North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Set to Take on Heels on Saturday
1/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
#14 NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (10-4, 1-0)
Saturday * Jan. 8, 1999 * 8:00 p.m.
Dean E. Smith Center (21,572) * Chapel Hill, N.C.
BROADCASTS:
TV: Raycom/JP - Mike Goldberg (play-by-play) and Bucky Waters (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. NORTH CAROLINA: NC State and North Carolina have met 194 times previously with the Tar Heels holding a 124-70 lead in the series. The Wolfpack is 15-61 all-time in Chapel Hill and has lost three straight games in the series. Last season, NC State fell 62-53 to the No. 14 Tar Heels in Chapel Hill. The Wolfpack held a seven-point lead, 42-35, with 11:34 left in that contest, but went scoreless for nearly seven minutes and shot just 33.9 percent for the game. Ron Kelley was the only NC State player to score in double figures in that game, finishing with 10 points. In the first meeting between the teams on Jan. 16, 1999 in Raleigh, Tim Wells' halfcourt shot hit off the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded and the Pack lost, 59-56. The game was played in front of the largest crowd in Reynolds Coliseum history - 12,852.
ABOUT THE WOLFPACK: NC State enters the game with a 10-1 mark, the best start for a Wolfpack team since 1988-89 when the Pack began the year 12-1, eventually finishing the season 22-9 overall, 10-4 in the ACC. NC State has won its last three games of the year, defeating No. 12 Maryland, 68-66, on Thursday. The Pack's only loss this season was at Tulane (62-73) just prior to the Christmas holidays. NC State's 7-0 start was the best by a Wolfpack team since 1981-82.
NC State leads the conference in virtually every defensive category, including scoring defense (57.1 ppg), field goal percentage defense (37.8 percent), steals (11.7) and turnover margin (+5.6). The Wolfpack is forcing an average of 22.5 turnovers per game. Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy leads a balanced Wolfpack team in scoring at 12.9 ppg. Forwards Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton are also averaging in double figures at 10.4 ppg and 10.0 ppg, respectively.
ABOUT THE TAR HEELS: North Carolina has compiled a 10-4, 1-0 record to start the season and is ranked No. 15 nationally in both polls. The Tar Heels are coming off a 65-45 win over Clemson on Jan. 6. Freshman Joseph Forte leads the Tar Heels in scoring at 16.2 points per game, while Max Owens (13.1 ppg), Brendan Haywood (12.7 ppg) and Jason Capel (11.9) are also averaging in double-figures. Senior point guard Ed Cota leads the ACC in assists at 9.4 per game. UNC leads the ACC in field-goal percentage at 50.5. percent.
No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown PPG RPG APG 40 Joseph Forte G 6-4 190 Fr. Greenbelt, Md. 16.2 5.4 2.6 00 Brendan Haywood C 7-0 271 Jr. Greensboro, N.C. 12.7 6.2 2.8* 25 Jason Capel F 6-8 224 So. Chesapeake, Va. 11.9 7.0 1.9 5 Ed Cota G 6-1 196 Sr. Brooklyn, N.Y. 9.8 3.5 9.4 42 Kris Lang F 6-11 235 So. Gastonia, N.C. 7.8 3.6 0.6*
PACK LOOKS FOR BEST ACC START SINCE 1990-91: With a win over UNC, NC State could begin the ACC season 2-0 for the first time since the 1990-91 season, when the Pack defeated Clemson and Georgia Tech to begin ACC play. NC State defeated the Tigers 75-70 on Jan. 2, 1991, then beat Georgia Tech, 90-83 on Jan. 13. Incidentally, 1990-91 was also the last season that NC State played in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack finished that year 20-11 overall, 8-6 in the ACC.
