FSU 74 NCS 84 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
What with the schedule being packed (and I am not complaining), today was the first chance I got to watch my recording of the game last Saturday. So here are some belated GBU observations.
The Good
Part of NCS's game plan seemed simple enough. Make it real tough for Jamir Watkins to score by being as physical as they could. The Pack certainly made it tough for Watkins to score baskets (he was just 4-13 , 0-4 from the floor but certainly did not shy away from the contact). Having been a slump at the stripe this season, what the Wolfpack did not count on was Watkins blistering the net from the FT line. He was nearly perfect connecting on 16 of 17 attempts. It all added up to a game high 24 points along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Watkins also had to be one tired player seeing the floor for the entire game save for just 29 seconds. Just another game where FSU fans come to expect from the do everything team leader. If there was one flaw in his game Saturday, it was the five turnovers he committed. But as much as he handles the ball, he is going to have games like that.
Malique Ewin with a career high 23 points. NC State really had no answer for him. Obviously not a player who can shoot from distance, Ewin was 11-14 from the floor off of an array of lay ups, spin moves, and of course slam dunks. At one point in the second half, Ewin scored 11 consecutive points for FSU. I have mentioned this before, but his footwork around the basket is tremendous. He is so fluid with his moves. It will be interesting to see how teams scheme against him.
FTs. Thanks in very large part to Watkins, FSU was 25 of 29 from the stripe. That was 86% from a team that is last in the ACC in FT shooting.
FSU did a fine job of staying in the game and getting it into OT taking a step closer to recording a win over a power conference team.
Plays of the game: Ewin showing early on he was going to be a handful with the slam dunk off the alley oop pass from Watkins, 4-5. Watkins taking the hard foul still making the FG plus the foul, 9-9. Ewin with the nice bounce pass out on the right wing to Watkins in the key. All NCS could do was foul him, 15-20. Daquan Davis with the nice floater in the lane, 33-35. Watkins backs down his defender, quickly recognizes the double team and tosses an underhand pass to a wide open Ewin cutting to the basket from the other side for the slam, 44-47. Justin Thomas from the right wing; the three gave FSU its first lead at 49-47 with 12:38 remaining. Thomas outfights three Pack players for the rebound getting the ball to Davis who connects on the three from above the key, 52-49. Ewin off the pick and roll down the lane plus the foul, 55-56. From the right side Ewin backs down the defender and with a swift spin move lays the ball in, 59-58. And then he does the same thing again, 61-58. Finishing off his 11 point run, Ewin grabs the OIRb and puts the ball back in, 63-58.
The Bad
FSU falls to 7-3 overall and begins the conference part of the season at 0-1 and misses an opportunity to build a tournament resume. The Pack had lost three straight games coming into this contest. It was an important game for both teams to start of the ACC part of the schedule on a positive note and get a W over a power conference team. The overtime loss also ended FSU's record 14 straight wins in overtime games that started back in 2018.
And here we thought NC State was not a good three point shooting team. And they aren't. Until they played FSU that is as they connected on 8 of 23. Compared to what they had been shooting to date, that was a improvement. Four of them were very late in the shot clock.
Kudos to Davis on a nice steal in the NCS backcourt only to try and do a Lone Ranger and force a horrible looking shot that of course missed.
After Taylor Bol Bowen picked up his third foul in the first half (just 38 seconds after his second), the TV play by play person commented that Leonard Hamilton is not afraid to leave a player with two fouls in the game. Say what? I have no clue what team that guy was watching in prep for this game.
Points off turnovers or lack there of. The Seminoles forced NCS into 10 turnovers, well most of their 10 turnovers, and was only able to turn those into just 9 points. Meanwhile NCS scored 21 points off 13 FSU miscues.
Memo to Ewin: Fouling out is not a good thing. He has already done that at least twice this season and several others he has picked up four. He has got to solve that because FSU is going to need his points and rebounding.
The Ugly
Bol Bowen, Chandler Jackson, Jerry Deng, and Bostyn Holt were owned by the Wolfpack offense. That has to tighten up. I can understand Bol Bowen to a degree because he was playing most of his 23 minutes with foul trouble but managed not to foul out. But as a whole, those four really struggled on the defensive end of the floor. Communication and NCS working to get the match ups they wanted I suspect were the culprits. It added up to the Pack shooting 52%.
On FSU's very first possession of the game, Bol Bowen launches a three that of course misses. What else would you expect from someone who is 4 of 17 from the arc? The miss resulted in a defense that was not set and got burned by the back door lay up.
Deng's lob pass to Alier Maluk was right on target. That is if Maluk was seated in the stands behind the basket.
But they shoot well in practice are words that FSU fans often hear from Hamilton describing his team's marksmanship from behind the arc. Saturday's game ................ 3 of 16. That is 19% for those of you keeping score at home.
Up Next
Saturday in Sunrise FL at the Orange Bowl Classic (where FSU is 7-3) to face Tulane (5-6).. Tip is at 4:30 and broadcast on the ACCN. The Green Wave lost five in a row before beating So Miss. I wish they would check with me first before scheduling these games. Now I am going to have to try and watch the game via a phone on a music stand.
