North Carolina State University Athletics
Clemson Game Notes
2/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BROADCASTS
TV: Raycom/JP - Steve Martin (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 CLEMSON: The February 25 matchup will be the 125th meeting between NC State and Clemson with the Wolfpack holding an 86-38 lead in the series. NC State is 50-11 all-time at home vs. the Tigers and has won eight of the last 12 meetings between the teams in Raleigh. The series has been a close one of late, with the teams splitting the series each of the last four years. Five of the last nine games have been decided by five or less points. In the first meeting between the teams this season, NC State shot just 30 percent (15-of-50) for the game in a 59-42 loss. The game was delayed one day due to a record snowfall in Raleigh. The Wolfpack trailed by 13 points with 13:31 left to play, but fought back to cut the lead to four points, 42-38, behind four three-pointers from Archie Miller. But the Pack was held scoreless for more than seven minutes as Clemson pulled away for the final margin. Miller finished with a season-high 15 points.
Last year, the Wolfpack earned an 84-71 win in Raleigh on Feb. 6, 1999, behind a career-high 28 points from Justin Gainey. Gainey went 7-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line in that game. In Clemson on Jan. 5, 1999, the Tigers earned an 80-72 victory. NC State trailed by as much as 20 points in the first half, but fought back to cut Clemsons lead to four points with 4:25 left. Gainey had a team high 16 points, all in the second half.
A WIN: Would break the Pack's six-game losing streak and give NC State its sixth conference victory this season, matching last seasons ACC win total. The last time NC State had more than six conference victories was in 1990-91, when the Pack went 8-6 in conference play. NC State has improved its overall and ACC win total in each of Herb Sendek's four seasons as head coach.
A LOSS: Would be NC State's seventh straight conference loss, the Pack's longest losing streak since losing nine games in the 1991-92 season. That streak was the longest losing streak in school history. NC State has lost seven consecutive games three times in school history - 1983-84, 1921-22 and 1920-21. The Wolfpack lost eight consecutive games in the 1945-46 and 1966-67 seasons.
INSIDE THE RECENT SLIDE: NC State has dropped six straight games, the fourth longest losing streak in school history. The Wolfpack began the conference season 5-3. The last time NC State lost six consecutive games was Jan. 12-28, 1997 (to Maryland, UNC, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech and UVa). The Wolfpack also lost six straight conference games during both the 1995 and 1996 seasons.
Over the past six games, opponents are shooting 49 percent from the field compared to just 43.4 percent in the first eight ACC games. In the second half of those games, opponents are shooting 54.3 percent (89-of-164) compared to just 76-of-173 (43.9 percent) in the first half. The Pack has been outrebounded in three of the last six games and is forcing nearly three less TOs than in previous conference games. NC State's starters - Anthony Grundy (15.3 ppg), Damien Wilkins (11.2), Kenny Inge (10.5), Damon Thornton (10.5) and Justin Gainey (10.5) - have each averaged in double-figures in the last five games. Its reserves, however, have averaged just 8.5 ppg compared to 19 ppg in other ACC games.
WOLFPACK INDIVIDUAL HIGHLIGHTS VS CLEMSON:
Justin Gainey: Averaging 10.7 points and 2.3 assists against Clemson ... Had a career-high 28 points in win in Raleigh last year ... Went 7-of-7 from the field, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, and 10-of-10 from the free-throw line ... Also had six rebounds and four assists ... Named ACC Player of the Week for that performance ... Team high 16 points at Clemson last season ... Finished with 10 points and three big steals freshman season.
Anthony Grundy: Averaged 9.0 points and 4.5 assists against the Tigers last season ... Had nine points and eight rebounds in first game against Clemson this season.
Kenny Inge: Averaging 15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds against Clemson ... Had a double-double (17 points and 11 rebounds) at Clemson last season ... Went 7-of-7 from the field ... Finished with 23 points and eight boards in home win last season ... Had 17 points and seven boards versus the Tigers freshman season.
Ron Kelley: Averaging just 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in four games vs. Tigers in his career.
Archie Miller: Averaging 11.7 points in three career games versus Clemson ... Had a team-high 15 points in first match-up this season ... Went 5-of-9 from three-point range ... Had 15 points at Clemson freshman season.
Damon Thornton: Averaging 3.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in five career games vs. Tigers.
Damien Wilkins: Finished with two points and seven rebounds in first meeting vs. Clemson.
Marshall Williams: Had five points and five rebounds in first meeting vs. Clemson this season.
