North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Set to Take on Cavaliers
1/10/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC STATE WOLFPACK (10-2, 1-1) vs. VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (10-4, 1-1)
Wednesday - Jan. 12, 1999 - 7:30 p.m.Entertainment and Sports Arena (19,722) * Raleigh, N.C.
BROADCASTS
Radio: Wolfpack-Capitol Sports Radio Network - 36 Stations (WPTF-680 Flagship);
Coverage begins 30 minutes prior to tip-off. Gary Hahn (play-by-play) and Tony Haynes (color).
On The Internet: www.gopack.com
NC STATE VS. VIRGINIA:NC State and UVa have met 114 times previously with the Wolfpack holding a 67-47 lead in the overall series. The Wolfpack has a 31-15 record at home in the series. UVa has won eight of the last 10 meetings between the teams, including a run of seven straight wins from 1995-98. The Pack has won both of the last two meetings in Raleigh, including an 82-72 win on Jan. 14, 1999. The Wolfpack shot 68 percent (17-of-25) from the field and had a 15-2 run in the second half of that game. Ron Kelley and Tim Wells led the Pack with 20 and 18 points respectively off the bench. In Charlottesville last season, the Cavaliers earned an 82-79 overtime victory led by Donald Hands 41 points. Kelley, who had a career-high 24 points, drained a 25-footer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
ABOUT THE WOLFPACK: NC State enters the game with a 10-2 mark, the best start for a Wolfpack team since 1989-90 when the Pack began the year 12-2, eventually finishing the season 18-12 overall, 6-8 in the ACC. NC State dropped its second game of the year on Jan. 8, falling to No. 14 North Carolina 83-75. The Tar Heels shot 71.1 percent against the Pack, which had been holding opponents to 37.8 percent field-goal shooting entering the game. NC States only other loss this season was at Tulane (62-73) just prior to the Christmas holidays. NC States 7-0 start was the best by a Wolfpack team since 1981-82. NC State leads the conference in scoring defense (59.3 ppg), steals (11.8) and turnover margin (+5.7). The Wolfpack is forcing an average of 22.3 turnovers per game. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy leads a balanced Wolfpack team in scoring at 13.1 ppg. Forwards Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton are also averaging in double figures at 11.0 ppg and 10.4 ppg, respectively.
WOLFPACK INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS VS UVA:
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY: Defense has been the catalyst to NC State's 10 wins this season. The Wolfpack has struggled shooting the ball (43.8 FG percentage, 29.6 3PT percentage), but has shut down opponents and created scoring opportunities for itself. NC State opponents are shooting just 39.8 percent from the field, while scoring an average of 59.3 ppg. In addition, NC State has forced opponents into an average of 22.3 turnovers per game, outscoring its foes 248-177 in points off TOs. Eight of NC States 12 opponents have committed at least 20 TOs, led by Libertys 31 turnovers, the most by a Wolfpack opponent since Florida Atlantic had 35 turnovers on Nov. 22, 1996. NC State ranks first among all ACC teams in TO margin and in scoring defense. Through games of Jan. 6, NC State ranked No. 9 nationally in scoring defense. San Jose State leads the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.4 ppg.
Top Scoring Defenses
Team G W-L Pts. Avg.
1 Coll Of Charltn 11 9-2 584 53.1
2 San Jose St 14 8-6 758 54.1
3 Wisconsin 13 8-5 721 55.5
4 Wisc Green Bay 14 7-7 786 56.1
5 Butler 12 7-5 675 56.3
5 Stanford 12 12-0 675 56.3
7 Auburn 13 12-1 735 56.5
8 Princeton 13 7-6 736 56.6
9 No Carolina St 11 10-1 628 57.1
10 Kentucky 13 9-4 753 57.9
through games of 1/6/00
SCORELESS STRETCHES: NC State's defense has been able to hold several of its opponents without a field goal for long stretches during games this season. Six of NC State's 12 foes this season have been held without a field goal for at least five-minute periods. The Wolfpack held UNC Asheville without a field goal for 11:47. Against Yale, the Pack held the Bulldogs without a field goal for 9:55 in the first half. At No. 21 Purdue, NC State held the Boilermakers without a field goal for 7:31 during the second half to erase a 12-point second-half lead.
