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Mens Basketball cruises in exhibition
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NC State’s Men’s Basketball team dominated St. Paul’s, 84-42, in front of 5,100 plus fans in Reynolds Coliseum Thursday night. The game was an exhibition game, in other words a pre- season scrimmage, and does not count towards the win vs. loss records of each team. As the score represents, these two programs are on far different tiers of the college basketball landscape.
Two important things transpired last night: The basketball season is underway in earnest, and one of the most closely followed programs in the ACC is now on display. Secondly, Head Coach Sidney Lowe was allowed the opportunity to organize his team to face another school. For roughly a month the Wolfpack players have been sweating it out in practice with only one another to spar against. It takes that first adversary, preseason or otherwise, to get the “ball rolling”, so to speak.
An interesting aspect to this game was that Coach Lowe has brought in a talented recruiting class of five players, and four of the five received their introduction to NCAA college basketball on Thursday. How these freshman transition to not only university life but to the basketball program is of upmost concern to the coaching staff and Wolfpack fans alike.
In addition to the five freshmen, there are three more players who have only one year of experience. Eight of twelve scholarship players on a team roster so early in their respective college careers presents the theme of this early 2009-10 campaign. It’s an exciting time of so many fresh faces, but who can predict much with so little evidence of their ability to perform.
St. Paul was clearly overmatched but fans in Reynolds, along with radio listeners to the Wolfpack Sports Network did enjoy the results. Wolfpack starting center, Tracy Smith, was dominant posting up and is one of the few returning players with a good amount of college experience. His presence in the paint, scoring, passing, and rebounding will factor largely into the team’s success this season.
Freshman Scott Wood from Marion, Indiana, shot with precision from the perimeter. All four of his shot attempts were successful in the first half as the Wolfpack stretched out a comfortable lead. Along with other perimeter shooters for the Pack, the responsibility of taking and making the open outside shot will ease the pressure of Smith to shoulder the scoring load this season.
The Wolfpack have a scrimmage later this week that is closed to media and public, and will start the season officially against Georgia State on Thursday. The game is to be played at the RBC Arena and tip -off is set for 7:00 pm.
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