How about that Wolfpack!!! The Pack took down 7 seed Duke in the first round of the ACC tournament on Thursday night 85-80 in overtime. It was another very good shooting night for the Pack, 61% for the game, and outstanding performances by senior Engin Atsur and freshman Brandon Costner. Engin did not have a point at half time but exploded in the second half and overtime for 21 point and several BIG plays. Costner started out hot ant had 16 at the break. He kept up the good play and finished the game with a career high 30 points and 7 rebounds. Ben McCauley did some very nice work down low and ended up with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He also had several nice passes inside to give us lay ups. I can remember one pass to Engin in the second had that was a thing of beauty. Grant was a bit quite but ended up with 9 points and 6 rebounds. Fells gave the Pack a spark early with a lay up and a dunk and ended the game with 8 points and 3 rebounds. Our only bench points came for walk-on Justin Clark who scored two points in three minutes of action in the first half.

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Here is my way overblown analysis of the “Post-Season Bubble” for those that are interested in the NIT set up. My thought is that we will get into the NIT, but at least I thought I would throw in analysis. There are 97 spots in postseason play (65 NCAA, 32 NIT). As of Tuesday March 6th in the morning, there are:

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Well, it’s March, and it’s time for Madness. For Pack fans, it won’t have exactly the same feel as the past five years, but nonetheless, NC State is poised for the post-season. Tomorrow, the Wolfpack Women take on Florida State in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament at 11 AM (why so early? TV, I think) We’ll be hard pressed to win the whole tournament with Duke waiting in the semifinals, and then UNC/Maryland in the finals, but either way, the Pack is a lock for the NCAAs and look to be coming in somewhere between a 4 and a 7 seed. Their RPI would seem to lean towards a 6, but my instinct is that they get a 5. Of course, the committee once they have determined the top 64 and put them on the appropriate seed line, has the right/ability to move you up or down one spot to account for matchups or bracket balance or a host of other non-sense reasons.

Also, with the big win last night, the men have clinched a winning regular season, and thus are almost a lock for the NIT. Which is still quite a feat for this undermanned team. Here’s hoping we can make it to NYC and pick up a title. Or might as well win the ACCs and go to the big dance! Can’t wait for tournament basketball. It has already started with the first women’s game in the books. What a great month.