2012 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region Third Round
#11 North Carolina St Wolfpack vs #3 Georgetown Hoyas
Nationwide Arena – Columbus, Ohio
Sunday, March 18, 2012, 12:15 pm Eastern, TV: CBS
Opening Line: Georgetown -4
Current Line: Georgetown -4 1/2
Opening Total: 132
Current Total: 132
Opening Money Line: Georgetown -200 / NC State +170
Current Money Line: Georgetown -200 / NC State +170
The 23-12 North Carolina St Wolfpack of the ACC defeated San Diego St 79-65 in the Midwest Region Second Round Friday. The Wolfpack finished tied for fourth in the conference and lost to North Carolina in the ACC semifinals. NC State is coached by Mark Gottfried
The Wolfpack will take on #3 seed Georgetown Sunday in Columbus in the third round. The winner will face either Kansas or Purdue in the regional semifinals next week in St. Louis. Georgetown beat Belmont 74-59 in the second round. Georgetown tied for fourth in the Big East and lost to Cincinnati in the Big East quarterfinals. Georgetwon is coached by John Thompson III.
North Carolina St leads the series 4-2 against Georgetown. The Hoyas won the last meeting last season 82-67 in the Championship game of the Charleston Classic. This is the second NCAA tournament meeting between the Hoyas and Wolfpack. Georgetown beat NC State in the sweet 16 in 1989.
NC State has wins over Princeton, Texas, St. Bonaventure, Maryland, Wake Forest twice, Boston College three times, Miami twice, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and Virginia. The Wolfpack have losses to Vanderbilt, Indiana, Stanford, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, North Carolina 3 times, Virginia, Duke, Florida St, and Clemson.
Georgetown has wins over Savannah St, Memphis twice, Alabama, Louisville, Providence twice, Marquette, St. John’s twice, DePaul, Rutgers, UConn, South Florida, Villanova, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh. The Hoyas have losses to Kansas, West Virginia, Cincinnati twice, Pitt, Syracuse, Seton Hall, and Marquette.
NC State is outscoring opponents 73-68 this season. The Wolfpack are shooting 46.3% from the field, including 35.5% from 3 point range. North Carolina St makes 70.8% of their free throws. The Wolfpack average 37.2 rebounds a game and have a rebounding margin of +4.2. NC State averages 16 assists, 12.8 points, 6.9 steals, and 4.1 blocks a game. North Carolina St is 13th in assists nationally. Wolfpack opponents are shooting 41.8% from the field including 33.8% from 3 point range. NC State forces 12.5 turnovers a game.
NC State Forward C.J. Leslie averages 14.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks a game to lead the team. Lorenzo Brown averages 12.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 steals a game. Brown leads the team in assists and steals. Forward Scott Wood averages 12.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists a game. Wood is shooting 41.1% from 3 point range. Richard Howell averages 10.7 points, 9.3 rebounds to lead the team, and 1.1 assists a game C.J. Williams averages 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals a game. He is shooting 33.3% from 3 point range. Williams is probable with an ankle injury. DeShawn Painter averages 6.4 points, and 4.3 rebounds.
Georgetown is outscoring opponents 69-59 this season. The Hoyas are shooting 46.3% from the field, including 34.7% from 3 point range. Georgetown makes 69.7% of their free throws. The Hoyas average 36.4 rebounds a game and have a rebounding margin of +5.7. Georgetown averages 13.7 assists, 12.7 turnovers, 6.2 steals, and 4.8 blocks a game. Hoya opponents are shooting 38.7% from the field, including 27% from 3 point range. The Hoyas are in the top 20 nationally in defensive scoring, and opponent’s field goal and 3 point percentages. Georgetown leads the nation in opponents’ 3 point Georgetown forces 14.5 turnovers a game.
Georgetown guard Jason Clark averages 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.7 steals a game. He leads the team in scoring and steals, and shoots 31.9% from 3 point range. Hollis Thompson averages 12.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He makes 44.4% of his three point attempts. Henry Sims averages 1179 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks a game. He leads the team in assists and blocks. Otto Porter averages 9.5 points, 6.7 rebounds to lead the team, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals a game. Markel Starks averages 7.4 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists a game. He is shooting 37.2% from 3 point range. Reserve center Tyler Adams is out indefinitely with a heart condition. Center Moses Ayegba is also out for the season with a torn ACL but he hasn’t played at all this season.
Georgetown is 15-11 ATS and the total is 12-14 this season. NC State is 16-14-1 ATS and the total is 19-12 this season. The Wolfpack are 6-0 ATS after a straight up win, in neutral site games, and as an underdog of 6.5 points or less, 6-0-1 overall, 4-0-1 after a cover, and against teams with winning records, 4-0 in non-conference games, as an underdog, and as a neutral site underdog, and 4-1 in Sunday games. The Hoyas are 4-0-1 ATS against ACC teams, 4-1 in Sunday games, as a favorite and as a neutral site favorite, 16-5 in neutral site games, 36-16-1 in neutral site, 4-9 after a straight up win, 2-6 as an NCAA tournament favorite, and 1-4 after a cover.
NC State wants this game in the 60’s or even better the 70’s. Georgetown will try to slow down the Wolfpack. Although Georgetown has had a tendency recently to lose to double digit seeds as they did to VCU and Ohio the last two seasons. Many thought they would be upset by Belmont in the second round. I like North Carolina St to pull off the upset and advance to the Sweet 16 in St. Louis next week.
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