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RALEIGH -- After N.C. State's stunning homecourt loss to New Orleans, Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe said he was very interested to see how his team would respond when it traveled to Florida to play in the Old Spice Classic.

What Lowe noticed was a lot of silence, which was good.

"When we were meeting and on the bus heading to the game or to practice, it was always quiet," he said. "That's the way I like it."

That's because that silence was an indication of focus, a sign that this Wolfpack team wasn't in the land of Walt Disney to clown around. That serious approach was a key factor in State's ability to win three straight close games, including a 69-68 victory over then-No. 20 Villanova. Now, the State squad that is ranked No. 24 nationally as it prepares to face No. 10 Michigan State tonight in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (7, ESPN) looks very different from the Pack team of a week ago.

"We were focused," Lowe said. "There was no messing around. We were down there for a purpose."

To drive that point home, Lowe had his team move out of the hotel it was sharing with the other teams in the tournament and into another place so the team wouldn't have the temptation to fraternize.

"I just didn't want that type of atmosphere," Lowe said.

What he did want was for his players to begin to understand how Lowe will dole out playing time this season. In State's first two games it was clear that the injection of talent -- particularly freshman center J.J. Hickson -- into a roster filled with players who logged major minutes last season was a bumpy process. Players were visibly pouting on the bench and on the floor.

That wasn't the case in Florida, even though several players had games in which their minutes dipped significantly. Senior swingman Gavin Grant played just 20 minutes against South Carolina. Sophomore forward Brandon Costner played just 20 minutes against Villanova. Hickson played only 21 minutes against Rider and 24 minutes against South Carolina. That was due partly to foul trouble, but also could be attributed to Lowe's philosophy on substitutions. It's something the team didn't have to learn last season, when the Wolfpack was perilously thin.

"They have learned that I'm going to play the guys that are getting it done," Lowe said. "That is the bottom line. We're trying to win games, and one of the luxuries of having depth is that you can do that."

While that means a struggling starter might spend a good deal of time on the bench, it also means that a bench player can earn significant minutes if he seizes his opportunity. That's what Lowe said sophomore forward Dennis Horner did against South Carolina.

"He came into the ballgame and was playing well and the group was playing well, so I let him finish off the ballgame and let him stay in there," Lowe said.

Lowe also let starting shooting guard Courtney Fells stay in games for long stretches. Fells shot well against Rider and Villanova, but also logged 38 minutes against South Carolina, when he scored only two points. That's because Lowe was pleased with what Fells was doing on the other end of the floor.

"He defended," Lowe said. "He chased guys around and denied the ball. He guarded some of the toughest guys in the country this weekend."

Fells likely will have another tough assignment tonight in Spartans guard Drew Neitzel. If Fells does well, expect to see him on the court for much of the game. If Fells struggles, it should now be clear to him and to the rest of his Wolfpack teammates what course of action Lowe will follow.

Contact Jim Young at 373-7016 or jyoung @news-record.com