Friday, November 20, 2009

Glenn Wilkes Classic Preview: NC State vs. Akron


NC STATE WOLFPACK vs. AKRON ZIPS
When: 3:30pm
Where: Daytona, FL
Records: NC State (1-0), Akron (0-1)
Television: None (Online Streaming from GlennWilkesClassic.com)
Where To Watch In Raleigh: The Brickhouse Sports Bar and Grill (3801 Hillsborough St.)

On Friday afternoon the Wolfpack will take on the favorite to win the MAC, the Akron Zips. Sporting a senior laden line-up, the Zips are an experienced squad looking to notch their first win of season. Last week, Akron fell to Austin Peay (whom the Pack will play on Saturday) in true heartbreaking fashion. With 5:26 left to play, Akron held a 12 point advantage, only to see Austin Peay reel off the next 17 points, en route to the victory.

With the Zips, it may not be the starting five you need to focus on. In their opening game, the bench players out-scored the starters 47-30, led by junior guard Steve McNeese with 14, and the infamous three point threat, 'Humpty' Higgins with 12.

Friday will mark the third time NC State has faced Akron. The Pack has won the first two contests rather handily (in 1947 and 1969). NC State also owns a 3-0 record against all MAC teams.

The Wolfpack will most likely be without senior Farnold Degand (coaches decision- grades) according to head coach Sidney Lowe at his weekly radio show. The absence of Degand, the fastest player on the squad, could certainly hamper the Pack's attempts to push the pace. This will mean finding ways to score out of the half court set, when forced to do so. Lowe is tinkering with a few ideas, including moving the sharp shooting freshman, Scott Wood, to the two, enabling him to get more floor time. He also mentioned allowing Tracy Smith to operate out of the 4, meaning freshman Jordan Vandenberg could see extended time this weekend. Vandenberg has been a shock to fans who figured his lack of recruitment equated to a lack of talent. That theory has been put to rest as Vandenberg is now a fan favorite thanks to his presence in the middle, his intense nature and his sneaky athleticism.

Another reason you may see a bit more of Vandenberg is to off-set Akron's 7 foot freshman, Zeke Marshall. Marshall, a heralded freshman who shunned schools such as Pitt, Virginia and Virginia Tech for Akron. Ranked as the 7th best center in the nation, he chose Akron, in part, because he wanted to bring a small school to national prominence and doesn't think you need to play in a power conference to get drafted.

"A lot of high-ranked players are starting to go to smaller schools," Marshall said to ESPN. "You can make The League without going to a big school."


Although, at the end of the day, the team with the most baskets win, limiting turnovers and pressure defense will certainly be a deciding factor in this one, as usual for NC State. The Zips only committed 9 turnovers in their first contest, a number expected for an experienced roster. The Pack also, surprisingly, only had 9 turnovers in their opener. A surprisingly low number, taking into consideration the amount of freshmen logging minutes for State.

The Glenn Wilkes Classic will certainly be a test for this young NC State team. Playing three games in three days away from home will tell a lot. It will help head Coach Lowe get a gauge of who to play and when to play them. It will tell if this young team is ready for to compete against the big boys, and it will test the togetherness of a team that swears by their chemistry. It should be an exciting weekend. Stay tuned, as we're in Daytona covering it every step of the way.

comments

26 Responses to "Glenn Wilkes Classic Preview: NC State vs. Akron"
  1. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 9:06 AM

    The Classic sweet

  2. dsmith9690 said...
    November 20, 2009 at 9:35 AM

    is the online stream free?

  3. Wolfpack Hoops said...
    November 20, 2009 at 9:45 AM

    ^no. It's around $9 per game, and 25 or so for the entire tournament.

  4. Thigpen said...
    November 20, 2009 at 9:52 AM

    Video stream information is here:

    http://www.stretchinternet.com/gwc.html

    "Single-game passes are available for $8.95 or buy a 15-game tournament pass for $20.95."

    As has been posted here previously, the streams can be viewed at Sammy's and The Brickhouse in Raleigh.

    Audio for the game should be broadcast in the Raleigh area on 101.5FM.

    And it looks like PackPass will have an audio internet feed:
    http://www.gopack.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=9200

  5. Jim said...
    November 20, 2009 at 9:53 AM

    Great preview guys! I assume there is zero chance Howell plays this weekend, is that correct?

    Have fun in Daytona- GO PACK!!

