North Carolina State has been on cruise control through three games this season.The Wolfpack look to keep the accelerator down when Virginia Commonwealth visits for Monday night’s game in Raleigh, N.C.”It’s about to get real, real quick and we’re going to have to play better,” Wolfpack coach Will Wade said. “What worked in these games won’t work against VCU. A ton of respect for their program.”NC State (3-0) rode career highs from Darrion Williams (32 points) and Paul McNeil Jr. (27 points) in last week’s 110-64 victory against UNC Greensboro.”We put the work in for it,” McNeil said. “We’re always going to show you how it’s a work ethic.”For VCU (2-1), the trip to Raleigh will be the only true road test for the Rams until January.”The schedule is built a certain way to make sure we’re seeing a bunch of different things,” Rams coach Phil Martelli Jr. said.Following a three-point, neutral-court loss to Utah State on Nov. 7, VCU got back on track by trouncing visiting Saint Peter’s 78-61 on Wednesday night, with five players posting double-figure point totals.”I thought our communication was much better,” Martelli said.The Rams have five players averaging double figures, while team assist leader Brandon Jennings isn’t on that list.”It’s not going to be everybody’s night every time,” Martelli said. “We need it from everybody. It’s comforting to me to know when someone doesn’t have it, we have somebody else to step up.”
