Malinsky Bonus Play: 4* #724 MARYLAND/N. C. STATE Under
The GeorgiaDome is anything but a shooter’s paradise – difficult sight lines are tough enough for players that have been there before, but for teams making a first appearance that magnifies. That is certainly the case in this matchup, and with a slow pace reducing the number of opportunities anyway, we have excellent value to play this Total Under.
The first meeting between these teams produced a 154 count, but it was not pace that did it – the two teams shot the lights out. It was 60-119 from the field, 15-27 from 3-point range, and 19-22 from the free throw line, every one of those counts far above what these offenses and defenses would call for. In the return meeting there were adjustments made, and note that even in that 131 the efficiency counts were higher than they should be – the teams were 50-102 from the field, 15-40 from 3-point range, and 16-22 at the line. The key count for us were the field goal and free throw attempts – this was not the A.C.C., but rather a Big 10 wrestling match in terms of pace.
Where did the flow come from? Gary Williams went to a zone to slow down that excellent offensive Wolfpack front line, and it worked. His Terrapins forced 19 of the 46 State shots to come from beyond the arc, as the inconsistent Wolfpack point guards could not decipher the openings. Yet when they did shoot they were effective, and when we see a 131 on the scoreboard at a high level of offensive efficiency, it means we have tremendous value for this setting, and even the 133 did not have to be where it was – remember that unnecessary 3-pointer that Greivis Vasquez knocked down at the buzzer, instead of dribbling out the clock? The Wolfpack sure do, like this from Courtney Fells - "I thought that was disrespectful. I mean, if that's what you want to do, fine, but I'll remember that."
Now in the third meeting Sidney Lowe is calling for an even slower pace - "We have to be patient. We don't want come out and move it around the perimeter and just jack up a three.”, while also realizing that the more patient his team is the tougher it is for the Terrapins to run, and their own offense breaks down in half-court sets because of the lack of an inside presence. And that suits us just fine.
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