North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Pittsburgh
Wolfpack Travels To Pittsburgh Tuesday Night
1/18/2016 1:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (10-8, 0-5) at #NR/20 Pittsburgh (15-2, 4-1) | ||
| Date | Tuesday, Jan. 19 | |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET | |
| Location | Petersen Events Center – Pittsburgh, Pa. | |
| Tickets | StubHub | |
| Television | List Of TV Stations (WRAL)(Mike Gleason, Bobby Cremins) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Pittsburgh | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Pittsburgh | |
| Live Stats | GameTracker | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball | Facebook | |
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THE STARTING 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
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1. THE LAST TIME OUT vs. PITTÂ Â
When Pitt and NC State play each other Tuesday night, it's very likely Cat Barber will be a priority on the home team's scouting report. Barber exploded for a then-career-high 34 points against Pitt in last year's ACC Tournament, leading the Wolfpack to an 81-70 win. Barber was effective getting into the lane and shooting from the outside, finishing with 9-for-13 shooting and 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. Barber, who currently leads the ACC in free throws made, converted all 12 of his foul shots in the meeting last March. Additionally, NC State beat Pittsburgh 68-50 last year at PNC Arena on Jan. 3, 2015.
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2. T.J. STILL HAS THE RECORD AT PITTÂ
In 2014, NC State traveled to Pittsburgh in search of a key road win to help bolster its tournament resume. The Pack entered the game 7-9 in league play and had already lost at home 74-62 to Pitt earlier in the season. That's when T.J. Warren delivered a performance for the ages, scoring 41 points and helping the Wolfpack secure a season-changing road win that led to an NCAA Tournament berth. Warren, who six days later would score 42 at home against Boston College, shot 16-for-22 from the floor and 6-for-7 at the foul line while also contributing four steals and three assists. The 41-point performance is the highest scoring total for an opponent in the Petersen Events Center.
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3. PLAYING ELITE COMPETITION EVERY NIGHTÂ Â
Competing in a conference that currently boasts 11 teams in the top 70 of the RPI, NC State is used to regularly facing the nation's top teams. Of the Wolfpack's eight losses, seven have come against the top 70 of the ESPN.com Daily RPI. NC State has already played five opponents in the top 50 of the RPI and three of State's next four opponents will be added to that total. NC State owns two wins over the RPI's top 100 (83-72 over LSU and 72-66 over Northeastern).
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4. KEEP UP THE DEFENSEÂ Â
On Saturday, NC State settled in to guard the nation's second-ranked offensive team in UNC Chapel Hill. The Pack held the Tar Heels to 67 points, their lowest scoring output in a home game this season, as well as .379 shooting. The Wolfpack will need to replicate that defensive effort on Tuesday, as Pittsburgh is the nation's sixth-ranked offense and is among the national leaders in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
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5. TWO OF THE COUNTRY'S BEST OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING TEAMSÂ
NC State has established itself as a prolific offensive rebounding team, leading the ACC with 15.89 offensive rebounds per game. The Wolfpack grabs 39.1 percent of its missed shots, which ranks 11th in the nation. On the other end of the floor, Pittsburgh promises to be aggressive on the offensive glass. The Panthers rebound 39.2 percent of their missed shots, which ranks third in the ACC and ninth in the country.
