NC State Basketball: Burning Questions for Wolfpack's Postseason

On the heels of its fourth straight NCAA tournament appearance, the NC State basketball team has plenty left to prove. After winning six of eight games to close the season, the team looks primed to make a run. 

The burning question is: Can the Wolfpack do it?

Which team is going to show up in the postseason? Will it be the team that got destroyed by Duke last week? Or will it be the squad that holds a team like North Carolina to an all-time low in points scored at the Smith Center? Well, that obviously remains to be seen. 

So, as the tournament approaches, let's take a look at five burning questions surrounding the Wolfpack.

Will the Wolfpack Advance to the Round of 32?

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NC State has not had much success in the NCAA tournament over the last couple of seasons.

Last year, the Wolfpack sneaked in as a bubble team that would play in the First Four round of games. Following a solid 15-point win over Xavier, the team fell apart against Saint Louis in the second round after blowing a 16-point lead with eight minutes to play. The loss was a devastating way to end the season. The Wolfpack had outplayed the Billikens for most of the game but just couldn't close it out. 

Back in 2013, the team once again failed to advance past the first round, losing a close game to Temple despite being the higher seed.

The season had ended in the most NC State way possible—the Pack were a preseason Top-10 team following a near Elite Eight appearance in 2012, but they never lived up to expectations. 

However, this team has proven to be resilient under head coach Mark Gottfried. For perspective, look no further than the amazing run it had in 2012.

The team entered as a No. 10 seed and immediately upset an up-and-coming San Diego State squad. Then the Wolfpack pulled off one of the biggest shockers of the tournament by upsetting second-seeded Georgetown. They even hung tough with Kansas, unable to convert on the final possession of the game with a chance to tie and go to overtime.

So, where does that leave the 2015 Wolfpack? They are a young team, and it can be argued that they already exceeded expectations by just making it to the tournament this year.

However, simply making the Big Dance shouldn't be satisfying. Can this team get over the hump and win a game? As a No. 8 seed in Villanova's bracket, the team has an outside shot at making a run. It will be interesting to see what NC State is made of. 

Can the Pack Play a Full 40-Minute Game?

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It's a simple concept, but it couldn't be more true: Teams need to play well for the full 40 minutes to be successful in the Big Dance.

One of the most frustrating things as a coach is watching your team build a lead, only to see it ripped away down the stretch.

That's exactly what happened to Gottfried and NC State last year against Saint Louis. The Wolfpack seemingly had the game well in hand, up 16 points with just eight minutes to play. Then, disaster struck. The Billikens stormed all the way back to defeat the Pack and advance to the next round.

The inconsistency of playing a full 40-minute game has been one of the main stories during Gottfried's tenure. The team looks unbeatable in stretches, but they can also look completely overwhelmed and break down. 

This year, the home game against Notre Dame comes to mind—the Pack led by as many as 16 in the first half but were unable to close out the game.

Or how about the game against Virginia, in which the Pack hung tough for most of the night but fell apart in the final couple of minutes. 

This team needs to play 40 minutes to win. That much is obvious. If Wolfpack are focused, then they are a tough out. It's just a matter of staying locked in for the entirety of the game. Whether or not they are able to do so will ultimately determine their tournament fate. 

Will Anthony Barber Continue to Dominate?

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It could be said that this NC State team will go as far as Anthony "Cat" Barber will take them. He is the catalyst who makes the team go, and the elevation of his play down the stretch is one of the primary reasons that the Wolfpack are where they are. 

The team is 14-5 when Barber scores 10 points or more. He has been pretty unbelievable in the second half of the season and is often the driving force behind NC State's wins.

In fact, the Pack's two most recent losses prove it—Barber failed to score double digits in each of those games. It was also no coincidence that Barber scored zero points against Duke in the ACC tournament when the Pack got blown out by 24. 

If Barber continues to shoot well from outside, he becomes almost unguardable. That opens up so many more facets of his game, including his ability to penetrate and create, as well as setting up teammates for open shots. 

If Barber is rolling, that means the Pack is rolling. His play is certainly one of the most important things to keep an eye on.  

Can the Pack Slow Down Jarell Martin?

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LSU sophomore forward Jarell Martin is, to put it simply, a beast. He stands at 6'10" and carries some serious athleticism for someone who weighs 235 pounds. He's a first-team All-SEC selection, and he averages nearly a double-double on the season (16.9 points per game, 9.2 rebounds). 

He's LSU's leading scorer and is versatile enough to get it done from pretty much anywhere on the floor. Not to mention, he's also been on fire down the stretch, notching double-digit points in each of the last seven games, including three 25-plus-point efforts. 

Martin is going to be a mismatch for NC State. The Pack have experience defending dominant big men (Duke's Jahlil Okafor went 13-of-19 for 33 points in two games against the Pack), but Martin is an entirely different animal.

Luckily, NC State has the front court to contain Martin. BeeJay Anya, Abdul-Malik Abu, and Lennard Freeman are all strong defenders who should be able to do solid damage control. Anya should especially be a factor, as he has a great penchant for altering shots in the lane. 

Regardless, the matchup against Martin is going to be key for the Pack. If they can slow him down just enough, they should have a good chance at winning the game.