ROAD WOES: NC State is 14-2 in the ESA this season, just 1-8 on the road. The Wolfpack has lost 10 straight ACC road games and 15 of its last 16 conference road games. NC State's only road win this season was at No. 21 Purdue, 61-59, and the Pack is 5-25 in ACC road games over the last four seasons. NC State opponents are scoring just 58.7 ppg in the ESA and 74.3 ppg on their home floors, while shooting 39.2 percent in the ESA and 47.1 percent on their home floors. NC State is committing nearly three more turnovers per game on the road.
Category ESA road Scoring 71.6 66.6 NC State Field Goal % 44.0% 41.9% NC State Three-Point % 33.5% 31.7% Turnovers 15.1 18.3 Opponent Scoring 58.7 74.3 Opponent Field Goal % 39.2% 47.1% Opponent Three-Point % 31.2% 31.5% Opponent Turnovers 20.1 17.1
IF YOU BUILD IT: NC State's attendance has skyrocketed in the 19,722-seat ESA this season. Since moving from 12,400-seat Reynolds Coliseum, the Pack has already set a single-season mark for attendance with 274,727 in 16 homes games. The previous best for season attendance was 188,282 in 18 home games during the 1987-88 season. NC State is averaging 17,170 fans per game this season compared to a previous best of 12,120 fans in 10 home games during the 1974-75 season. For ACC games the average attendance is 19,478. This year's average attendance has increased 6,370 per game. NC State ranked 30th in the nation last year in Division I attendance, averaging 10,800 spectators per game. Based on last year's figures, NC State would rank among the top eight schools in the nation in average attendance.
GAINEY, WELLS PLAY FINAL HOME GAME: 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 fourth all-time in school history in minutes played (since 1984) with 3,568 minutes logged. 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 29.3 mpg. For his career, Gainey has played an average of 30 mpg (119 games).
NC State Career Minutes Played
Player Minutes Years
1. Chris Corchiani 4097 1988-91
2. Rodney Monroe 3989 1988-91
3. Ishua Benjamin 3782 1995-98
4. Justin Gainey 3568 1997-
5. Curtis Marshall 3323 1992-96
NOTE: minutes kept since 1984
GAINEY AMONG ALL-TIME ASSIST & STEALS LEADERS: Gainey ranks sixth all-time in school history with 166 career thefts and ninth in school history with 319 career assists. Only seven players in NC State history rank among the school's top 10 in both career assists and steals. Chris Corchiani holds the school record with 1038 career assists and 328 career steals from 1988-91.
GAINEY'S GAME WINNERS: Justin Gainey's 12-footer with 1.8 seconds left against Maryland on Jan. 6 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.
GRUNDY BREAKS OUT: After scoring just five points against both Virginia and Wake Forest, sophomore guard Anthony Grundy has scored 55 combined points in the last two games. He finished with 29 points at Georgia Tech, the second-highest outing of his career, and had 26 points vs. Duke. Over the past two games, Grundy is averaging 27.5 points while shooting 59.5 percent (22-of-37) from the field and 46.1 percent (6-of-13) from three-point range. He has eclipsed the 20-point barrier four times this season and has been in double-figures 19 times in 25 games. Grundy matched a career-high with four made three-pointers vs. Georgia Tech (also had four vs. Wake Forest on Jan. 16 en route to a career-high 30 points). Against Duke, Grundy attempted a career-high 21 field goals. In his previous five games, the 6-2 guard was shooting 30.5 percent (18-of-59) from the field and 29.6 percent (8-of-27) from three-point range. He had missed nine straight free throws dating back to the final three minutes of the Maryland game on Feb. 6., but is 6-of-9 from the line in the last two games.
PLAYING BIG: Though he measures barely 6-2, Grundy plays much bigger. His wingspan is 6-6 (from fingertip to fingertip) while most people's is equal to their height. Those long arms have paid off on the glass, where Grundy is averaging 5.0 rebounds per game this season. Over the past five games, he is averaging 6.0 caroms per game. He has had at least five rebounds in 15 games this season.
KELLEY RETURNS TO LINEUP: After missing six games following knee surgery, center Ron Kelley returned to the Wolfpack lineup, playing 20 minutes at Georgia Tech. He finished with two points, three rebounds and three assists, but also showed the rustiness of being out by committing four fouls and four turnovers. Kelley underwent surgery on Jan. 30 to repair damaged cartilage in his left knee.
WILKINS - INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Freshman Damien Wilkins' quiet all-around play has snuck up on many. Wilkins is among NC State's top three in scoring (10.4 ppg, 2nd), rebounding (6.3 rpg, 2nd), assists (53, 3rd), blocks (15, 3rd) and steals (32, 3rd). Wilkins is second in the ACC in offensive rebounding at 3.04 per game and, in ACC play, ranks seventh in free-throw percentage at 75.4 percent. Over the past four games, he is averaging 14 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He recorded his second double-double of the season against Wake Forest, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds. All of his points vs. the Deacs came in the second half and he scored 16 of the team's final 20 points.
