On the heels of another insanely frustrating road loss to a "blue blood," NC State has to be wondering what the path toward fair treatment looks like at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
In a four-point loss to Duke, the Pack shot eight free throws -- to 29 for the Blue Devils. In a tight game, being outscored by 16 points from the charity stripe is nearly impossible to overcome.
The sentiment that Wolfpack D.J. Burns would be shooting a dozen free throws a game if he played for Duke or UNC is borderline inarguable. Yet the big man took 15 shots from the floor against the Devils and was awarded a single free throw, despite being hammered in the low post all game long.
In a season where it could be easily argued that State has been the best of the Triangle basketball schools, the Pack has been dramatically impacted by the officials in matchups with those foes in a startling display of disrespect and bias.
In road games in Chapel Hill and Durham, UNC and Duke combined to shoot 68 free throws. NC State shot 20 free throws total in those contests. The Pack was outscored by 40 points (59-19) from the charity stripe while losing the two games by a combined 15 points, and the Wolfpack was whistled for 47 fouls in those contests, compared to 28 for the Heels and Devils.
The ACC clearly wants to protect the status quo while ensuring that blue bloods on the bubble get all the help they need to make the tourney. On the off chance you thought the worm was turning when it comes to the Triangle basketball pecking order, the league's insistence on refusing to hold referees accountable is proof positive that NC State is making no headway in getting a fair whistle in that effort.
Onward to Greensboro.
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