North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State vs. UGA Game Notes
11/16/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC STATE WOLFPACK (0-0, 0-0) vs. GEORGIA BULLDOGS (0-0, 0-0)
Nov. 19, 1999 - 7:00 p.m. o ESPN2 - Raleigh, N.C. - Entertainment and Sports Arena
Game Notes
PACK OPENS SEASON WITH BULLDOGS AGAIN
For the second time in the last three seasons, NC State will open the year against the
Georgia Bulldogs.
NC State and Georgia opened the 1997-98 season, facing each other in the first college basketball game of the year. The Pack defeated the 19th-ranked Bulldogs in a defensive struggle, 47-45. At seasons end however, Georgia was able to exact some revenge, defeating the Wolfpack 61-55 on March 17, 1998, in the second round of the NIT.
Overall, the two teams have met 17 times previously with the Wolfpack holding a 9-8 edge in the series. The Pack is 5-2 at home vs. UGa. The most memorable meeting between the two teams was during the 1983 NCAA Final Four, when NC State earned a 67-60 win before knocking off Houstons Phi Slamma Jamma to win the national championship. First-year Georgia coach Jim Harrick and NC State Athletics Director Les Robinson are close friends dating back to their high school playing days in West Virginia. Robinson is from St. Albans, while Harrick is from Charleston.
WOLFPACK'S NEW DEN
NC State begins a new era with the opening of the 19,772-seat Entertainment and
Sports Arena. The dream for a new home for Wolfpack basketball began in 1983,
when Jim Valvano began a campaign to replace Reynolds Coliseum. Ground was broken
on the arena on July 21, 1997.
The $158 million ESA is 770,000 square feet, more than double the size of any arena in North Carolina, but still maintains an intimate feel due to the large number of seats that are close to the playing floor. Approximately 2,300 courtside seats are reserved for NC State students, while 10,000 seats are in the arenas lower bowl.
SEASON TICKET SUCCESS
During planning stages for the new Entertainment and Sports Arena critics wondered
how NC State would fill the 19,722-seat building. The answer has been - quite easily,
thank you.
Wolfpack fans, excited about the momentum built in coach Herb Sendek's first three seasons and the first season in the new arena, have gobbled up more than 13,000 season tickets, nearly triple the highest number ever sold in Reynolds Coliseum (4,500). Additionally, roughly 3,000 seats are being held for NC State students, and the two Mini-Pack ticket packages are also sold out as well as the season-opener against UGa.
The only seats remaining are approximately 800 for non-conference games against Old Dominion, Stetson, UNC Asheville, Liberty, Yale and Western Carolina.
INJURY UPDATE
NC STATE 94, CALIFORNIA ALL-STARS 81
NC State defeated the California All-Stars, 94-81, in its first exhibition of
the season on Nov. 3. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy led the Pack with 30 points.
Grundy scored nine points during a four-minute stretch late in the game to put the Pack ahead for good. He finished the game 12-of-14 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three-point range.
Junior Kenny Inge had 15 points, but left the game late in the second half after being thrown to the floor hard on an intentional foul. Damon Thornton had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Pack, while senior captain Justin Gainey dished out 11 assists to go with nine points.
Sophomore Archie Miller made a successful return to the floor after missing last season due to season-ending back surgery. Miller finished with 10 points, hitting 2-of-3 from three-point range.
NC STATE 78, FIVE-STAR HAWKS 63
NC State used an 11-2 second-half run to pull away from the Five-Star Hawks and
earn a 78-63 win in its second exhibition contest of the season. Junior forward
Kenny Inge led the Pack with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy, who scored 30 points in the Pack's first exhibition win over the California All-Stars, dished out seven assists (and just one turnover) in the game, while senior Justin Gainey had six assists. Ron Kelley added 11 points off the bench for the Wolfpack.
Freshmen Damien Wilkins and Marshall Williams also chipped in good performances for the Pack. Wilkins had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Williams had nine points. Seth Marshall, a 6-4 guard from Fresno State, and former NBA player Lloyd Daniels each had 13 points for Five-Star.
