The North Carolina State Wolfpack have been one of the most impressive teams in the country, but enter Tuesday night's game against Connecticut in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden coming off of a tough loss.
NC State lost 79-72 against No. 3-ranked Michigan last Tuesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and immediately finds a new challenge in a 6-1 Connecticut team.
The Wolfpack had trouble defending Michigan guard Trey Burke, allowing him to score 18 points and dish out a career-high 11 assists.
"You've gotta be able to defend, where you can keep them between you and the basket, and we've got to be a lot better at that," head coach Gottfried said on his weekly show, according to the Associated Press.
NC State will have its hands full with Huskies guards Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, who have been two of the best players in the nation so far this season.
"They're not going to stop until you stop them," Gottfried said. "Those two guys, in my opinion, are the keys offensively for UConn."
The Wolfpack have lost two of three after starting 3-0, including a 76-56 loss against Oklahoma State on Nov. 18. The team won its first three games by double-digit margins, but has since allowed the past three opponents to score more than 76 points.
NC State has been one of the best shooting teams in the country, ranking third in field-goal percentage.
Junior Lorenzo Brown has been essential to the success of the offense, leading the team in assists with six per game. He had six points and 10 assists in the loss to Michigan and scored a season-high 18 in last Friday's 82-80 win over UNC-Asheville.
Last season NC State went 24-13 and finished fifth in the ACC with a 9-7 record. The team lost in the semifinals of the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament and defeated San Diego State and Georgetown in the NCAA tournament before losing to Kansas in the regional semifinals.
For Connecticut to be successful on Tuesday night, they will need big games from both Napier and Boatright. Napier is leading the team in scoring with 18.6 points per game, while Boatright is second with 13.7.
Napier struggled in Thursday's 61-53 win over New Hampshire, being held to just five points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Huskies struggled all around despite the victory, shooting just "a season-low 36.8 percent from the field, including a 1-for-14 effort from 3-point range," according to the Associated Press.
"We definitely have to shoot better going down to Madison Square Garden," rookie coach Kevin Ollie said. "At the end of the day, we did out rebound them (43-40), which is a good, positive thing. But we've just got to shoot better."
Connecticut has played well this season despite ranking in the bottom half of Division I in rebounding, assists and field-goal percentage. The team opened with four straight wins before losing 66-60 to New Mexico, The Huskies have since won two straight, including the close win over New Hampshire.
Boatright is leading the team in assists and scored 19 points against New Hampshire. He has scored in double-digits in four of the past five games and has seven assists in last Sunday's 73-62 win over Stony Brook.
The team has had issues with rebounding all season, with team-leader DeAndre Daniel averaging only five per game. He had a season-high 10 in the win over New Hampshire, but only grabbed a combined seven rebounds the previous four games.
Last season Connecticut went 20-14 in the final season under longtime head coach Jim Calhoun. The Huskies finished tied for ninth in the Big East with an 8-10 record and lost 77-64 against Iowa State in the NCAA tournament.
There is an emotional connection for NC State, who is playing in the Jimmy V Classic for the first time in a decade. Jim Valvano was coach at North Carolina State and is remembered for an upset victory over favored Houston to win 1983 NCAA championship.
According to the Associated Press, " These teams have split four all-time meetings. The last time they played, North Carolina State won 65-62 in the second round of the 2005 NCAA tournament.
"The Wolfpack last appeared in the Jimmy V Classic 10 years ago, while Connecticut is making its debut in this event."
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