North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack to Host Bulldogs
12/8/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC State Wolfpack (5-0, 0-0) vs.
UNC Asheville Bulldogs (0-8, 0-0)
Sunday - Dec. 12, 1999 - 2:00 p.m.
Entertainment and Sports Arena (19,722) - Raleigh, N.C.
NC STATE VS. UNC ASHEVILLE: NC State and UNC Asheville have met 11 times previously with the Wolfpack winning each contest. Nine of the contests played between the teams have been in Raleigh, most recently during the 1995-96 season when NC State earned a 120-71 victory. Todd Fuller led NC State with 20 points and seven rebounds in that game.
ABOUT THE WOLFPACK: NC State enters the game with a 5-0 mark, matching the best start by a Wolfpack team under Herb Sendek. NC State was also 5-0 in 1996-97, getting wins over Florida Atlantic, Penn State, Lamar, Memphis and Winthrop. The Wolfpack has not started a season 6-0 since 1995-96, when Les Robinsons team defeated VMI, Winthrop, Wofford, Davidson, UNCA and Cal Poly SLO. The Wolfpack has played at least 10 players in each of its first four contests. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy, who is averaging a team-best 14.8 points, is the only Wolfpack player averaging more than 30 minutes per game. Grundy has played 32.6 mpg. NC State is forcing its opponents into an average of 21.6 turnovers per game.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS: UNC Asheville (0-8) comes to Raleigh after facing a brutal early-season schedule. The Bulldogs had road games at Missouri, St. Louis, Tennessee, Connecticut and Kentucky prior to facing NC State. UNCA returns two starters and seven lettermen from last seasons 11-18 season and have added seven new players. John Risinger, a 6-5, senior from Evansville, Ind., leads the Bulldogs in scoring, averaging 11.4 ppg. UNCA head coach Eddie Biedenbach has a long history with NC State basketball. Biedenbach played at NC State from 1965-68, earning first-team All-ACC honors in 1966 and 68. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Biedenbach averaged 13.3 ppg for his career. Biedenbach also served as an assistant coach at NC State under both Norm Sloan (1969-78) and Les Robinson (1993-96). His wife, Barbara, and two daughters, Amy and Tracy, also attended NC State.
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG APG 10 Andre Smith G 6-2 180 Fr. Miami, Fla. 5.1 2.5 2.5 11 Brett Carey G 6-4 200 Jr. Lincolnton, N.C. 9.9 3.8 2.5 21 John Risinger F 6-5 175 Sr. Evansville, Ind. 11.4 5.0 2.9 50 Matt Osikowicz F 6-7 225 Sr. Merritt Island, Fla. 6.1 3.3 0.8 40 Adam Earnhardt C 7-0 230 Jr. Baker, Fla. 8.4 6.4 0.8* * - blocked shots
WOLFPACK'S NEW DEN: NC State begins a new era this season with the opening of the 19,722-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena. Through four home games this season, NC State sports a 4-0 record in the ESA and is averaging 17,735 fans per game. 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 arena's lower bowl.
WILKINS NAMED ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: NC State freshman Damien Wilkins was named the ACC's Rookie of the Week on Dec. 6 following two outstanding all-around performances vs. Purdue and Providence. Against the Boilermakers, Wilkins finished with eight points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. He recorded the first double-double of his career against Providence with 14 points and 10 rebounds. After getting off to a slow start in his first two collegiate games, the highly-touted Wolfpack freshman has played exceptionally. Over the past three games, he is averaging 14.7 points and 10.3 rebounds. He led NC State in nearly every statistical category against Stetson on Nov. 26, recording team highs in points (22), rebounds (8), assists (5) and steals (3). He finished the game 9-of-17 from the field making more field goals than he had attempted in the Pack's first two contests (8).