IMPACT FRESHMAN: Another example of Wilkins' importance in the NC State lineup is his minutes. He leads the Pack in minutes played at 31.3 mpg. In ACC play, Wilkins is averaging 33.8 mpg. An informal e-poll of SIDs showed only 13 freshmen nationally who lead their teams in minutes played. At Michigan, three freshmen are the team's top three players in terms of minutes - Jamal Crawford (33.9), Kevin Gaines (31.9) and LaVell Blanchard (31.3).
FRESHMEN MINUTES Player, Team MPG Sirvaliant Brown, G. Washington 36.6 Chris Davis, North Texas 36.3 Jason Gardner, Arizona 36.3 George Williams, Houston 35.4 Brett Blizzard, UNCW 34.0 Bernard King, Texas A&M 33.5 Torris Bright, LSU 33.4 Julius Jenkins, Ga. Southern 32.8 Ben Johnson, Northwestern 32.8 Troy Bell, Boston College 31.8 Joe Johnson, Arkansas 31.1 Damien Wilkins, NC State 31.1 Casey Jacobson, Stanford 27.2 through games of 2/21/99
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON: Wilkins rates fifth among ACC freshmen in scoring (10.4 ppg) and second in rebounding (6.4 rpg), keeping up his family's basketball tradition. His father, Gerald Wilkins, is UT-Chattanooga's second leading career scorer with 1,449 points in three seasons (1982-85). Gerald, who attended Mobley (Mo.) Junior College before going to UT-C, averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in his first season at Chattanooga. Uncle Dominque Wilkins averaged 18.6 ppg and 6.5 rpg in 16 games as a freshman at Georgia (1980-82), missing 11 games with a knee injury. Damien's 53 assists this season is more than his uncle and father had in their freshmen seasons combined.
Wilkins's FIRST Seasons Name G FG Pct. FT Pct. REB-Avg. A BLK ST PTS-AVG Damien Wilkins 25 .404 .632 157-6.3 53 15 32 261-10.4 Gerald Wilkins 30 .483 .661 113-3.8 24 6 46 379-12.6 Dominique Wilkins 16 .525 .730 104-6.5 23 20 27 297-18.6
INJURY BUG BITES AGAIN: NC State has been plagued by injuries over the last four seasons. Two years ago it was foot injuries. This year, four players have missed time with knee problems. Junior Ron Kelley, who returned to the Wolfpack lineup vs. Georgia Tech, and freshman Marshall Williams both had arthroscopic knee surgery. Williams had surgery to repair a partial tear of meniscus cartilage on Feb. 10 and was expected to miss at least three weeks. Also, junior Damon Thornton suffered a crack fracture of his right pinky finger prior to the Pack's game at Wake Forest.
Earlier this season, junior forward Kenny Inge suffered a partial tear of his medial collateral ligament in his left knee and missed four games from Nov. 26-Dec. 17. The injury did not require surgery. Senior forward Tim Wells missed much of the preseason due to tendinitis in his left knee, then dislocated his left shoulder shortly after returning to practice.
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. Here is a look at NC State's injuries over the past four seasons:
Player Injury Season (Games) Marshall Williams knee 1999-00 (5) Ron Kelley knee 1999-00 (6) Kenny Inge knee 1999-00 (4) Tim Wells knee, dislocated shoulder 1999-00 (3) Cornelius Williams foot 1998-99 (1) Adam Harrington sprained ankle 1998-99 (1) Damon Thornton hip/groin 1998-99 (0*) Archie Miller back surgery 1998-99 (30) Justin Gainey strained 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, shoulder 1997-98 (5) Luke Buffum broken foot 1997-98 (7) Damon Thornton hip 1996-97 (9) 11 different players 137 total games * did not practice regularly until Jan. 1
KELLEY'S ABSENCE FELT: NC State was outrebounded in four of the seven games that Ron Kelley was sidelined after being outrebounded just four times before his knee injury. Kelley, who was averaging 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds before the injury, missed five games and saw just three minutes of action against Arizona State due to the injury. Opposing centers (Lonnie Baxter, Brendan Haywood, Travis Watson, Darius Songaila and Carlos Boozer) averaged 21.2 points and 8.0 rebounds while he was out. Also during the stretch, NC State opponents scored an average of 31.9 "Points in the Paint" compared to just 21.7 "Points in the Paint" in other games this season.