Opponent Longest Stretch w/o FG Georgia 4:13 Old Dominion 4:57 Stetson 7:57 Purdue 7:31 Providence 4:55 UNC Asheville 11:47 Liberty 5:25 Tulane 4:44 Yale 9:55 W Carolina 3:40 Maryland 4:08 North Carolina 7:50
DEFLECTIONS AS DEFENSIVE BAROMETER: Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek charts deflections as a barometer for defensive play and the Wolfpack has averaged 54.2 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 three games this season. Last year, NC State averaged 40 deflections per game.
STEALS AND BLOCKS: Included in the deflection total are steals and blocks, stats the Wolfpack has excelled in this season. The Wolfpack has averaged 11.8 steals (first in ACC) and 5.3 blocks per game. NC State has had 12 or more steals in 9-of-11 games this season, including a season-high 19 steals vs. Liberty, matching the second-best total in school history. The Pack also had 19 steals against Florida Atlantic in Sendeks first season as the Packs head coach (11/22/96). Sophomore Anthony Grundy leads the ACC with 31 steals in 11 games. He had seven steals vs. UGa and five against Providence. Five different Wolfpack players have recorded at least four steals in a game this season. Justin Gainey had five steals vs. Liberty, while Marshall Williams had five against Yale and North Carolina. NC State had a season-high eight blocks against Yale on Dec. 28, the most by a Wolfpack team since Dec. 23, 1995, when NC State had eight swats against Cal-Poly SLO.
Opponent Steals Blocks Georgia 13 5 Old Dominion 7 7 Stetson 12 3 Purdue 13 7 Providence 12 7 UNC Asheville 12 4 Liberty 19 5 Tulane 3 4 Yale 16 8 W Carolina 9 3 Maryland 13 4 North Carolina 13 0
ON THE GLASS:While defense has been NC State's calling card this season, the team's ability to rebound has also been a determining factor in the 10-2 start. NC State has been outrebounded just twice this season and has been especially effective on the offensive glass. The Pack had more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds against both Maryland and North Carolina. The Pack is averaging 15 offensive rebounds per game and has pulled down an average of 19 offensive boards over the past three games. Wolfpack freshman Damien Wilkins ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds at 3.17 per game, while Damon Thornton is fifth at 3.0 per game.
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 the team's senior captain, Gainey ranks second among all current ACC players in career minutes played with 3,154 minutes logged (behind UNCs Ed Cota). Gainey rarely saw the bench last season, averaging 35.9 minutes per game in ACC play, but this year he has gotten more of a break, logging 26.5 mpg. For his career, Gainey has played an average of 29.8 mpg.
PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy moved into the starting lineup for the final 11 games of the 1999 season and averaged 16 points and 7.8 rebounds in the last four games. The 6-2 guard from Louisville, Ky., also earned second-team All-ACC Tournament honors after scoring 33 points and 16 rebounds in tournament games against Wake Forest and Duke. This year, Grundy leads the Wolfpack in scoring at 13.1 ppg (14th in the ACC) and ranks among league leaders in field-goal percentage (9th-.440), three-pointers per game (9th-1.6) and steals (9th-3.2). He has averaged 14.7 points in the last three games, scoring in double figures in nine of the 11 games he has played this season. Grundy also had a season-best seven assists against UNC.
DEFENSIVE STOPPER: A quick look at Grundy and its 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 peoples wingspan is equal to their height. He leads the ACC in steals, averaging 2.8 per game. He has had three of more steals in five games this season. In the Packs 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.