MILESTONE VICTORY: NC State's 61-50 win at No. 19 Purdue was a milestone victory. The win was the first by a Wolfpack team on the home floor of a non-conference ranked opponent since Feb. 9, 1980, when NC State defeated No. 9 Notre Dame, 63-55, a string of 606 games. NC State went on to finish the 1979-80 season with a 20-8 record, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
POLLING THE PACK: After its 5-0 start NC State has climbed back into the minds of the nation's pollsters. The Wolfpack received 40 points in the ESPN/Coaches Top 25 poll, trailing No. 25 Utah by 83 points. In the AP poll, NC State had 115 points, trailing No. 25 Purdue by 66 votes. The last time NC State appeared in the AP poll was Jan. 9, 1990, at No. 19. The Wolfpack fell out of the top 25 following a 91-81 home loss to No. 19 North Carolina on Jan. 20. It has been 292 games since NC State was ranked in the top 25.
BIG WINS OVER BIG CONFERENCES: In the midst of a 5-0 start, NC State has already earned impressive wins over teams from some of the nation's best conferences - SEC (Georgia), Big 10 (No. 19 Purdue) and Big East (Providence). Later this season the Wolfpack will have nonconference games at Tulane (Conference USA) and vs. Arizona State (Pac-10). Last season, NC State faced teams from Conference USA (Tulane and Houston), Big East (Houston), Big 12 (Oklahoma) and Big 10 (Ohio State). In 1992-93, NC State notched wins over Oregon State (Pac-10) and Tennessee (SEC), while dropping games to UConn (Big East) and Kansas (Big 12).
FIGHTING START: NC State has proved extremely resilient while getting off to a 5-0 start this season. The Wolfpack overcame double-digit deficits in wins over Georgia and at No. 19 Purdue, then held off a late rally by Providence. Against the Bulldogs, NC State fell behind 14-2 less than five minutes into the game, but battled back to pull within four before the halftime break. UGa kept the lead more than half of the second period as well before NC State pulled ahead 55-53 with 8:15 left. Archie Miller's three-pointer with 58 seconds remaining put the Pack in front for good. Against Purdue, the Wolfpack trailed 14-3 at the 13:38 mark of the first half, but rallied to cut the lead to four points, 27-23, at halftime. In the second half, NC State fell behind 47-35 with 13:17 left but managed to get the victory. NC State led just twice against the Boilermakers - 16-15 with 7:49 in the first half and 60-59 following Justin Gainey's three-pointer with 14 seconds left. The Wolfpack held 16-point lead over the Friars with 10:16 left in the game, but PC stormed back and was within three points, 61-58, with 1:39 left. Anthony Grundy's steals and ensuing layup with 15 seconds left sealed the win for NC State.
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY: Defense has been the catalyst to NC State's five victories this season. The Wolfpack has struggled shooting the ball (43.1 FG percentage, 28.1 3PT percentage), but has shut down opponents and created scoring opportunities for itself. NC State opponents are shooting just 38.3 percent from the field (108-of-282), while scoring an average of 57.6 ppg. In addition, NC State has forced opponents into an average of 21.6 turnovers per game, outscoring its foes 100-72 in points off TOs. The Pack forced Purdue into 26 turnovers and Georgia into 25 turnovers in the season opener on Nov. 19. NC State ranks first among all ACC teams in TO margin at +6.2.
STEALS, BLOCKS AND DEFLECTIONS: Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek charts deflections as a barometer for defensive play and the Wolfpack has averaged 58 deflections per contest this season. According to Sendek, 60 deflections in a game is an outstanding defensive effort, and the Wolfpack has surpassed that total in two games this season. Last year, NC State averaged 40 deflections per game. Included in the deflection total are steals and blocks, stats the Wolfpack has excelled in this season. The Wolfpack has averaged 11.4 (first in ACC) steals and 5.8 blocks per game. NC State had 13 steals vs. Purdue and Georgia and had 12 vs. Stetson and Providence. Sophomore Anthony Grundy leads the Pack with 17 steals in five games. He had seven steals vs. UGa and five against Providence. The Pack has recorded seven blocks in three games this season, led by Damon Thornton's nine blocks. Thornton ranks 10th in school history with 76 career blocks.
