Notable: North Carolina State leads the all-time series 34-14. ? The Wolfpack have won four straight against Tech, including a 77-69 win in Raleigh last February, the last time the teams met. ? The Hokies are coming off another one-shot loss, this time a 58-56 defeat at Clemson. ? The Wolfpack's last game was a 77-73 home victory against Miami that snapped a four-game losing streak.
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N.C. State's postseason hopes are on the brink
The phrases "last four in" and the "first four out" were not part of C.J. Williams' lexicon until about a month ago.
With N.C. State's tenuous postseason prospects squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble, the Wolfpack's senior guard has been a quick learner.
"People are talking about us, and that's better than the alternative," Williams said. "But we'd rather just finish strong and let the committee worry about the bubble."
If any team can empathize with the Wolfpack (19-11, 8-7 ACC) with its tournament future in limbo, it's Virginia Tech, N.C. State's opponent in today's regular-season finale (6 p.m., ESPNU).
The Hokies (15-15, 4-11) have suffered just about every possible cruelty of the selection process since joining the ACC eight years ago. They have missed the tournament in each of the past four seasons, after spending the last month of each season on the bubble.
They are out of the NCAA tournament conversation this season, but they have been on the wrong side of history under coach Seth Greenberg.
Only six ACC teams since 1980, out of 122, have missed the NCAA tournament after finishing the regular season with a winning conference record. Virginia Tech has done that three times in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
N.C. State hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2006, but Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried has openly talked about the tournament, and his team's chances, since the start of conference play. Until his team gets to 9-7 in league play, though, he's going to table the tournament talk.
"If we don't win (today), there is no topic to discuss," Gottfried said. "We have to take care of our own business."
Conference record is not used as a criteria by the NCAA tournament selection committee, but in the case of the ACC, it has been a reliable predictor for postseason inclusion.
Before the 1979-80 season, the NCAA eliminated the limit on the number of teams that could qualify from each conference. From 1980 to the 2004 tournament, 85 of the 86 ACC teams that finished the regular season with a winning conference record, made the tournament. (Virginia, 9-7 in 1999-2000, was the only team left out).
Expansion changed the equation in the ACC. Since the league expanded before the 2004-05 season, 30 of the 35 teams team that finished the regular season with a winning conference record, made the tournament.
Since expansion, ACC teams with a 9-7 conference record have basically had a 50-50 chance of making the NCAA field. Since the 2004-05 season, nine teams have finished at 9-7 in conference play, only five made the tournament.
Clemson, Virginia Tech and Boston College each went 9-7 a year ago, but only Clemson, which went 3-0 against the other two teams, got in.
Miami is 9-7 after today's win over Boston College. N.C. State, Virginia and Clemson are all 8-7 going into today's games. The Wolfpack is 2-0 against Miami but a combined 0-2 against Virginia and Clemson.
Gottfried is hoping that strength of schedule will be a deciding factor in N.C. State's favor. The strength of N.C. State's nonconference schedule ranks 23rd, according to CollegeRPI.com, compared to 106th for Miami, 223rd for Virginia and 282nd for Clemson.
"You hope what you chose to do helps you," Gottfried said.
But N.C. State has to help itself first.
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VT will be 9th or 10th seed
Sunday?s game will determine whether the Hokies are seeded ninth or 10th:
Va. Tech probable starters: F Dorian Finney-Smith (6 ppg), F Jarell Eddie (9.5 ppg), C Cadarian Raines (5.5 ppg), G Dorenzo Hudson (11 ppg), G Erick Green (15.4 ppg).
State probable starters: F Richard Howell (10.9 ppg), F C.J. Leslie (14.2 ppg) , F Scott Wood (12.4 ppg), G C.J. Williams (11.3 ppg), G Lorenzo Brown 12.6 ppg).
--- If Tech wins tonight, it will finish alone in ninth place in the 12-team ACC, be the ninth seed in the ACC Tournament and play Maryland at noon Thursday in the first round in Atlanta. If Tech loses tonight, it will finish in a four-way tie for ninth and last place, be the seed and play the seventh seed at. ? Eddie made the ACC all-academic team Friday. ?. Seniors Dorenzo Hudson, Victor Davila, J.T. Thompson and Joey Racer will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Thompson (torn ACL) has yet to decide whether he will return next season as a sixth-year senior. ? Davila has missed five straight games with a groin strain. ? Hudson, who has 1,170 career points, will be hard to replace next year. Although he is shooting just 40.4 percent from the field this season, he hit a big 3-pointer in the team?s win at Virginia and hit the winning 3-pointer to beat Georgia Tech. He had 16 points in the OT loss at Duke. ? Green had just eight points in Thursday?s loss at Clemson, ending a string of 30 straight games scoring in double figures. ? Tech has played six straight games that have been decided by one or two ponts or OT, winning two of those six. ? Tech has beaten State four straight times. ?. State snapped a four-game skid with a win over Miami on Wednesday.
