North Carolina Central

[mt85]

There are far too many upsets every year for anyone to be too comfortable. Per USA Today,

Since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, seven No. 15 seeds have beaten No. 2 seeds; it's happened three times in the past two years. Seventeen 14s have beaten 3s, including a most unlikely underdog — Harvard — taking out New Mexico last March.

Upsets happen every year. I just hope we aren't going to be one of them.

NCC has very good guards and that is very important in the NCAA tournament. They have proven that they know how to close out games by winning 20 in a row. Even though their strength of schedule may be less then others, it is impressive that they have that type of streak through the grind of a conference season. That shows me that their players know how to win and that they have the confidence to overcome adversity. They will be a dangerous team.

We have excellent guard play as well. I think we will pose challenges for them with our front court. I love our team, but there are no second chances going forward. I just hope we can bring our A game into the tournament, and see how far it can take us.

 

[Bret44]

Why would I waste my time being worried anymore. This team has proven me wrong time and time again. March to Dallas. Cut them down. It starts Friday at 9 pm. NCCU must be destroyed.

 

[CoKane]

Link to NCCU Basketball.

North Carolina Central University - 2013-14 Men's Basketball Roster

Do the 6-9 and the 6-11 players on the team get a lot of playing time? If not I think I know exactly what I would run if I was Hoiberg.

 

[CoKane]

I heard he practiced against Nerlens Noel in High School?

You think he could jump over the morning news paper? I heard rumors he might not be able to.

 

[HonkytonkGigolo]

You think he could jump over the morning news paper? I heard rumors he might not be able to.

Vertical of a poptart laying flat on a plate is what the rumor was.

 

[CarolinaCy]

So we're coming off a four game winning streak over Okie St, Kansas St, Kansas and Baylor, have barely cleared space for our newest hardware, and people are wetting themselves over a 14-seed from the MEAC? Sounds about right for this place.

 

[CycloneErik]

Overall, my thoughts are simple:

The field must be destroyed.
NCCU is part of that field.
So, nothing personal, just business: NCCU must be destroyed.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

So we're coming off a four game winning streak over Okie St, Kansas St, Kansas and Baylor, have barely cleared space for our newest hardware, and people are wetting themselves over a 14-seed from the MEAC? Sounds about right for this place.

Right?! As a fanbase, I think we often give TOO much credit to our opponents. This is a damned good team, and we've got a trophy and a seeding to prove it. I'm not worried about a 14 seed. The only teams I'm worried about in our region are Michigan State and North Carolina.

 

[ISUChippewa]

I guess we are paying Florida with the way this guys is talking

Huh...guess I didn't get the memo that we're the only fan base that's allowed to be confident in our team...

 

[CoKane]

So we're coming off a four game winning streak over Okie St, Kansas St, Kansas and Baylor, have barely cleared space for our newest hardware, and people are wetting themselves over a 14-seed from the MEAC? Sounds about right for this place.

It's cautious excitement. Most of us can recognize a possible kick in the balls when we see one. The national championship and final 4 threads will start up once again after we probably win this game.

 

[ISUChippewa]

So we're coming off a four game winning streak over Okie St, Kansas St, Kansas and Baylor, have barely cleared space for our newest hardware, and people are wetting themselves over a 14-seed from the MEAC? Sounds about right for this place.

I wouldn't say I'm personally wetting myself...BUT, a 15-seed from the MEAC took out #2 seed Missouri just a couple of years ago. I hate to bring it up, but a team from the MEAC (cough...Hampton...well, we all remember what happened there).

NCCU won at North Carolina State. I don't care if it was early in the season. A MEAC team winning on the road against an ACC team is damned impressive to me. Even more impressive to me is winning 20 freakin' games in a row, even against inferior competition.

I've already prepared myself mentally for an uncomfortably close game Friday night. I'll be very pleasantly surprised and happy if it turns out to be a blowout for us.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

I wouldn't say I'm personally wetting myself...BUT, a 15-seed from the MEAC took out #2 seed Missouri just a couple of years ago. I hate to bring it up, but a team from the MEAC (cough...Hampton...well, we all remember what happened there).

NCCU won at North Carolina State. I don't care if it was early in the season. A MEAC team winning on the road against an ACC team is damned impressive to me. Even more impressive to me is winning 20 freakin' games in a row, even against inferior competition.

I've already prepared myself mentally for an uncomfortably close game Friday night. I'll be very pleasantly surprised and happy if it turns out to be a blowout for us.

This team isn't Missouri from two years ago. This team isn't that 2001 team that tailspun into the tourney. This is a solid, Fred Hoiberg coached team.

NCCU's best win was against a team that Iowa'd themselves into the tourney. I'm sorry that I'm not concerned. Jesus, were you guys worried about UMKC as well?

 

[CarolinaCy]

This match-up scares the bejeebers out of me! I didn't like the match-up as soon as the bracket was revealed. I think Iowa will have an easier time with Tennessee than we will with NC Central, I really do...

Playing the best 14 seed that beat NCST and then in the second round likely needing to play a team that was ranked ahead of us when the seeds came out?

I'm more nervous for this game than I am about a potential game with UNC or Providence.

It's cautious excitement. Most of us can recognize a possible kick in the balls when we see one. The national championship and final 4 threads will start up once again after we probably win this game.