Points in Paint NCS OPP with Kelley 29.1 22.6 without Kelley 30.0 31.9 Total = -8.4 points difference 2nd chance pts NCS OPP with Kelley 15.9 12.5 without Kelley 13.0 13.4 Total = -3.8 points difference REBOUNDS NCS OPP MARGIN with Kelley 38.1 34.1 +4.0 without Kelley 35.1 38.1 -3.0 OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS NCS OPP MARGIN with Kelley 14.9 11.8 +3.1 without Kelley 12.3 13.1 -0.8
INGE DOUBLES UP: After averaging 5.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in the six prior contests, junior forward Kenny Inge has been in double-figures in three of the last four games. He has averaged 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds over the last four games. He had a season-high 25 points vs. UVa. The 25 points vs. the Cavaliers was the second-highest total of his career.
CRAWFORD CHIPS IN: With Ron Kelley and Marshall Williams sidelined with injuries, freshman guard Clifford Crawford has seen more action lately, averaging 18.5 minutes in the last four games. Crawford was averaging just 6.2 minutes per game. He finished with season-highs in points (12) rebounds (8) and assists (3) vs. UVa, higher totals than he had in every other ACC game combined.
BENCH POINTS: With injuries to Ron Kelley and Marshall Williams, the Wolfpack bench has been less productive over the past five games. NC State reserves are averaging just 8.6 ppg in the last five contests compared to 20.7 ppg the rest of the season. The Wolfpack has played a t least nine people in 24 of 25 games this season. The Pack's game at Georgia Tech was the first time this season that less than nine players have played in a game for NC State. The Wolfpack is getting an average of 18.3 ppg off the bench this season. Wolfpack reserves have outscored opponent reserves 457-283.
BACKCOURT BLUES: NC State point guard Justin Gainey has struggled over the past four games, shooting just 9-of-29 (31 percent) from the field and 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) from three-point range. He is averaging 6.8 points and has nine assists vs. eight turnovers during the stretch. NC State is 25-7 in the last four years when Gainey scores in double-figures. The Pack is 8-2 when Gainey's in double figures this season.
DAMON DOMINATES: Junior Damon Thornton is averaging 10.3 points and 7.7 rebounds this season and ranks among league leaders in rebounding (6th) and blocked shots (1.5, 7th). Thornton has finished in double-figures 14 times this season which is more than the total of his previous two seasons combined.
DOUBLING UP: Thornton recorded his fourth double-double of the season at Maryland, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. He is sixth in the ACC this season in double-doubles and has 10 career double-doubles. Thornton also had double-doubles vs. Western Carolina (11-13), Yale (16-10) and Old Dominion (16-10). He has had double-digit rebounds in two other games as well vs. Florida State (12 rebs.) and Liberty (10 rebs.). Kenny Inge ranks third in the ACC with 16 career double-doubles but does not have a double-double this season. Inge had 10 boards at Maryland, his first double-digit rebound game this season.
THORNTON AMONG SCHOOL LEADERS IN FG %: Thornton ranks third in school history in career field goal percentage, making 55.9 percent (271-of-485) for his career. This season Thornton has hit 52.5 percent (107-of-204) of his shots from the field. He is also being more aggressive on the offensive end, averaging 8.2 shot attempts per game this season. Prior to this season, Thornton had averaged 4.8 field-goal attempts per game.
SWAT WATCH: NC State had a season-best 11 blocks vs. Maryland on Feb. 6, its highest total since blocking 11 shots vs. UNC-A in a 99-60 win on Jan. 22, 1990. The last time NC State blocked more than 11 shots in a game was on Feb. 8, 1988, when the Pack had 12 swats vs. Baptist. Center Damon Thornton ranks seventh all-time in school history with 103 career blocks. He has 37 blocks this season.
GRUNDY NETS CAREER-HIGH 30 POINTS VS DEACS: Grundy scored a career-high 30 points in the Pack's 76-56 win over Wake Forest on Jan. 16. His 30 points was the highest single-game scoring effort by a Wolfpack player since C.C. Harrison scored 31 points at North Carolina on Feb. 21, 1998.
BALANCED ATTACK: NC State has used a balanced scoring attack this season. Anthony Grundy is averaging a team-best 14 ppg this season, while Damien Wilkins and Damon Thornton are getting 10.4 and 10.3 ppg respectively. Kenny Inge (9.3), Ron Kelley (8.6), Justin Gainey (8.5) are each averaging better than eight points per game. Eight different players have held team scoring honors this season and four different players have had 20 point outings. 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.
