Davidson, Cincinnati, Seton Hall. For N.C. State, that's what the next seven days look like.
After its game against Davidson on Friday night, the Pack has Cincy coming into the RBC Center on Sunday. Then, two days after Christmas, it's up to Newark, N.J., to take on Seton Hall. No Christmas cupcakes in that group.
"This is a very tough stretch, no question about it," Lowe said today. "These next three ballgames, really, will tell a lot. How we handle it, how we play. Obviously, if we [can] win them."
"But I think right now more importantly [is] how we come out and play. That's what I'm looking for [against Davidson]: how do we come out of the gates? Do we come out with the energy and the focus to try to get off to a good lead, a good start, coming off a win. Can we keep that? Can we keep that focus and concentration and more importantly that effort?"
After the losses to Michigan State and East Carolina, the Pack blitzed South Carolina State 74-49 on Saturday, using a 15-0 run in the first half to build a 17-point halftime lead and quickly building the margin to 29 points in the second half.
"We've had good starts in games, even in games we lost," Lowe said. "But more importantly right now ... I'm looking for the team that can finish the game. I've said this from the very beginning of the season, it's not important to me who starts, it's important to me who finishes.
"Who can be in a game I can count on to get that stop, to get that rebound or to make a play for us? I think I'm starting to get a better feel for those guys you can kind of count on right now."