What with the schedule being packed (and I am not complaining), today was the first chance I got to watch my recording of the game last Saturday. So here are some belated GBU observations.
The Good
Part of NCS's game plan seemed simple enough. Make it real tough for Jamir Watkins to score by being as physical as they could. The Pack certainly made it tough for Watkins to score baskets (he was just 4-13 , 0-4 from the floor but certainly did not shy away from the contact). Having been a slump at the stripe this season, what the Wolfpack did not count on was Watkins blistering the net from the FT line. He was nearly perfect connecting on 16 of 17 attempts. It all added up to a game high 24 points along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Watkins also had to be one tired player seeing the floor for the entire game save for just 29 seconds. Just another game where FSU fans come to expect from the do everything team leader. If there was one flaw in his game Saturday, it was the five turnovers he committed. But as much as he handles the ball, he is going to have games like that.
Malique Ewin with a career high 23 points. NC State really had no answer for him. Obviously not a player who can shoot from distance, Ewin was 11-14 from the floor off of an array of lay ups, spin moves, and of course slam dunks. At one point in the second half, Ewin scored 11 consecutive points for FSU. I have mentioned this before, but his footwork around the basket is tremendous. He is so fluid with his moves. It will be interesting to see how teams scheme against him.
FTs. Thanks in very large part to Watkins, FSU was 25 of 29 from the stripe. That was 86% from a team that is last in the ACC in FT shooting.
FSU did a fine job of staying in the game and getting it into OT taking a step closer to recording a win over a power conference team.
Plays of the game: Ewin showing early on he was going to be a handful with the slam dunk off the alley oop pass from Watkins, 4-5. Watkins taking the hard foul still making the FG plus the foul, 9-9. Ewin with the nice bounce pass out on the right wing to Watkins in the key. All NCS could do was foul him, 15-20. Daquan Davis with the nice floater in the lane, 33-35. Watkins backs down his defender, quickly recognizes the double team and tosses an underhand pass to a wide open Ewin cutting to the basket from the other side for the slam, 44-47. Justin Thomas from the right wing; the three gave FSU its first lead at 49-47 with 12:38 remaining. Thomas outfights three Pack players for the rebound getting the ball to Davis who connects on the three from above the key, 52-49. Ewin off the pick and roll down the lane plus the foul, 55-56. From the right side Ewin backs down the defender and with a swift spin move lays the ball in, 59-58. And then he does the same thing again, 61-58. Finishing off his 11 point run, Ewin grabs the OIRb and puts the ball back in, 63-58.
The Bad
FSU falls to 7-3 overall and begins the conference part of the season at 0-1 and misses an opportunity to build a tournament resume. The Pack had lost three straight games coming into this contest. It was an important game for both teams to start of the ACC part of the schedule on a positive note and get a W over a power conference team. The overtime loss also ended FSU's record 14 straight wins in overtime games that started back in 2018.
And here we thought NC State was not a good three point shooting team. And they aren't. Until they played FSU that is as they connected on 8 of 23. Compared to what they had been shooting to date, that was a improvement. Four of them were very late in the shot clock.
Kudos to Davis on a nice steal in the NCS backcourt only to try and do a Lone Ranger and force a horrible looking shot that of course missed.
After Taylor Bol Bowen picked up his third foul in the first half (just 38 seconds after his second), the TV play by play person commented that Leonard Hamilton is not afraid to leave a player with two fouls in the game. Say what? I have no clue what team that guy was watching in prep for this game.
Points off turnovers or lack there of. The Seminoles forced NCS into 10 turnovers, well most of their 10 turnovers, and was only able to turn those into just 9 points. Meanwhile NCS scored 21 points off 13 FSU miscues.
Memo to Ewin: Fouling out is not a good thing. He has already done that at least twice this season and several others he has picked up four. He has got to solve that because FSU is going to need his points and rebounding.
The Ugly
Bol Bowen, Chandler Jackson, Jerry Deng, and Bostyn Holt were owned by the Wolfpack offense. That has to tighten up. I can understand Bol Bowen to a degree because he was playing most of his 23 minutes with foul trouble but managed not to foul out. But as a whole, those four really struggled on the defensive end of the floor. Communication and NCS working to get the match ups they wanted I suspect were the culprits. It added up to the Pack shooting 52%.
On FSU's very first possession of the game, Bol Bowen launches a three that of course misses. What else would you expect from someone who is 4 of 17 from the arc? The miss resulted in a defense that was not set and got burned by the back door lay up.
Deng's lob pass to Alier Maluk was right on target. That is if Maluk was seated in the stands behind the basket.
But they shoot well in practice are words that FSU fans often hear from Hamilton describing his team's marksmanship from behind the arc. Saturday's game ................ 3 of 16. That is 19% for those of you keeping score at home.
Up Next
Saturday in Sunrise FL at the Orange Bowl Classic (where FSU is 7-3) to face Tulane (5-6).. Tip is at 4:30 and broadcast on the ACCN. The Green Wave lost five in a row before beating So Miss. I wish they would check with me first before scheduling these games. Now I am going to have to try and watch the game via a phone on a music stand.
