everyone was standing up, cheering. It was just everyone was uplifting everyone. And I think that's a really big thing that, we've been focused on and just the coaching and the whole team's been focused on.
So, I didn't talk to you after last game. Where did your dad play college basketball?
Boston College.
He did play, okay.
Yes.
I did know the answer to that, but I got to ask, did you talk any smack to your dad after the win in Chestnut Hill?
So, I played good, so he was happy. But at the same time, you know, he's always rooting for me. But I think, a little part of him wanted Boston College to win a little bit. Just because, he had like 1,000 points there. He's a great player.
He sure did.
He's a great player. He's a great player. So, it was fun to, have that little grudge over him.It was just an amazing thing.
Yeah, it was a great win on Tuesday late. An even more convincing win, we'll call it, here today. Did you feel that you've been able to play a little bit through more? Coach Wade has kind of loosened it up a little bit here for you and has let you go through some stuff.
You had a cross-court pass that went errant that he might have yanked you for. Yeah, it happens. But he might have pulled you early. He left you out there in this ballgame.
Yeah, I think it just means a lot to me. He's letting me play through a couple mistakes. I'm not perfect, obviously, so I'm going to have a couple mistakes. But some of my mistakes might be some head scratches where it's like, gosh, what was he thinking? Like you said on that pass.
But him letting me play through it just increased my confidence. And I think that was kind of evidencing as to how I had a really good first half.
Are road games harder than home games?
I prefer road games. I like road games just because, like, our fans are so good and amazing. But there's something about, someone else talking trash to you, being in another team's atmosphere, and being able to walk in and win in those games on the road is just an amazing, like, feeling.
And I think as a team, like, there's just something about a road game where the flight back is just the best thing ever, because it's like you got the win, you did what you had to do, and now you can relax with your teammates.