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY: Defense has been the catalyst to NC State's 10 wins this season. The Wolfpack has struggled shooting the ball (43.4 FG percentage, 29.9 3PT percentage), but has shut down opponents and created scoring opportunities for itself. NC State opponents are shooting just 37.8 percent from the field, while scoring an average of 57.1 ppg. In addition, NC State has forced opponents into an average of 22.5 turnovers per game, outscoring its foes 233-165 in points off TOs. Seven of NC State's 11 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. Through games of Jan. 1, NC State ranked No. 8 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. Five of NC State's 11 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
DEFLECTIONS AS DEFENSIVE BAROMETER: Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek charts deflections as a barometer for defensive play and the Wolfpack has averaged 54.8 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 11.7 steals (first in ACC) and 5.3 blocks per game. NC State has had 12 or more steals in 8-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 Sendek's first season as the Pack's head coach (11/22/96). Sophomore Anthony Grundy leads the ACC with 31 steals in 10 games. He had seven steals vs. UGa and five against Providence. Justin Gainey had five steals vs. Liberty, while Marshall Williams had five against Yale. 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
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 11-1 start. NC State has been outrebounded just twice this season and is especially effective on the offensive glass. The Pack had more offensive rebounds (22) than defensive rebounds (17) against Maryland on Jan. 6. The Pack is averaging 16.2 offensive rebounds per game and has pulled down an average of 17.8 offensive boards over the past five games. Four NC State players are averaging at least three offensive boards per game - Kenny Inge (3.0), Ron Kelley (3.0), Damon Thornton (3.1) and Damien Wilkins (3.3)
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 seven games this season, averaging 9.4 points during the stretch. 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.
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 3,131 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 26.8 mpg. For his career, Gainey has played an average of 29.8 mpg.
SOLID AS A ROCK: Call him the *Prudential Man.* That's 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 Pack's first 16 games, but had just eight TOs in the final 10 games.
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 finished with a team-high 15 points vs. No. 12 Maryland, including a monster dunk over 7-footer Mike Mardesich. He recorded double-doubles in back-to-back games against Yale (16-10) and Western Carolina (11-13). Over the past three games, Thornton is averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds.
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 (45-of-82) of his shots from the field. Thornton now ranks second in school history in career field-goal percentage at 57.6 percent (209-of-363). He is also being more aggressive on the offensive end, averaging 7.5 shot attempts per game this season. Previously in his career, Thornton had averaged 4.8 field-goal attempts per game.
DUNKING BIG MEN: NC State forwards Kenny Inge and Damon Thornton have combined for 27 dunks through 11 games this season, 39 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, 12 of his 24 field goals have been on dunks, while last season 47 of his 112 made field goals (42 percent) were dunks. He had three dunks against 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 four of the five games he has played in, averaging 11.4 points and 6.6 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 34.4 percent (267-of-776) of his career points from the charity stripe. He has averaged 5.6 free throws per game during his career and has made 67.6 percent (267-of-395) 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 11 games, NC State has 330 *Points in the Paint* compared to 222 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. Against Western Carolina, NC State's frontcourt trio of Ron Kelley, Damon Thornton and Kenny Inge combined for 43 of the team's 79 points (54.4 percent).
QUICK STUDY: Sophomore guard Anthony Grundy leads the Wolfpack in scoring this season at 12.9 points per game. 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.
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 leads the ACC in steals, averaging 3.1 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.
MILLER HANDING OUT ASSISTS: Point guard Archie Miller had season highs in assists against Western Carolina and Yale. He had five assists vs. Yale (Dec. 28) and six assists vs. Western Carolina (Dec. 30). The six assists against the Catamounts matches his career high set against Duke on Feb. 8, 1998. Miller redshirted last season after undergoing season-ending back surgery to repair two bulging discs in his lower back and a narrowing of the spinal column. In the Pack's season opener against Georgia, he drained a crucial three-pointer with 58 seconds left to seal the Pack's win.
BALANCED ATTACK, DEEP BENCH: NC State has used a deep bench in each of its first 11 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 28.1 mpg. In addition, three NC State players are averaging in double figures, led by Grundy's 12.9 ppg. Juniors Damon Thornton and Kenny Inge are averaging 10 and 10.4 ppg respectively. Freshman Damien Wilkins is averaging 9.7 ppg, while Ron Kelley is at 9.8 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 246-121 this season. Center Ron Kelly is the highest scoring Wolfpack reserve at 9.8 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 26.4 mpg this 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 Miller's 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 Grundy's 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.
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 5.4 points and 2.5 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.
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 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).
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.
