Pack will get clearer picture in Miami

RALEIGH -- There's no disputing where N.C. State stands after a quarter of the ACC season.

At 3-1 for the first time in six years, the Wolfpack is a half game behind Duke and Florida State in the ACC.

But just how good the Wolfpack really is, after playing four lower-level conference teams, is still in question.

N.C. State (14-5) will know more about where it stands after its next three ACC games, starting with today's trip to Miami (10-6).

The Wolfpack's first four ACC games were against teams ranked behind them in the Rating Percentage Index. N.C. State began the week at No. 58 in the official RPI released by the NCAA. Teams ranked between 40 and 75 are squarely on the NCAA tournament bubble.

The Wolfpack has conference wins over Maryland (85th in the official RPI), Wake Forest (103rd) and Boston College (216th) and lost at home to Georgia Tech (136th).

N.C. State's next three games are at Miami (60) today, at North Carolina (15) on Thursday and against Virginia (36) on Saturday.

First-year Wolfpack coach Mark Gottfried was pleased with his team's defense, which led to transition baskets, particularly in the first half of Thursday's 76-62 home win over Boston College.

"I thought that was the difference for us," Gottfried said. "When our team can run, we create a lot of problems for teams."

But Gottfried also saw some signs he didn't like. The Eagles stuck around in the second half, despite falling behind by 23, and ended up losing by 14 points. Gottfried juggled his lineup in the second half, resting his stars for long stretches, but he still wasn't entirely thrilled with the second half even though BC never really threatened to turn it into a game.

"I thought late in the game we were sloppy, and I didn't want us to be," Gottfried said.

The Hurricanes, who are coming off a 76-73 home win over Clemson after dropping its first two ACC games to Virginia and UNC, have impressed Gottfried.

The Canes' lineup has finally found some traction after a turbulent start to the season. The rotation has been interrupted by a knee injury to forward Reggie Johnson (who missed the first nine games of the season), an NCAA suspension for forward DeQuan Jones (10 games) and the two-game absence of leading scorer Malcom Grant due to a death in his family.

"I like them," Gottfried said. "They shoot the 3 well, they are really quick."

And the Wolfpack coach will know more about his own team after today's visit to south Florida.