Turnovers: F–
Is there any lower grade possible than an F-? Can I give a Z for this category? All throughout the season, when the Orange turned the ball over a lot, they lost. When they played a clean game they won. In a postseason environment, this is the stuff that stands out. It shouldn’t be surprising that this is what plagued the ‘Cuse in the ACC tournament.
The Officiating: F-
Usually, this isn’t a focus of the report card. But today it was just to bad to ignore. The officials seemed to only call a foul if it was Chris Bell. DJ Burns was throwing elbow after elbow in the paint and the Orange were knocked a number of times in the paint. It got so bad that at one point, Adrian Autry couldn’t even argue anymore.
Quadir Copeland: D
A lack of consistency has been the issue all season long for not just Copeland but the entire team. Tonight, when it mattered most, Quadir just simply didn’t have it. Like always, he showed signs of stardom with a few flashy layups and spins but the mistakes outweighed any of those plays. Copeland turned the ball over SIX TIMES. That is just unacceptable.
Judah Mintz: C+
This was about as classic of a Judah Mintz game as it gets. The flashes were there and he was able to score in double figures, but the issues that have held Mintz back were clearest tonight. He turned the ball over a number of times and complained throughout the entire game. You can absolutely make the argument that Mintz had a right to complain after getting knocked around but a technical foul in a game like this just can’t happen. Mintz had a chance to prove why he should have been first team all-ACC and didn’t.
JJ Starling: C
Starling didn’t necessarily do anything bad, but the expectations have risen over the past couple months to the point where you should be able to rely on him to consistently score. He just wasn’t able to do that today. On a couple of his buckets, Starling looked great, elevating above the NC State defense and knocking down mid-range shots. But the lack of consistency once again plagued JJ and his hometown team.
