The Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy stopped by the DG Show Tuesday to talk college hoops from a national perspective. After dismissing the notion you have to wait until football ends to start watching basketball, we asked Mike for his take on the rough start to ACC play for the Triangle area schools (Duke, UNC, and NCSU, who all lost their conference openers).
While DeCourcy wasn’t willing to say UNC and Duke are on the right track to reach their lofty goals for the season, he conceded both are still firmly in the NCAA tournament picture.
But DeCourcy thinks there may even be three NCAA tourney bids to be had among the Triangle teams.
“I think NC State’s in a pretty good spot. I like their energy,” DeCourcy said on the show. “I thought they did a good job to put Pitt down early in that game. Pitt is better than people realize so the fact that they didn’t hold it isn’t that punitive.”
“If they can control their games against the weaker teams in the league, I think they have a chance to maybe squeeze in at the back of the [NCAA tournament] field,” DeCourcy continued. “It’s a long hike from here to there, but I think that their energy and young talent suggests that they might be able to pull it off.”
After a big win at Tennessee, the Wolfpack has suffered tough losses to Missouri and Pittsburgh, two games in which they led in the second halves, and perhaps lost a few believers at the same time. Looks like DeCourcy is not one of them.
To hear the full interview, please click the player below: