North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Familiar with Friars
12/3/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Providence (3-3) at NC State (4-0)
Date: Saturday, December 4, 1999
Tip-off: 2:09 p.m. @ Entertainment and Sports Arena
Radio: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network and GOPACK.com. Airtime: 1:30 p.m.
Television: Jefferson Pilot (Regional)
By Tony Haynes
NC State faced Providence as many times as it met seven ACC teams last season. And though the Friars aren't necessarily what you would describe as a fierce rival, they certainly will look quite familiar when they venture into the Entertainment and Sports Arena for another meeting with the Pack on Saturday afternoon.
Last year, the two clubs split a pair of games. Early in the season, the Providence blitzed NC State 80-69 in a game that really wasn't as close as the score indicates. The Pack turned the ball over 27-times against the Friars' relentless full court pressure.
The rematch in March was a different story. In the first round of the NIT at Reynolds Coliseum, the Wolfpack built a 17-point lead before settling for a 92-86 win. Ron Kelley's 21-point outburst paced an attack that featured a total of six players in double figures.
Many of the characters who played significant roles in last years two meetings are still in place-with one glaring exception. 6-8 forward Jamel Thomas, who led the Friars in both scoring in rebounding last season, is now playing professional basketball.
Nonetheless, Providence could cause problems with its non-stop, relentless full court press.
"They are as tenacious as you could possibly be," said Wolfpack head coach Herb Sendek. "They play nine or ten guys and come at you in waves. They're shooting the ball very well this year and they're taking just under a third of their shots from beyond the arc. They are a very capable and dangerous basketball team."
And Providence is much more dangerous now that pesky point guard John Linehan is back from the some physical problems. The lightning quick 5-9 junior missed the first five games after undergoing groin surgery. He made his return in Providence's 85-70 win over Boston University on Tuesday.
6-6 junior Erron Maxey is averaging 16.8 points per game to lead the Friars.
6-3 junior Abdul Mills is providing 12.3 points off the bench.
Last year's NC State team wanted to stay away from getting into an up and down track meet with the Friars, but on Saturday, things could be quite different.
"I think we'll invite that kind of game a little more this year," said Wolfpack guard Archie Miller. "Last year's team that Providence had was so frenetic that you had to calm it down at times because if it got a little out of hand you would be playing right into their hands. But this year we're so deep and we have so many guys that can attack what they do, their pressure kind of fits the styles of some of our guys."
With added depth in the backcourt, Sendek will have a better chance of finding the right combinations to combat the small, quick line-ups that Providence prefers. With so few ball handlers last season, the Wolfpack had a difficult time solving the Friars' press-especially in the first meeting.