THORNTON BACK TO OLD FORM: For the first time since early in his freshman season, forward Damon Thornton can finally say hes 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 UNCs Ed Cota). Thornton scored 15 points against both Maryland and UNC and is averaging 10.4 ppg this season. He has been in double-figures in each of the past four games and is averaging 14.3 points and 8.8 rebounds during the stretch. He recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games against Yale (16-10) and Western Carolina (11-13).
THORNTON AMONG SCHOOL LEADERS IN FG %: While NC State has struggled shooting the ball this season, Damon Thornton has continued his accurate touch, making 55.3 percent (52-of-94) of his shots from the field. Thornton now ranks second in school history in career field-goal percentage at 57.6 percent (216-of-375). He is also being more aggressive on the offensive end, averaging 7.8 shot attempts per game this season. In the last three games, he has taken an average of 11.7 shots per game. Prior to this season, Thornton had averaged 4.8 field-goal attempts per game.
DUNKING BIG MEN: NC State forwards Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton have combined for 34 dunks through 12 games this season, 41 percent of the duo's made field goals. Thornton had four dunks against Maryland, including an emphatic slam over seven-footer Mike Mardesich. For Inge, 16 of his 31 field goals (51.6 percent) have been on dunks, while last season 47 of his 112 made field goals (42 percent) were dunks. He had four dunks against North Carolina on Jan. 8 and three vs. both Yale and Western Carolina. Last season vs. Georgia Tech, Inge had seven slams en route to a career-best 28 points.
INGE RETURNS FROM KNEE INJURY: NC State junior forward Kenny Inge returned to the Wolfpack lineup against Liberty (Dec. 17) and is back to his old ways. Inge missed just 22 days after suffering a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee against Old Dominion on Nov. 23. Though the injury did not require surgery, he was expected to miss 4-6 weeks, returning in early January. Since returning to the lineup, Inge has been in double figures in five of the six games he has played in, averaging 12.0 points and 6.5 rebounds during the stretch. He had a season-high 15 points against Western Carolina on Dec. 30 and pulled in a season-best nine boards against Maryland (Jan. 6).
INGE GETS TO THE LINE:Junior forward Kenny Inge has recorded 33.9 percent (268-of-791) of his career points from the charity stripe. He has averaged 5.5 free throw attempts per game during his career and has made 67.3 percent (268-of-398) of his career free-throw attempts.
POINTS IN THE PAINT: The Wolfpack has had a decisive advantage over its opponents in the paint this season. Through 12 games, NC State has 372 "Points in the Paint" compared to 273 for its foes. Junior forward Damon Thornton has three double-doubles this season, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Old Dominion (Nov. 23), 16 points and 10 rebounds against Yale (Dec. 28) and 11 points and 13 boards against Western Carolina (Dec. 30). Freshman Damien Wilkins had his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds vs. Providence.
GAINEY'S GAME WINNERS: Justin Gainey's 12-footer with 1.8 seconds left against Maryland was the senior point guards third game-winning shot in the last two seasons. Earlier this season, Gainey knocked in a three-pointer with 14 seconds left at Purdue. That shot looked strikingly similar to the seniors 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 Techs inbounds pass with two seconds left to seal the win.
WHEN GAINEY'S IN DOUBLE FIGURES: Over the past four seasons, NC State has been very successful when senior point guard Justin Gainey scores in double figures. The Wolfpack is 23-5 when Gainey gets at least 10 points. He has scored in double figures in five of the Wolfpack's last eight games this season. Gainey had all 14 of his points against the Terps in the second half, going 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range following the halftime break.
SOLID AS A ROCK: Call him the *Prudential Man.* Thats how Herb Sendek refers to point guard 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 Packs first 16 games, but had just eight TOs in the final 10 games.