DEFENSIVE STOPPER: A quick look at sophomore Anthony Grundy and it's easy to see how the 6-2 guard could be a great defensive player. Grundy has |ong arms and exceptional quickness. In fact, his wingspan (from fingertip to fingertip) was measured at 6-6, while most people's wingspan is equal to their height. As a freshman, Grundy finished the year with 37 steals despite playing just half the season (he joined the team in December). In the Pack's win over Georgia on Nov. 19, he recorded a staggering seven steals, the third-highest single-game total in school history. He had five steals against Providence, including a pick and ensuing layup with 15 seconds left that sealed the Wolfpack win. For the season, Grundy is averaging 3.4 steals per game, tops in the ACC. Against ODU on Nov. 23, he also drew four charges, giving him five charges total for the season.
QUICK STUDY: Grundy leads the Wolfpack in scoring this season at 14.8 points per game. He had 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists against Providence on Dec. 4, while also recording 18 points in the team's win at No. 19 Purdue. The 6-2 guard from Louisville, Ky., has picked up where he left off at the end of the 1999 season. Grundy was pressed into immediate action last year due to the season-ending injury to Archie Miller. After joining the team on Dec. 16, he had one practice and was in the NC State lineup on Dec. 17 against Winthrop. He quickly picked up the Wolfpack system and was the team's most productive offensive player at the end of the 1999 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.
POINTS IN THE PAINT: The Wolfpack has had a decisive advantage over its opponents in the paint this season. Through five games, NC State has 140 "Points in the Paint" compared to 100 for its foes. In the season-opener against Georgia, forwards Damon Thornton and Kenny Inge each finished in double figures. Thornton had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Old Dominion. Against Stetson, junior center Ron Kelley moved into the starting lineup and responded with a perfect outing, going 5-of-5 from the field to record 13 points. He had 17 points at No. 19 Purdue. Freshman Damien Wilkins had his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Providence.
BALANCED ATTACK, DEEP BENCH: NC State has used a deep bench in each of its first four contests, playing at least 10 people in each game. Nine Wolfpack players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy (32.6 mpg) is the only NC State player averaging more than 30 pgs. The Wolfpack reserves have provided a spark while in the lineup. NC State reserves have outscored opponent reserves 94-58 this season. The deep bench has also allowed NC State players more rest than in previous seasons. Senior point guard Justin Gainey, who averaged 34.5 mpg last year (among ACC leaders), has played an average of 27 mpg this season.
INGE SUFFERS KNEE INJURY, WILL MISS 4-6 WEEKS: NC State junior forward Kenny Inge suffered a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament in his left knee during the second half of the Wolfpack's win over Old Dominion on Nov. 23 and will be sidelined 4-6 weeks. According to NC State Director of Sports Medicine Charlie Rozanski, the injury will not require surgery and Inge will begin rehab immediately. Inge, who averaged 8.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in NC State's first two contests, is the latest in a series of injuries throughout NC State coach Herb Sendek's tenure. In 1997-98, NC State had seven different players miss a combined 69 games due to injury. Last season, the Wolfpack lost guard Archie Miller for the season due to a back injury. Already this year, NC State has been without the services of senior forward Tim Wells, who was sidelined with tendinitis in his left knee throughout the preseason, then dislocated his left shoulder shortly after returning to practice. Here is a look at NC State's injuries over the past four seasons:
Player Injury Season Games Out Kenny Inge partial tear MCL (left knee) 1999-00 3 Tim Wells tendinitis (l knee), dislocated shoulder (l) 1999-00 3 Cornelius Williams strained foot 1998-99 1 Adam Harrington sprained ankle 1998-99 1 Damon Thornton strained ligament (hip/groin) 1998-99 0* Archie Miller back surgery (two bulging discs lower back) 1998-99 30 Justin Gainey strained lower back muscle 1997-98 3 Damon Thornton broken foot (right) 1997-98 29 Ron Anderson broken foot (left) 1997-98 27 Ron Kelley sprained foot (right) 1997-98 7 Tim Wells stress fracture (l leg), dislocated shoulder(l) 1997-98 5 Luke Buffum broken foot 1997-98 7 Damon Thornton hip 1996-97 9 * - did not practice regularly until Jan. 1
PICKING UP THE SLACK: NC State has used a collective effort to pick up the slack caused by Inge's knee injury. Junior center Ron Kelley moved into the starting lineup and has averaged 11.6 ppg over the past three games. Kelley is the only regular (other than Inge) that has made more than 50 percent of his FG tries, hitting 51.3 percent from the field. He went a perfect 5-of-5 from the field against Stetson, recording 13 points. Against Purdue, Kelley had 17 points (15 in the second half) and eight rebounds. Freshman Damien Wilkins has averaged 10.3 rebounds in Inge's absence.
