NC State lost to Temple by a final score of 76-72 (game log) in it’s first game of the NCAA Tourney. State should count itself lucky for making a game of it late after starting out shooting only 33% to Temple’s 68% and finishing the first half with 11 turnovers to Temple’s 3. The game is made even more bitter by a few horrendous calls from the officials in the last minutes of the game, but rest assured that NC State lost this one all on their own.
To finish up the season, NC State closes out 2012-2013 24-12 overall and 11-7 in the ACC. It’s not what most expected in the preseason, but it’s a far cry from where we say 2 years ago. Next season, NC State stands to lose CJ Leslie, Scott Wood, Richard Howell, and most likely Lorenzo Brown. That will leave then-sophomores Purvis, Warren, and Lewis to lead a squad with freshmen Barber, Anya, and Washington. NC State’s depth won’t be fixed in 2013-2014, nor will it improve it’s level of experience. On the bright side, next season ushers in a new era for Gottfried where he plays with nothing but his recruits (for the most part). What that means, exactly, has yet to be seen.
Today, NC State finished the season exactly as you would have expected: with inconsistent play throughout, inconsistent performances from individuals like Wood (until a late-game run), and by playing abysmal defense. It would be easy to point at Gottfried and blame the coaching staff for not playing consistent defense, but players like Leslie and Howell obviously knew how to play defense. When they ‘turned on’, they were unstoppable. The problem was consistency and whether that had more to do with their training program or their personalities will become evident as we rotate our roster for the next season.