____________
N.C. State's postseason hopes are on the brink
The phrases "last four in" and the "first four out" were not part of C.J. Williams' lexicon until about a month ago.
With N.C. State's tenuous postseason prospects squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble, the Wolfpack's senior guard has been a quick learner.
"People are talking about us, and that's better than the alternative," Williams said. "But we'd rather just finish strong and let the committee worry about the bubble."
If any team can empathize with the Wolfpack (19-11, 8-7 ACC) with its tournament future in limbo, it's Virginia Tech, N.C. State's opponent in today's regular-season finale (6 p.m., ESPNU).
The Hokies (15-15, 4-11) have suffered just about every possible cruelty of the selection process since joining the ACC eight years ago. They have missed the tournament in each of the past four seasons, after spending the last month of each season on the bubble.
They are out of the NCAA tournament conversation this season, but they have been on the wrong side of history under coach Seth Greenberg.
Only six ACC teams since 1980, out of 122, have missed the NCAA tournament after finishing the regular season with a winning conference record. Virginia Tech has done that three times in 2008, 2010 and 2011.
N.C. State hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2006, but Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried has openly talked about the tournament, and his team's chances, since the start of conference play. Until his team gets to 9-7 in league play, though, he's going to table the tournament talk.
"If we don't win (today), there is no topic to discuss," Gottfried said. "We have to take care of our own business."
Conference record is not used as a criteria by the NCAA tournament selection committee, but in the case of the ACC, it has been a reliable predictor for postseason inclusion.
Before the 1979-80 season, the NCAA eliminated the limit on the number of teams that could qualify from each conference. From 1980 to the 2004 tournament, 85 of the 86 ACC teams that finished the regular season with a winning conference record, made the tournament. (Virginia, 9-7 in 1999-2000, was the only team left out).
Expansion changed the equation in the ACC. Since the league expanded before the 2004-05 season, 30 of the 35 teams team that finished the regular season with a winning conference record, made the tournament.
Since expansion, ACC teams with a 9-7 conference record have basically had a 50-50 chance of making the NCAA field. Since the 2004-05 season, nine teams have finished at 9-7 in conference play, only five made the tournament.
Clemson, Virginia Tech and Boston College each went 9-7 a year ago, but only Clemson, which went 3-0 against the other two teams, got in.
Miami is 9-7 after today's win over Boston College. N.C. State, Virginia and Clemson are all 8-7 going into today's games. The Wolfpack is 2-0 against Miami but a combined 0-2 against Virginia and Clemson.
Gottfried is hoping that strength of schedule will be a deciding factor in N.C. State's favor. The strength of N.C. State's nonconference schedule ranks 23rd, according to CollegeRPI.com, compared to 106th for Miami, 223rd for Virginia and 282nd for Clemson.
"You hope what you chose to do helps you," Gottfried said.
But N.C. State has to help itself first.
_______________
VT will be 9th or 10th seed
Sunday?s game will determine whether the Hokies are seeded ninth or 10th:
Va. Tech probable starters: F Dorian Finney-Smith (6 ppg), F Jarell Eddie (9.5 ppg), C Cadarian Raines (5.5 ppg), G Dorenzo Hudson (11 ppg), G Erick Green (15.4 ppg).
State probable starters: F Richard Howell (10.9 ppg), F C.J. Leslie (14.2 ppg) , F Scott Wood (12.4 ppg), G C.J. Williams (11.3 ppg), G Lorenzo Brown 12.6 ppg).
--- If Tech wins tonight, it will finish alone in ninth place in the 12-team ACC, be the ninth seed in the ACC Tournament and play Maryland at noon Thursday in the first round in Atlanta. If Tech loses tonight, it will finish in a four-way tie for ninth and last place, be the seed and play the seventh seed at. ? Eddie made the ACC all-academic team Friday. ?. Seniors Dorenzo Hudson, Victor Davila, J.T. Thompson and Joey Racer will be honored in a pregame ceremony. Thompson (torn ACL) has yet to decide whether he will return next season as a sixth-year senior. ? Davila has missed five straight games with a groin strain. ? Hudson, who has 1,170 career points, will be hard to replace next year. Although he is shooting just 40.4 percent from the field this season, he hit a big 3-pointer in the team?s win at Virginia and hit the winning 3-pointer to beat Georgia Tech. He had 16 points in the OT loss at Duke. ? Green had just eight points in Thursday?s loss at Clemson, ending a string of 30 straight games scoring in double figures. ? Tech has played six straight games that have been decided by one or two ponts or OT, winning two of those six. ? Tech has beaten State four straight times. ?. State snapped a four-game skid with a win over Miami on Wednesday.
