North Carolina State University Athletics
Wake Forest Game Notes
1/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC STATE WOLFPACK (11-2, 2-1) vs.
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS (11-4, 2-1)
Sunday - Jan. 16, 2000 - 1:30 p.m.
Entertainment and Sports Arena (19,722) * Raleigh, N.C.
BROADCASTS
TV: Raycom/JP - Tim Brant (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (color).
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. WAKE FOREST: NC State and Wake Forest will renew the Wolfpack's longest series when the teams meet for the 206th time. NC State holds a 121-84 lead in the series, which dates back to the school's first season of basketball in 1910-11. NC State's first ever scheduled basketball game was rained out. It was to be part of a basketball-football doubleheader against Virginia Tech on Thanksgiving Day in 1910 in Norfolk, Va. But NC A & M, as NC State was named at that time, did not have an indoor practice facility and had to practice outdoors in an open field in what is now Pullen Park. So, the Wake Forest Baptists became NC State's first basketball opponent on Feb. 16, 1911. Wake Forest, which had started basketball in 1906, cruised to a 33-6 victory in that game, then A&M College exacted revenge on Feb. 21 in the first ever collegiate basketball game played in Raleigh, a 19-18 win for the Farmers. More recently, the Demon Deacons have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams. Last year NC State won two of the teams' three meetings. The Pack defeated Wake Forest 70-59 on Jan. 28, 1999 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State made 24 of its 26 free-throw attempts, including 13-of-14 by Kenny Inge to get the victory. In Winston-Salem, the Deacs cruised to a 74-45 win in the final game of the regular season as NC State shot just 30.4 percent. NC State hit just five field goals in the first half and had just one player finish in double-figures. The rubber match in the opening round of the ACC Tournament went NC State's way, 66-52. Justin Gainey and Anthony Grundy combined to score 29 points and NC State won despite shooting 34.4 percent from the field. The Pack is 84-51 vs. Wake Forest all-time at home.
ABOUT THE WOLFPACK: NC State is off to a 11-2, 2-1 start and was ranked No. 28 in the RPI report released on Jan. 10. The Wolfpack leads the conference in scoring defense (59.5 ppg) and turnover margin (+5.8) and ranks second in steals (11.2). The Wolfpack is forcing an average of 21.5 turnovers per game. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy leads a balanced Wolfpack team in scoring at 12.8 ppg. Forwards Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton are also averaging in double figures at 10.9 ppg and 10.3 ppg, respectively.
PACK OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1989-90:NC State enters the game with an 11-2 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. The Wolfpack's 2-1 ACC start is also the school's best since 1990-91, when NC State also began the conference slate 2-1. NC State began the 1989-90 season 3-1, before dropping games to North Carolina and Duke.
SENDEK COACHES 200th CAREER GAME: NC State coach Herb Sendek will coach his 200th career game when the Wolfpack faces Wake Forest on Sunday. Sendek has compiled a 127-72 (.638) in seven seasons as a head coach and is 64-46 (.582) in four years at NC State. Sendek's 100th career game was Jan. 7, 1997, when NC State defeated Texas-P.A., 75-25. He earned his 100th career victory last season vs. Coastal Carolina (81-50, 11/21/98).
WOLFPACK INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS VS Wake:
PUCILLO, RICHTER TO BE HONORED AT HALFTIME: Former Wolfpack greats Lou Pucillo and John Richter will have their jerseys officially retired at halftime of NC State's game vs. Wake Forest. They will join David Thompson, Dick Dickey, Sammy Ranzino, Bobby Speight, Ronnie Shavlik and Vic Molodet in having their jerseys hang from the ESA rafters. Pucillo, No. 20, played from the Pack from 1957-59, earning All-America honors in 1959. He was the ACC Player of the Year in 1959 as well, helping the Pack to the ACC title. The 5-9 guard from Philadelphia, Pa., earned first-team All-ACC honors in 1958 and 1959. Richter, No. 24, finished his career with 1,109 points and ranks fourth all-time in school history with 936 career rebounds. A teammate of Pucillo's, Richter also earned All-America honors in 1959. The 6-8 center from Philadelphia was a first-round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1959 NBA Draft.
PACK PERFECT AT HOME: Through 10 home games this season, NC State sports a perfect 10-0 record in the 19,722-seat Entertainment and Sports Arena and is averaging 16,371 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.
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY: Defense has been the catalyst to NC State's 11 wins this season. NC State opponents are shooting just 39.9 percent from the field, while scoring an average of 59.5 ppg. In addition, NC State has forced opponents into an average of 21.5 turnovers per game, outscoring its foes 267-189 in points off TOs. Nine of NC State's 13 opponents have committed at least 20 TOs, led by Liberty's 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.
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 13 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 Virginia 4:06
GRUNDY GETS THE POINT: Since the Wolfpack's loss at Tulane on Dec. 22, sophomore Anthony Grundy has spent more time at point guard, spelling senior captain Justin Gainey at the spot. The move has been a welcome one for Grundy, who played point guard as a senior at Bowling Green (Ky.) Warren Central High and at Hargrave Military Academy. He has averaged 13.5 points and 3.8 assists in the last four games vs. just 2.5 turnovers. His seven assists vs. UNC on Jan. 8 was the second highest total of his career (8 vs. Providence, 3/10/99). Grundy's move has also opened up sophomore sharp-shooter Archie Miller for more shots. Miller made 3-of-6 three-point attempts in the Pack's first four conference games.
