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At 69-56, I completely wrote off any chance this team had of winning. They then cut it to seven, which was a minor miracle, as the NC State guards seemingly could get into the paint at will. Awaiting them was all of Grant Verhoeven, a game but physically outmatched freshman, so it's no surprise NCState shot close to 60 percent for the game.
I only started watching with about 15 minutes left to go in the second half, and that stretch started with Randle on the bench and the team looking downright pitiful offensively. Even when Randle came in, I started to wonder if any of the Stanford starting five would start for NC State--I'm not sure of the answer, as Randle did not do much from what I saw. C.J. Leslie, who oddly looks like a stretched-out Stepfan Taylor, is a very, very fluid forward.
Yes, Powell played very, very well, and Huestis was very solid, if not quite the force he probably needed to be if Stanford is to have a chance when fighting above its weight class like tonight. But, overall, NC State looks like a really talented squad that has the potential to be a force in March. This Stanford team, probably not so much. I'll have to see how the rest of the Pac looks before totally giving up hope on the season. Can Powell step up to truly become dominant? If Randle stays out of foul trouble, can he play both offense and defense for 40 minutes? Bright is solid, Huestis more than solid. We'll see how the season plays out...I'll leave it to others to bag on Dawkins, as the result tonight speaks for itself.