WRALSportsFan
Pack's Lowe Upbeat Because of Team's Recent Play
By J. Mike Blake Jan 29, 2008
A weekend road win has N.C. State (13-6, 2-3 ACC) in a logjam with a number of ACC teams in the conference standings, but more importantly, has Sidney Lowe’s team riding a wave of confidence heading into Thursday’s game at Duke.
The 69-67 win over Florida State, the first ACC road victory for the Wolfpack in its last eight tries, had the team in high spirits.
“It was a great feeling from those young men. They certainly crossed a barrier as far as getting a win on the road in the ACC, their first one together,” Lowe said.
After the win over the Seminoles, the team’s third consecutive game decided by three points, Lowe said his team talked positively about the effort given in the close affair.
“You could tell in the locker room that they appreciated the effort from everybody, they were going around congratulating each other on the win,” Lowe said. “They talked about the fact that we played hard and just stuck together and some nice things were being said to each other. I was listening to them and it meant a great deal to them.”
State has been competitive in each of its last three contests, all of which came down to a final possession.
State’s next opponent hasn’t quite had the same dramatics.
The Blue Devils (17-1, 5-0 ACC) met their first real challenge of the ACC season Sunday night and came away with a nine-point win. It was the closest a conference opponent had came within knocking off the nation’s No. 4 team.
Lowe said his players are now “playing tough,” and will have to continue that in order to compete with Duke – a team that’s pretty tough in its own right.
“There’s such a big difference in playing hard and playing tough. [Duke does] it as well as anyone,” Lowe said.
“Especially with some of the lineups that they put in the ball game. They may go small on you at times it’s difficult for a bigger team to take advantage of that because they’re just so tough and they won’t let you go where you want to go.”
State has the size to take advantage in the post, just as it held a height advantage over Florida State. Lowe said the Devils are a bit different in that almost every player can attack the basket.
“They’re different teams and they’re different types of players. I thought we were very good defensively at Florida State …even when [Duke goes] small with [Kyle] Singler at four, he can still put the ball on the floor as well as the guards, so we have to move our feet,” Lowe said.
“It’s going to be tough. We have to keep them in front because that’s what they’re going to do. They play solid defense, and so we have do the same thing.”
The feeling surrounding State earlier in the season was that this team was in for a long ACC season. Three close games and two wins later, Lowe said his team is upbeat after seemingly having found not only how to play hard but how to win games.
“It’s helping us to believe in ourselves, to win games down the stretch, that we’re never out of ball games,” Lowe said. “It’s helping us in terms of making plays and being tough and doing whatever we have to do to win games.”
Lowe on Brandon Costner …
Lowe also commented on Brandon Costner when asked about his recent benching and subsequent 0-for-1 shooting day at Florida State. Costner was ineffective and only played 12 minutes in the win after coming off the bench for only the seventh time in his career.
“We’re hoping that’s a one-game thing. We don’t think he’s lost confidence in his shot, I think it’s just a matter of him concentrating even more on the total game itself and not just his shot,” Lowe said.
“When you just think about your shot, then you’re taking every other aspect of the game out - your defense, your hustle, your tough work, your teamwork - all of that you take out of the equation. And you can’t do that. Those things are much more important if not more important than making a shot.”
Copyright 2012 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Most Recent Comments
"the wb did i step on some toes, thats what i wanted to do you are not only a loser, you are a poor sport. you can dish it out but you can't take it. thin skin eh!!!!!"
Huh? If you're talking about what I think you are talking about, I was deflecting the fact that I found it funny that somebody who spelled losers as "lousers" has no room to call UNC fans neither "lousers" or losers, in what I thought was a humorous sarcastic way. Guess not....
Duke is awesome, I hate to say it. Their defense is like no other in the ACC...reminds be of GTown. State will be challenged to get the ball to the 3 point line. Duke easily on Thursday night.
Sidney.. U home boy... keep wearing the Red suit jacket and NCSU will keep winning... GO Pack....Got Sidney? We have a supermarket UNC fans
the wb did i step on some toes, thats what i wanted to do you are not only a loser, you are a poor sport. you can dish it out but you can't take it. thin skin eh!!!!!
"Duke by 20."
Fouls? Technicals? Assaults? Can you be more specific?
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