In a day of upsets, NC State provided one of the biggest in recent memory. No Duke is not the same Duke but Coach K has always had his team ready for the ACC tournament. That's why they have trimmed the tournament nets 7 out of the last 8 years. But NC State brought some it's own ACC tournament toughness. A quote from Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe is worth repeating. He wants his team to play every game in the ACC tournament like it's the "last game of their lives." Message delivered...message understood.
The Pack shot 60% because they took good shots. They took good shots because they had their point guard, Engin Atsur, running the show and controlling the tempo. Atsur scored 21 hitting 4 of 7 triples. Brandon Costner notched a career high 30 points and Ben McCauley doubled up with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
After the game I had a chance to interview Sidney Lowe and he said the team's toughness was a big reason they won. We talked about the magic of the red jacket. Something big always happens when he wears it. He's beaten Carolina, lost to Carolina and ended up in the hospital and now Lowe has notched a win over Duke in his first career ACC tournament game as a head coach. It's a nice entrance for a coach who understands and embraces the value of a historic tournament like the ACC.
This is WAY premature but wanted to get this out...The last 2 times NC State won the ACC tournament it was held outside of North Carolina. 1983 in Atlanta....1987 in Landover. State can't wait to take the floor again here in Tampa against Virginia...a team that beat the Pack twice during the regular season. Ben McCauley and Gavin Grant both talked about a chance for a little payback against the Wahoos. Will the Red Jacket return???
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