DISHING IT OUT
In its 78-63 exhibition win over the Five-Star Hawks on Nov. 7, NC State
totalled 24 assists, more than any regular-season total since 1996. The Pack
also had 24 assists at Arizona State on Feb. 11, 1996, and dished out 25 assists
against Central Florida on Jan. 15, 1996.
Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy led five NC State players who had three or more assists. Grundy had seven assists and just one turnover, while senior Justin Gainey had six assists. Sophomore Archie Miller dished out four assists, while Clifford Crawford and Kenny Inge each had three assists. NC State did not have two players with six or more assists in a single game in either of the last two seasons.
ON THE GLASS
NC State was among the nations top rebounding teams last season, being
outrebounded in just five games and finishing 25th in the nation in rebound
margin (+6.0). This season the Pack returns its five top rebounders from
a year ago and 83 percent of its total rebounding.
Junior frontcourt players Kenny Inge, Damon Thornton and Ron Kelley each averaged more than five boards per game last season. Inge, who ranks second among all ACC players in career rebounds (434), averaged 6.1 caroms per game. He had five double-doubles on the season, giving him 16 for his career. Inge had a double-double (17-12) in the Pack's second exhibition against Five-Star.
Thornton led the team in 99 with 6.3 rebounds per game, but averaged 7.2 boards in ACC play. He had six double-figure rebounding games. Kelley averaged 5.2 rebounds per game. Guard Anthony Grundy also proved a capable rebounder at seasons end, averaging 7.8 rebounds in the team's final four games.
SOLID AS A ROCK
Call him the "Prudential Man." Thats how Herb Sendek refers to point
guard Justin Gainey, who he says is "rock solid." Gainey may be the poster-child
for improvement as he has continued to get better throughout his career.
Gainey increased his three-point and free-throw shooting percentages by at least 10 points each last season. He went up an incredible 22 percent at the free-throw line (from 65.4 percent in '98 to 87.4 percent last year), finishing with the third-highest percentage in school history. Gainey also improved his field-goal percentage by five points (from 37.1 percent in "98 to 42.7 percent last year). As a freshman, Gainey began the year by committing 24 turnovers in the Pack's first 16 games, but had just eight TOs in the final 10 games. "Justin is an every day guy," said Sendek. "He shows up every day and does what he's supposed to do * and gets a little bit better. He shows up the next day and does the same thing and gets a little bit better. If anybody has come as close as possible to reaching their potential, it is Justin Gainey."
FIXTURE
Many ACC followers remember Justin Gainey as the baby-faced freshman
who played every minute of the 1997 ACC Tournament as the eighth-seeded
Wolfpack made a run to the championship game. Gainey, who earned all-tournament
honors, became the first player in ACC history to play all 40 minutes in four
tournament games.
Now a senior, Gainey ranks second among all current ACC players in career minutes played with 2,836 minutes logged. Gainey rarely saw the bench last season, averaging 35.9 minutes per game in ACC play.
Most Minutes Played In Career By Active ACC Player
Mins. Player, School Yrs. 3345 Ed Cota, NC 3 2836 Justin Gainey, NCS 3 2328 Chris Carrawell, D 3 2325 Willie Dersch, V 3 2094 Alvin Jones, GT 2 2023 Jason Floyd, GT 3 Chart courtesy of Barry Jacobs' ACC Fan's Guide
QUICK STUDY
Anthony Grundy led the Wolfpack with 30 points in its exhibition win over
the California All-Stars, picking up where he left off at the end of the
1999 season. Grundy joined the Pack on Dec. 16 last year, had one practice
and was in the NC State lineup on Dec. 17 against Winthrop. The 6-2 guard
from Louisville, Ky., was pressed into immediate action due to the season-ending
injury to Archie Miller.
Grundy quickly picked up the Wolfpack system and was the team's most productive offensive player at the end of the season. He moved into the starting lineup for the final 11 games and averaged 16 points and 7.8 rebounds in the last four games. Grundy also earned second-team All-ACC Tournament honors after scoring 33 points and 16 rebounds in tournament games against Wake Forest and Duke.
