Friday notes: Clark Kellogg talks efficiency

In his rundown of teams that missed his Preseason Sweet Sixteen, Clark Kellogg offers a few points about the Wolfpack:

In its recent win over Miami, the Wolfpack scored 81 points on 73 total shots. That's 1.11 points per shot. Anything over one is considered excellent – it's one way to chart a team's offensive efficiency (a statistical tidbit for you folks).

When N.C. State is rolling, excellence in efficiency is how they win. And when they run and gun, it's typically on their terms. This makes them fun to watch, but they can be maddening to play against because the Wolfpack always seem to control the game's pace.

Start discussing points-per-possession, Clark, and you'll really be on your way. Little by little, these statistics are seeping into the MSM. It's nice to see.

By the way, as of the time of this posting, the Pack is on the front page of the Yahoo! college basketball section.

-- Atsur clutch as State hangs on:

In the second half, Evtimov and center Cedric Simmons were playing with four fouls each, and Brackman, Atsur and Tony Bethel all had three. Sendek continually reminded the referees about the growing discrepancy in fouls, sometimes angrily.

"But we did a good job of playing smart with fouls," Sendek said. "You can't just take your foot off the accelerator and not play, because then you're ineffective. We were able to play and do so with good intelligence, and not lose anyone."

The Pack will take a few days off for Christmas, then face New Hampshire on Dec. 28 and George Washington on Dec. 30.

"This definitely puts a smile on our face, to go on the Christmas break with everyone happy," Evtimov said. "It'll be great to come back off a win, believe me."

Nothing like a win to make the holidays a little happier.