TRI-PARTISAN: What A Difference A Week Can Make

Each week I submit a Tri-Partisan column to WRALSportsFan.com, and here is today's feature where I talk about how much has changed in just a few days for NC State basketball.

WRALSportsFan.com: What A Difference A Week Can Make

Just last week, I used this column to rave about NC State's improved defense and the impact senior CJ Bryce has made since returning the lineup. The Pack had won three straight games, including the first-ever win against Virginia in JPJ Arena, and was sitting in fourth place in the league at 5-3.

With impending games on Saturday at Georgia Tech and Monday versus North Carolina at home, the Pack was in a position to really build some momentum considering that both of those teams had been struggling.

Not so fast.

NC State had plenty of chances to win in Atlanta. Leading by one with three minutes remaining, the team just couldn't make the big play. State had just one field goal over the final six minutes, and in the final minute the team had back-to-back possessions that ended in turnovers. All of that culminated in allowing Tech to escape with a six-point win.

Kevin Keatts was clearly frustrated with his team's play.

"I don’t think we stuck well together," he stated. "I don’t think we coached well together. It just was a bad day for us. Our guys, they were a little – I don’t know the word to use – I just didn’t think we stuck together."

NC State was playing again without freshman center Manny Bates and senior forward Pat Andree, but that's no excuse. This was a winnable game that slipped away for other reasons. It wasn't about who didn't play but rather who didn't play well.

Starting forwards Jericole Hellems and DJ Funderburk combined to go 4-for-16 from the field and neither player recorded a block or steal -- not good for frontcourt players. The duo wasn't productive or disruptive, allowing Georgia Tech to get whatever it wanted in the paint. Click the link to read the rest of the story: LINK