"What we asked Anthony to do last year was very difficult and he did it remarkably welll, certainly better than I anticipated," said Herb Sendek. "I anticipated redshirting him, not knowing how he possibly could get ready in middle of December, learn the system, get in shape and have a productive year. But he was amazing. By the end of the year, he was playing his best basketball."
REACHING OUT
A quick look at Grundy and its easy to see how the 6-2 sophomore guard
finished the year with 37 steals despite playing just half the season
(he joined the team in December). Long arms and exceptional quickness
make Grundy an outstanding defender. In fact, Grundys wingspan
(from fingertip to fingertip) was measured at 6-6, while most
people's wingspan is equal to their height.
Grundy finished the 99 season with 148 deflections (fifth on the team), a statistic Sendek charts to measure defensive efficiency. He had nearly six deflections per game while playing an average of 21.4 minutes per game. According to Wolfpack coaches, five deflections in 20 minutes of action constitutes an outstanding defensive performance.
FROM THE FREE-THROW LINE
Bolstered by the strong inside play of Damon Thornton, Kenny Inge and
Ron Kelley, NC State attempted and made more free throws in 1998-99 than
any other Wolfpack team since 1973 (the free throw on the first six common fouls
each half by a team was eliminated in 1972-73). The Wolfpack finished the year
582-of-859 (67.8 percent) from the free-throw line last season.
Inge had Inge attempted 180 free throws, while Kelley had 155 tries. NC State had not had two players with more than 150 free-throw attempts in the same year since Rodney Monroe (183 FTAs) and Chris Corchiani (163) in 1991.
THEY KILLED KENNY!
Forward Kenny Inge can often be spotted in two places during the Pack's games - on
the floor or at the free-throw line. Inge has recorded 34.4 percent of his career
points from the free-throw line. In his first two seasons, Inge has made 232-of-359
(67.4 percent) from the charity stripe.
At his current pace, Inge could amass 718 career free-throw attempts, which would rank second in school history. Mel Thompson holds the school record with 802 career free-throw attempts from 1952-54, when free throws were awarded for every foul committed.
Leaders Among Active ACC Players In Career Free Throw Attempts
No. Player, School Year 359 Kenny Inge, NCS jr. 317 Ed Cota, NC sr. 316 Alvin Jones, GT jr. 301 Robert O'Kelley, WF jr. 287 Chris Carrawell, D sr. Chart courtesy of Barry Jacobs' ACC Fan's Guide
UNSUNG SHARPSHOOTERS
While NC State seniors Tim Wells and Justin Gainey may not have appeared
atop ACC statistics last season, the pair quietly recorded two of the most
accurate seasons from the free-throw line in school history. Though they did
not have enough attempts to rank among national or conference leaders, Wells
and Gainey posted the second- and fourth-highest season free-throw percentage,
respectively, at NC State.
Wells finished the year making 88.3 percent (68-of-77) from the line, while Gainey was 76-of-87 (87.4 percent). Gainey missed just one free throw in ACC play (36-37) and had a streak of 25 straight during the year. 1999 Unofficial ACC Free Throw Percentage Leaders (Minimum 300 Minutes Played, 10 FT Made)
Pct. Player, School FT-FTA .883 Tim Wells, NCS 68-77 .874 Justin Gainey, NCS 76-87 .862 Donald Hand, V 162-188 .854 Jason Capel, NC 76-89 .851 Max Owens, NC 40-47 Chart courtesy of Barry Jacobs' ACC Fan's Guide
HE'S BACK
After redshirting last year following season-ending back surgery,
sophomore Archie Miller returns to the Wolfpack lineup this year.
The 5-9 guard, who is the younger brother of NC State assistant coach
Sean Miller, had surgery to repair two bulging discs in his lower back
and a narrowing of the spinal column.
The sharp-shooting Miller has picked up where he left off. Miller made 2-of-3 three-pointers in the Wolfpacks exhibition against the California All-Stars, then was 2-of-2 vs. the Five-Star Hawks. After finishing second in the ACC in three-point percentage as a freshman (to teammate C.C. Harrison) in 98, Miller began last season 7-9 from three-point range before suffering the back injury. In last year's season-opener vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, Miller went a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, to finish with 15 points.
