North Carolina State University Athletics
Deep Bench Paying off for Pack
11/29/1999 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
When NC State basketball coach Herb Sendek looked down his bench during last Friday night's game against Stetson, he saw forwards Tim Wells and Kenny Inge in street clothes. But he also saw a plethora of players he could still rely on to give him productive minutes.
The Wolfpack has used at least ten players in each of its first three games. Eight of those players are averaging at least 17 minutes per contest.
Freshman guard Cliff Crawford and junior big man Cornelius Williams have contributed an average of nine minutes in the first three games.
Through the first three games, NC State's bench has outscored that of its opponents 76 to 40.
The added depth has allowed Sendek to experiment with a variety of combinations on the floor. When Stetson face guarded the Pack's backcourt players with a triangle and two defense on Friday night, Sendek inserted a third guard to add more perimeter shooting. The moved paid off when Justin Gainey, who had just checked in, buried a three-pointer right away.
Freshman Marshall Williams' emergence as a defensive stopper has also given the Wolfpack a boost. The 6-5 Williams has already proven that he's quick enough to stay in front of shooting guards, yet big and strong enough to defend small forwards. The Milwaukee native's defensive prowess has translated into 20.3 minutes of playing time per game.
In the short term, NC State should be able to survive the loss of Kenny Inge, thanks again to a deep bench. While 6-8 junior Ron Kelley had adapted to his role as a sixth man, he's no stranger to the starting line-up. Kelley, who has scored in double figures twice this season, has made a total of 41 starts in his career.
Inge, who suffered a partially torn MCL in his left knee during last week's game against Old Dominion, probably won't return until late December or early January.
Knee tendinitis and a dislocated shoulder have kept Wells on the sidelines since the first day of pre-season practice. The Winston-Salem senior did return to practice on Sunday, but his status for upcoming games against Purdue and Providence is up in the air.
Between them, Inge and Wells have made a total of 87 starts in their careers. Had they been out at the same time last year, the consequences would have been disastrous. This season, however, the Wolfpack should have enough depth to weather the storm.