LONG-RANGE BOMBER: Sophomore guard Archie Miller made his first two two-pointers of the season vs. North Carolina on Feb. 9, finishing with four points. Miller is 3-of-19 from inside the arc this season, 32-of-89 (35.9 percent) beyond it. Ninety-two of his 112 career field goals have been from three-point range.
FREE-THROW TURNAROUND: After shooting just 10-of-27 (37 percent) from the free-throw line against UVa on Jan. 12, NC State has made 70.4 percent (169-of-240) from the line in the past 11 games. NC State entered the Wake game on Jan. 16 making just 58.3 percent from the stripe, but has lifted its season free-throw shooting to 63.7 percent. Freshman Damien Wilkins, who entered the Wake game on Jan. 16 shooting 48 percent from the line, has gone 41-of-52 (78.8 percent) from the line in the last 12 games and ranks 10th in the league in free-throw percentage (75.4 percent) in ACC play.
GETTING TO THE LINE IMPORTANT: NC State is 13-0 this season when attempting more free throws than its opponents in games, 2-10 when getting to the line fewer times than foes. NC State matched a season-high with 37 free throw attempts against Wake Forest on Jan. 16, making a season-best 31 (83.8 percent).
DOING IT DEFENSIVELY: Defense has been the catalyst to NC State's 15 wins this season. NC State is holding opponents to just 64.3 ppg (second in the ACC). Wolfpack opponents are shooting 43.2 percent from the field, while committing an average of 18.7 turnovers per game. Twenty-one of NC State's 24 opponents have committed at least 15 TOs, led by Liberty's 31 turnovers, the most by a Wolfpack opponent since Florida Atlantic had 35 turnovers on Nov. 22, 1996.
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. Against Florida State, the 'Noles had three stretches of more than six minutes without a field goal.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. Twelve of NC State's opponents have been held without a field goal for stretches of at least five minutes or more.
WILLIAMS MAKES THE BIG PLAYS: With 0.8 seconds left at No. 5 Duke, freshman Marshall Williams made the biggest play of his short Wolfpack career. Point guard Justin Gainey intentionally missed a free throw and Williams tipped the ball into the basket, tying the game at 79 and sending it into overtime. Williams' driving layup with 3.3 seconds left cut the lead to three points. He finished the game with 12 points. He also had 12 points vs. Georgia Tech, going 3-of-4 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Williams made two free throws after the Yellow Jackets had cut the NC State lead to four points, 62-58, with 42 seconds left, sealing the victory.
CHARTING DEFLECTIONS: Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek charts deflections as a barometer for defensive play and the Wolfpack has averaged 47.2 deflections per contest this season. Last year, NC State averaged 40 deflections per game. Center Damon Thornton leads the team in deflections, averaging nearly nine per contest.
PICKPOCKETS: NC State ranks third in the ACC in steals, averaging 9.3 thefts per game. Anthony Grundy and Justin Gainey rank among league leaders in steals at 2.1 (3rd) and 1.7 (7th) respectively. Grundy had a season-best seven steals vs. Georgia, while Gainey had five steals against FSU and Liberty. Freshman Marshall Williams also had five steals vs. Yale and North Carolina. As a team, NC State had a season-high 19 steals vs. Liberty, matching the second-best total in school history.
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). After shooting a career-best 34.1 percent (28-of-82) from three-point range last season, Gainey is making 38.7 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc this 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.
NONCONFERENCE WIN STREAK EXTENDED: With its 79-68 win over Arizona State on Jan. 29, NC State has now won 47 straight regular-season games against nonconference opponents at home. The Wolfpack's last loss in the regular season to a nonconference opponent at home was Dec. 10, 1994, when the Pack fell 96-91 to third-ranked Kansas. Since Herb Sendek took over as NC State's head coach in 1996, NC State is 32-0 against nonconference foes at home during the regular season. NC State did drop postseason NIT games against West Virginia (76-73, 3/17/97), Georgia (61-55, 3/17/98) and Princeton (61-58, 3/15/99). In the 90's, NC State is 70-11 against nonconference foes at home during the regular season.
BACK IN TOP 25: NC State was ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll and No. 25 in the coaches' poll on Jan. 24, marking the first time NC State has been in both polls since Dec. 12, 1989, when the Pack was No. 15 in the UPI poll and No. 16 in the AP. The No. 21 ranking in the AP poll was NC State's highest ranking since being No. 19 in the Jan. 16, 1990 top 20. Earlier this season, NC State was ranked No. 25 in the AP poll on Dec. 20, but fell out of the rankings following its loss to Tulane on Dec. 22. It had been 293 games (3,618 days) since NC State was ranked in the top 25.
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 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.
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.
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.
