North Carolina State University Athletics
Coaches Hope Freshmen Will Handle ACC Heat
1/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
From the time that they were children in the schoolyard until now, NC State freshmen Damien Wilkins, Marshall Williams and Clifford Crawford have played in a lot of basketball games. But probably nothing they have done or seen to this point will match what they will be a part of on Thursday night.
As they are about to find out, there's nothing quite like the intensity and passion of an ACC basketball game. And very few league rivals play with as much fire as the press-happy Maryland Terrapins.
"There's no way of actually knowing if the freshmen are ready," said Pack coach Herb Sendek. "People can talk about it and they can paint pictures for you, but until your mind and body are exposed to the grind of that high level of competition, you don't how they'll react. There's no experience like a first hand one. Hopefully they'll be able to make that transition and be as ready as possible."
Wilkins, Williams and Crawford have been significant contributors to a team that is 9-1 heading into its conference opener.
The 6-6 Wilkins has started all ten of the Wolfpack's games and is averaging 27.4 minutes per contest. The defensive minded Williams is getting just over 20-minutes of playing time per game and is coming off the first two starts of his career. Winston-Salem's Crawford is playing an average of 11-minutes.
"I really don't know what to expect because this is my first ACC game," Wilkins said. "I'm ready for the first one to come so we can get all of the jitters out. I'm glad we're opening up with a team the caliber of Maryland."
Maryland will also be throwing a first year player into the fire on Thursday. Not only is Steve Blake a freshman; he's also a point guard. When ACC coaches smell fresh blood, they're like sharks. It's a given that they'll want to find out what Blake is made of right away.
"Their schedule has allowed him to come into our game already baptized," Sendek said. "He's played a very competitive non-conference schedule and he already has 13 games under his belt."
While Blake does have those 13 games under his belt, he hasn't yet been asked to run his team in a hostile environment. Eight of Maryland's 13 games have been played inside the friendly confines of Cole Field House. The others have taken place at neutral sights.
Still, Blake is a dynamic young player who has done a good job of filling the void left by the departed Terrell Stokes.
"It's been hard for him sometimes because things haven't always gone as smoothly as he would like them to go," said Maryland coach Gary Williams. "There's a tendency for any freshman who's been heavily recruited to feel like they have to do certain things to show how good they are. When he gets the ball to the right people in our offense, then he does well. I think he's as ready as a freshman can be to play point guard in the ACC."
One of the players Blake will likely match-up with on Thursday night certainly knows what he's going through. Justin Gainey was a wide-eyed freshman point guard at NC State four years ago.
"Being the point guard is real tough, period," Gainey said. "But your first road game as a freshman point guard is totally different. The atmosphere and the style of play can be overwhelming."
The 6-3 Blake is averaging 6.8 points and 5.8 assists per game. There is another statistic that will likely grab the attention of future ACC opponents: The Miami Lakes, Florida native is averaging nearly five turnovers per contest.
By virtue of the many early defections into the NBA, college basketball is a younger game than it used to be. Freshmen are no longer the stars of tomorrow; they're now the stars of today. As Former NFL coach George Allen once said: "The future is now."
The future and the present will be on display when Maryland visits NC State on Thursday.
