About four weeks ago, I said NC State was the best and deepest three point shooting team I had seen. It now seems as if I was describing another team in a previous season. The team that destroyed Florida State is nowhere to be found.
The injury to Ilian Evtimov immediately hurt State at both ends of the floor. Cameron Bennerman's pulled hamstring only made things worse. But that only begins to explain State's losses to North Carolina, Boston College, Wake Forest, and Wake Forest again.
The NC State offense is designed to produce backdoor cuts and open jumpers. ACC opponents took away the backdoor cuts. But for most of the season, State hit three pointers at a record rate, until the Carolina game.
Since then, the Pack has struggled to produce any consistent offense. The jumpers stopped falling. State's attempts to go inside haven't opened the floor any. Cedric Simmons has generated few scoring chances during the four-game skid. Andrew Brackman has gotten little playing time. Gavin Grant's ability to drive and attack the basket has given some life, but as a team, State seems to lack confidence on offense now.
Even more puzzling is State's play at the defensive end-a trademark of Herb Sendek's teams. State normally forces its opponents to shoot low percentages. Today Wake Forest, the last place team in the league, shot 54%, And State has been unable to use its defense to help create offense.
Maybe the injuries have given way to fatigue and the offensive woes have sapped State's enthusiasm. Whatever, Sendek faces the biggest challenge of his tenure, trying to prepare this team to win even one or two NCAA games.