I'd say comments like these are fairly irrational. Worried more about NCC than UNC? Oh brother.

 

[ISUChippewa]

This team isn't Missouri from two years ago. This team isn't that 2001 team that tailspun into the tourney. This is a solid, Fred Hoiberg coached team.

NCCU's best win was against a team that Iowa'd themselves into the tourney. I'm sorry that I'm not concerned. Jesus, were you guys worried about UMKC as well?

You are correct in that this team isn't our 2001 tailspin team or the Missouri team of a couple of years ago...but, that Missouri team also was just coming of a Big 12 Tournament Championship. And NCCU isn't UMKC; in the Sagarin ratings that are in today's USA Today special tournament preview section we are 12th, NCCU is 86th (top among the 14 seeds, by the way), and UMKC is all the way down at 279, meaning there is a hell of a lot more space between NCCU and UMKC than there is between us and NCCU.

Who was Florida Gulf Coast's best win against last year before the tournament? I honestly don't know, and it's a hypothetical question, but it's quite silly to have the attitude that we're going to win "just because...". You have to play your "A" game every single time in this tournament, or you're out before you know it. You don't have to be sorry that you're not concerned, but I think you're making a mistake not to take this game seriously.

 

[CarolinaCy]

This reminds me so much of the 2000 tourney going into the UCLA game. They just got done stomping Maryland and all anyone could talk about was how great and talented they were and how they would be a huge hurdle for us to overcome. A buddy and I went to People's to watch it and he was a nervous wreck. I told him I thought we would take care of them and just keep marching on to the Final Four. After all, were were the effin' Big XII champs and that's what champions do. They win. And what did Tinsley and Fizer do to those guys? We surgically dismantled them over the next 40 minutes.

I don't know if this team will make the Final Four or Elite Eight or win the whole damn thing. But I do know we will not lose to a 14-seed from the MEAC in our first game. Too many winners on this ISU team to let that happen.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

You are correct in that this team isn't our 2001 tailspin team or the Missouri team of a couple of years ago...but, that Missouri team also was just coming of a Big 12 Tournament Championship. And NCCU isn't UMKC; in the Sagarin ratings that are in today's USA Today special tournament preview section we are 12th, NCCU is 86th (top among the 14 seeds, by the way), and UMKC is all the way down at 279, meaning there is a hell of a lot more space between NCCU and UMKC than there is between us and NCCU.

Who was Florida Gulf Coast's best win against last year before the tournament? I honestly don't know, and it's a hypothetical question, but it's quite silly to have the attitude that we're going to win "just because...". You have to play your "A" game every single time in this tournament, or you're out before you know it. You don't have to be sorry that you're not concerned, but I think you're making a mistake not to take this game seriously.

And how many of those teams between our 12 and their 86 have we beaten this season. Congrats to them for being the best 14 seed in the tourney?

Also, as long as our boys take it seriously (which they will) I don't think it matters one way or the other how seriously I take it.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

I'd say comments like these are fairly irrational.

Are you having trouble reading? What exactly is irrational about "Playing the best 14 seed that beat NCST and then in the second round likely needing to play a team that was ranked ahead of us when the seeds came out?"

The comment is nothing but factual and rational, and indicates confidence about the first round.

 

[CoKane]

I'd say comments like these are fairly irrational. Worried more about NCC than UNC? Oh brother.

Not seeing what's irrational about mine either. I didn't say we are ****ed, all I said was we probably win this and everyone starts thinking about where this team could go again.

 

[atlantacyclone]

Every game against every team makes me nervous... so that doesn't mean much. I would say that there is an equal chance of winning the whole damn thing as there is to losing the first round... sounds crazy... and probably is, but this team can either dominate or seem to fall asleep and go ice cold. The Baylor game gave me hope that they can win even if they play a terrible half.

 

[cyclones500]

They are good only as defensive rebounders, score and play defense best of all teams in their conference, looks like they ran away with their conference tournament, close in turnovers to us, block twice as many shots, and steal more than us, shoot free throws 73%-69% for us. BUT SLO PLAYING, so sttats are low scoring games. Might be a Purdue or Northwestern equivalent.

2013-14 OVERALL RANKINGS

POINTS PER GAME 73.9 89th OVERALL

REBOUNDS PER GAME 35.5 136th OVERALL

ASSISTS PER GAME 14.8 51st OVERALL

FIELD GOAL PCT .462 77th OVERALL

POINTS ALLOWED 58.5 7th OVERALL

REBOUNDS PER GAME 23.7 179th OVERALL

BLOCKS PER GAME 4.0 128th OVERALL

STEALS PER GAME 7.8 26th OVERALL

RPI/BPI is about 100

Slowdown team. Need to run these guys.

A few stats that suggest a non-blowout, although considering SOS (337), possibly no worries:

• Steals per game: 26th. Can't be sloppy.
• Points allowed: 7th. If scoring average were TCU-terrible, ISU would rout that type of team. But NCC is 89th (73 ppg).
• FG%: 77th. Not fantastic, but I bet many teams have shot above their average vs. Iowa State this year.
• Assists: 51st. It's not close to being No. 1 in distribution, like a certain team we all know & love — but good enough that defense can't lapse.

The few opponents with a pulse NCC has played, they didn't get trounced. And Iowa State hasn't steamrolled a lot of competition this season, until you get down to sub-200 RPI area.