SHOOTING SLUMP: Sophomore sharp-shooter Archie Miller is stuck in the midst of a shooting slump, having hit just 1-of-12 from the field in the last three games, including 1-of-10 from three-point range. The 5-9 guard, who redshirted last season following season-ending back surgery to repair two bulging disc in his lower back and a narrowing of the spinal column, drained a crucial three-pointer with 58 seconds left that sealed the Pack's win over Georgia. He also had 12 points against ODU, hitting two three-pointers. After finishing second in the ACC in three-point percentage as a freshman (to teammate C.C. Harrison) in '98, Miller began the '99 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.
FEELING FINE: 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 had 11 points and seven boards against Georgia on Nov. 19, then recorded his seventh career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Old Dominion. Against the Monarchs, Thornton went 7-of-12 from the field. The 12 shot attempts was the highest total of his career. 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 Pack's final five games of the season.
SOLID AS A ROCK: Call him the "Prudential Man." That's 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.
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 2,943 minutes logged (behind UNC's Ed Cota). 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. 3574 Ed Cota NC 4 2943 Justin Gainey NCS 4 2579 Chris Carrawell D 4 2415 Willie Dersch V 4 2274 Alvin Jones GT 3 2173 Jason Floyd GT 4 Totals are through games of 12/7. Chart courtesy of Barry Jacobs' ACC Fan's Guide
DEJA VU: Justin Gainey's three-pointer with 14 seconds left at Purdue looked strikingly like the senior's game-winner at Georgia Tech last season. Against the Yellow Jackets, Gainey slipped behind a ball screen and drained a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to give Wolfpack a 51-50 lead. Gainey then stole Tech's inbounds pass with two seconds left to seal the win. Gainey finished with nine points, five rebounds, three steals and an assist vs. No. 19 Purdue.
THE WOLFPACK'S OTHER FRESHMEN: While Damien Wilkins has garnered much of the attention handed to NC State's freshman class, newcomers Marshall Williams and Clifford Crawford have also played prominent roles in the NC State's early success. Williams is averaging 19.8 minutes per game, tops among all Wolfpack reserves, while contributing 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds. He has become a defensive stopper for the team. It was Williams who poked the ball out of Purdue point guard Carson Cunningham on the Boilermakers final shot attempt. Crawford, 6-3 of Winston-Salem, has also made a presence defensively, recording four steals against Purdue. All three NC State freshmen, who were ranked as the nation's No. 11 recruiting class by Recruiter's Handbook, come from winning backgrounds. Crawford, who was also Parkland's starting quarterback and threw for nearly 1,500 yards in a run-and-shoot offense as a senior, led his team to the state 3-A title. Williams led Vincent to a 96-10 record in four years on the varsity and three state Division I titles. Wilkins was part of a team at Frederick (Md.) St. John's Prospect Hall that went 25-0 and won the USA Today national championship. Wilkins and Williams were both 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.
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
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.
HOME-GROWN TALENT IN FALL CLASS: In a year when North Carolina's high school senior class is considered the strongest ever, NC State announced the signing of the state's 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."
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 sold out. The only seats remaining are approximately 800 for non-conference games against UNC Asheville, Liberty, Yale and Western Carolina.