HE'S BACK, PART TWO
For the first time since early in his freshman season, forward Damon
Thornton can finally say he's healthy. The 6-8 junior from Norfolk, Va.,
had the first offseason and preseason of his college career this summer
and fall, and has regained much of the explosion he showed as a freshman,
when he earned ACC All-Freshman honors and finished second in the voting for
Rookie of the Year (to UNC's Ed Cota).
Thornton was the first freshman in school history to lead a Wolfpack team in rebounding in 1997, but missed the final nine games of the season due to a hip injury. After missing the entire summer due to the injury, he suffered a broken right foot three games into the '98 season, just two weeks after coming back from his previous injury.
Last year, Thornton did not practice regularly with the team until Jan. 1, while nursing a strained ligament in his hip and groin region. Still, he managed to play in games despite missing practice time. As he became healthy late in the season, Thornton showed signs of his old form. During a five-game stretch from Feb. 10-24, Thornton averaged 10.2 rebounds and he shot 78 percent (18-of-23) from the field in the Packs final five games of the season.
NUMBER CHANGE
Under the 1999-2000 NCAA rules changes, uniform numbers one and two
became legal to wear this season, and two Wolfpack players quickly changed.
Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy, who wore No. 24 last year, switched to No. 2,
while freshman Damien Wilkins went to No. 1. They become the first players in
school history to wear those numbers.
According to Wilkins, he made the switch to No. 1 to break away from comparisons to his father, Gerald, an NBA veteran, and uncle, Dominique, a future NBA Hall of Famer. "I was wearing No. 21 all my life just like my father and uncle," Wilkins said on media day. "I wanted to get away from my father and uncle and set a standard for myself. I chose No. 1 because I want to be the first to do something. I want to be the first one to accomplish something that no one has, whatever that my be."
TALENTED NEWCOMERS
NC State's 1999 recruiting class was ranked No. 11 nationally by Recruiter's
Handbook, the third straight year the Packs class has been considered among
the nation's best. NC State signed three freshmen Clifford Crawford, Damien Wilkins
and Marshall Williams who were all ranked among the nation's top 50 senior prospects
by Recruiter's Handbook.
Wilkins, 6-6 of Orlando, Fla., was the nation's No. 1 senior according to analyst Bob Gibbons, while both Wilkins and Williams, 6-4 of Milwaukee, Wisc., were Parade All-America selections. It marks the first time NC State has signed two Parade All-Americans in one class since Rodney Monroe and Chris Corchiani.
HOME-GROWN TALENT
In a year when North Carolina's high school senior class is considered the
strongest ever, NC State announced the signing of the states top three prospects.
Michael Bell, 6-9 of Raleigh, Marcus Melvin, 6-9 of Fayetteville, and Scooter Sherrill,
6-3 of Mt. Ulla, each signed a national letter-of-intent to attend NC State
next year during the fall signing period.
"The signing of these three players is somewhat unprecedented in my memory, as far as getting the top three players in the state of North Carolina," said recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons, who ranks all three players among his national top 50 seniors.
Sherrill, who led West Rowan High to the state 2-A title as a freshman and the state 3-A championship game last season, was rated No. 17 nationally by Recruiter's Handbook. He averaged 23 points, six rebounds and four assists last season, making 53 percent of his field-goal attempts and 81 percent from the free-throw line. He finished as the third-leading scorer at last summer's USA Basketball Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo., averaging 17.8 points per game. Sherrill had 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds to lead the South team to a 124-108 win in the gold-medal game.
Bell also played in the USA Basketball Festival, averaging 12.2 points and 4.6 rebounds while leading all players in field-goal shooting at 63.4 percent. As a junior at Enloe High, he averaged 24 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks per game, An outstanding outside shooter capable of playing either forward position according to Gibbons, who ranks Bell 46th nationally Melvin averaged 21.2 points and 13 rebounds as a junior at Byrd High. He was the most dominant player at the N.C. Scouting Alliance Mid-Summer. Gibbons ranks Melvin No. 42 nationally.
"Scooter is a tough, hard-nosed competitor," said NC State coach Herb Sendek. "Both Michael and Marcus are very versatile and skilled forwards. We are ecstatic to have all three men join our program."