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 11-2 start. NC State has been outrebounded three times 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 15.8 offensive rebounds per game and has pulled down an average of 16.3 offensive boards in ACC play. Wolfpack freshman Damien Wilkins ranks third in the ACC in offensive rebounds at 3.3 per game. The Pack also leads its opponents 202-162 in second-chance points this season.
SHOOTING IMPROVES: NC State's field-goal shooting has improved in each of the past two games. The Pack hit 47.1 percent (32-of-68) against UNC and 48.1 percent (25-of-52) vs. UVa, marking just the third and fourth times that NC State has made better than 47 percent of its field-goal attempts in a game this season. The Pack has made 47.5 percent (57-of-120) from the field in the last two games, compared to 43.4 percent for the rest of the season. NC State's three-point shooting has also improved in ACC play. The Wolfpack has made 38.5 percent (15-of-39) from three-point range in the last three games, compared to 29.2 percent in previous games.
FREE-THROW WOES: NC State has struggled from the free-throw line this season, making just 58.3 percent (182-312) from the stripe (last in the ACC). The Pack's poor shooting was very evident against UVa, when NC State shot just 10-of-27 (37 percent) from the line. NC State ranked sixth in the ACC last season in free-throw percentage (67.8 percent). The all-time season low for free-throw percentage in school history is 62.6 percent (255-of-407) in 1962. The last time NC State shot worse than 37 percent from the line in a game (min. 10 attempts) was Dec. 22, 1994 when NC State went 4-of-12 (33.3 percent) from the charity stripe against UNC Asheville. The last time NC State missed more than 17 free throws in a single game was last season vs. Charleston Southern on Nov. 27, 1998, when the Pack was 34-of-52 from the line. NC State missed 19 free throws against Coastal Carolina (25-of-44) on Nov. 21, 1998.
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 12.8 ppg (15th in the ACC) and ranks among league leaders in three-point field-goal percentage (8th-.368), three-pointers per game (9th-1.8) and steals (2nd-2.6). He has averaged 13.5 points in the last four games, scoring in double figures in 10 of the 12 games he has played this season. Grundy also had a season-best seven assists against UNC.
DEFLECTIONS AS DEFENSIVE BAROMETER: Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek charts deflections as a barometer for defensive play and the Wolfpack has averaged 52.2 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 11.2 steals (second in ACC) and 4.7 blocks per game. NC State has had 12 or more steals in 9-of-13 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 Sendek's first season as the Pack's 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 Virginia 4 4
DEFENSIVE STOPPER: A quick look at 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. He is second in the ACC in steals, averaging 2.6 per game. He has had three of more steals in five games this season. 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. Grundy has also drawn a team-best eight charges this season.
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 3,192 minutes logged (behind UNC's 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 27.4 mpg. For his career, Gainey has played an average of 29.8 mpg (107).
WILKINS LEADS PACK VS. UVA: NC State freshman Damien Wilkins scored a team-high 13 points vs. Virginia, marking the first time he has been in double figures since the Pack's game against Tulane on Dec. 22, a string of five games. Wilkins had 15 points against the Green Wave. The 6-6 freshman from Orlando, Fla., also pulled down nine boards against UVa, his highest total grabbing 10 rebounds vs. Providence on Dec. 4. Wilkins is ranked ninth in the ACC in rebounding at 6.8 per game and is third among all conference players in offensive rebounding (3.31 per game). He is averaging four offensive rebounds per game over the last four contests.
THORNTON BACK TO OLD FORM: 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 is averaging a team-high 13 points in ACC play and he scored 15 points against both Maryland and UNC. He has been in double-figures in four of the past five games and is averaging 13.2 points and 8.4 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 54.9 percent (56-of-102) of his shots from the field. Thornton now ranks second in school history in career field-goal percentage at 57.4 percent (220-of-383). He is also being more aggressive on the offensive end, averaging 7.8 shot attempts per game this season. In the last four games, he has taken an average of 10.8 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 35 dunks through 13 games this season, 38.5 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, 17 of his 35 field goals (48.6 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 six of the seven games he has played in, averaging 11.7 points and 6.3 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 33.7 percent (270-of-801) of his career points from the charity stripe. He has averaged 5.5 free throw attempts per game during his career (73 games) and has made 67 percent (270-of-403) 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 13 games, NC State has 410
GAINEY'S GAME WINNERS: Justin Gainey's 12-footer with 1.8 seconds left against Maryland was the senior point guard's 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 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.
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 nine 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." That's how Herb Sendek refers to point guard Gainey, who he says is
BALANCED ATTACK, DEEP BENCH: NC State has used a deep bench in each of its first 13 contests, playing at least nine people in each game. No NC State player is playing more than 30 mpg, while eight Wolfpack players are averaging at least 10 minutes per outing. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy is averaging a team-high 28 mpg. In addition, three NC State players are averaging in double figures, led by Grundy's 12.8 ppg. Juniors Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton are averaging 10.9 and 10.3 ppg respectively. Freshman Damien Wilkins is averaging 9.7 ppg, while Ron Kelley is at 9.3 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 285-145 this season. Center Ron Kelly is the highest scoring Wolfpack reserve at 9.3 ppg, while Marshall Williams is averaging 5.3 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.
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.
WILLIAMS WINS ACC ROOKIE HONORS DEC. 20: 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 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 Grundy's absence) against Yale and finished with 10 points. Williams is averaging 19.2 minutes per game, tops among all Wolfpack reserves, while contributing 5.3 points and 2.2 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 an 11-2 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-10's 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 of sorts. 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.
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, 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.