  6. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 9:58 AM

    25 bucks for this field? That steep

  7. Wolfpack Hoops said...
    November 20, 2009 at 10:03 AM

    Coach Lowe indicated that Howell just started practicing this past Monday. He also said that he might be ready to go next week.

  8. fernando said...
    November 20, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    I am in latin america I get the games on packpass just the audio feed.
    My question is,can I get the games online to actually watch? Not just this classic but all the games.Thanks for your helping me.

  9. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 10:16 AM

    good article on espn recruiting page about prep schools. it list hargrave as the number one school and mentions lo brown as a starter.

  10. Pack Leader said...
    November 20, 2009 at 10:30 AM

    If you are in Raleigh and dont want to pay the $25 just go to The Brickyard or Sammys to watch the game for FREE!!!

  11. Eric said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:09 AM

    Sometimes, you can go to Justin.tv to see games...the feed can be terrible, but if you are in Latin America, you will probably take what you can get.

    Glock, how was that Cothron Defense/Rebounding?

  12. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    Is justin.tv going to have it? How do you find the game on there?

    Tyler

  13. Thigpen said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:30 AM

    fernando: PackPass will have video feeds for a some of the later games, but not the Glenn Wilkes Classic games.

    The justin.tv site is designed as a live streaming site for user contributed content. It's not a sports event streaming service. If you're seeing the game there it's because someone is capturing a stream and re-feeding it to justin.tv. It's not an official broadcast by any means and the quality is going to be at second-generation internet video levels. Finding the feed there is a matter of hunting through the current live streams on the site.

  14. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:31 AM

    I admit in the first quarter the coach snatched him out and put him on the end of the bench. He was settling for a lot of perimeter shots at first but with the game on the line he got big down low and with 4 fouls he played a little careful. He was actually guarding much smaller players and that's a tough matchup for someone 6'8 to guard a 6'3 Rodney Purvis. But Derrick Martin was waiting down low to swat everything. Luke has a laid back style and when you least expect it he explodes.

  15. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:34 AM

    I put out the $21. I love the pack. Watching Howard vs Niagara now. The quality is actually pretty good. The announcers on the other hand..

    Lets go Pack

  16. TruthBKnown Returns said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:35 AM

    ^^^ "Audio for the game should be broadcast in the Raleigh area on 101.5FM."

    According to this link, the game will air on 99.9:

    http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=204837386

    I heard Vegas isn't too thrilled with us. We're only 1.5 point favorites. If we play like we played in the first game, I think we'll be the underdog.

    GO PACK!!!

  17. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 11:53 AM

    Anywhere in Greensboro to catch the game?

  18. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 12:10 PM

    Alright thanks for the info on Justin.tv Ill be able to catch it on 101.5 if it's not online, hoping the pack can pull it out. This will be IMO a tough matchup as akron was a 10 seed in the NCAA tournament last year, so it will be like an ACC quality opponent. I'm think smith inside will be tough to stop and vandenburg will give them fits inside, I saw the state vs Georgia state game and vandenburg was very aggressive and active inside. When he was in Georgia state rarely went inside, he's a difference maker on the defensive end. Also hoping that painter will come out and play better, along with Wood getting his 3pt shot down as we all know he can shoot. He had some nice looks in first game but seemed nervous to me. I'm predicting a close game, but a W for the pack!
    Tyler

  19. Pack Leader said...
    November 20, 2009 at 12:56 PM

    I see the FayObserver got an interview with Cothron....

    "I haven't any second thoughts about NC State. I want to see how Sidney Lowe coaches, and how they use their power forwards before I hop into a situation where I sign. Once you sign, you are in. I have to play a lot of minutes. I don't want to sit on the bench"

    I sure hope he sees what he likes...

  20. Wolfpack Hoops said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:05 PM

    Ladies and Gentleman...www.PackInsider.com is finally here. Jump on over and get on the forums! And it's completely FREE!

  21. fernando said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:25 PM

    ^ See what he likes? I don't think kid's should be making demands on PT that is earned.

  22. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:26 PM

    Just tried to go to the new site. Couldnt get there.

  23. Wolfpack Hoops said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:29 PM

    Give us a second. We appreciate your patience.

  24. fernando said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:30 PM

    ^packinsider It does not work?
    Thanks Keihin I have had packpass for a couple of years all I ever get video wise are old press conferences please how do I get live feeds????

  25. Unknown said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:39 PM

    You guys tricked me...

    haha

  26. Anonymous said...
    November 20, 2009 at 1:48 PM

    Are you going to create a link to PackInsider through the WPH website?

 

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