BALANCED ATTACK, DEEP BENCH: NC State has used a deep bench in each of its first 12 contests, playing at least nine people in each game. No NC State player is playing more than 30 mpg, while nine Wolfpack players are averaging at least 10 minutes per outing. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy is averaging a team-high 28.4 mpg. In addition, three NC State players are averaging in double figures, led by Grundys 13.1 ppg. Juniors Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton are averaging 11 and 10.4 ppg respectively. Freshman Damien Wilkins is averaging 9.4 ppg, while Ron Kelley is at 9.5 ppg. The last time NC State had more than three players average in double figures for a season was in 1990-91 when Rodney Monroe (27.0 ppg), Chris Corchiani (16.3 ppg), Tom Gugliotta (15.2 ppg) and Bryant Feggins (13.3 ppg) each averaged in double figures.
BENCH SCORING: The Wolfpack reserves have provided a spark while in the lineup. Wolfpack reserves have outscored opponent reserves 268-128 this season. Center Ron Kelly is the highest scoring Wolfpack reserve at 9.5 ppg, while Marshall Williams is averaging 5.4 ppg. Williams came off the bench to score a team-high 17 points vs. Liberty. 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 26.5 mpg this season.
PACK RETURNS TO TOP 25: Following its 7-0 start NC State returned to the AP Top 25 (at No. 25) on Dec. 20 for the first time since Jan. 16, 1990. The Wolfpack was the only newcomer to the poll, receiving 111 points. It had been 293 games (3,618 days) since NC State was ranked in the top 25. It also marked the first time NC State, Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest have been in the top 25 at the same time since Dec. 20, 1960, when the Deacons made their lone appearance in that season's poll. It was only the fifth week in history that all four schools are ranked at the same time. They were also ranked simultaneously for three weeks during the 1955-56 season.
FIGHTING START: NC State overcame double-digit deficits in wins over Georgia and at No. 19 Purdue, then held off a late rally by Providence in getting off to its best start since 1981-82. Against UGa, NC State fell behind 14-2 less than five minutes into the game, but Archie Millers three-pointer with 58 seconds remaining put the Pack in front for good. Against Purdue, the Wolfpack trailed by 11 points in the first half and 12 points in the second half but managed to get the win. 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 a 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 Grundys steal and ensuing layup with 15 seconds left sealed the win for NC State. NC State also trailed UNCA 41-39 at halftime before holding the Bulldogs without a field goal for the first 10:09 of the second half in a 80-58 win.
WILLIAMS WINS ACC ROOKIE HONORS DEC. 20: While Damien Wilkins has garnered much of the attention handed to NC States freshman class, newcomers Marshall Williams and Clifford Crawford have also played prominent roles in the NC States early success. Williams was named the ACC Rookie of the Week Dec. 20 after scoring a team-high 17 points off the bench against Liberty. He finished the game 5-of-11 from the field, while adding four rebounds and two steals. He earned his first career start (in Anthony Grundys absence) against Yale and finished with 10 points. Williams is averaging 19.2 minutes per game, tops among all Wolfpack reserves, while contributing 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds. He has also been a presence on defense. It was Williams who poked the ball out of Purdue point guard Carson Cunningham on the Boilermakers final shot attempt. Against Liberty, Williams was matched up on Flames top scorer Carl Williams, who entered the game shooting 19.9 ppg while shooting 46 percent from three-point range. Against the Pack, Williams went just 5-of-22 from the field including 1-of-3 from three-point range. Williams had five steals against Yale on Dec. 28 and North Carolina on Jan. 8.
WILKINS EARNS ROOKIE HONORS DEC. 6: 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. 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). Against Tulane, Wilkins had a team high 15 points.
BIG WINS OVER BIG CONFERENCES: In the midst of a 9-1 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 face the Pack-10s Arizona State. 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).
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 ranked nonconference opponent since Feb. 9, 1980, when NC State defeated No. 9 Notre Dame, 63-55, a string of 607 games. NC State went on to finish the 1979-80 season with a 20-8 record, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
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 nine home games this season, NC State sports a 9-0 record in the ESA and is averaging 16,076 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.
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 Sendeks 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 Yale and Western Carolina.
