North Carolina State University Athletics
Hoops Team Preps For Practice
9/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Tony Haynes
The official start of preseason basketball practice is still a few weeks away, but you wouldn't know it by the sounds of balls bouncing and sneakers screeching inside Reynolds Coliseum.
Once 1st semester classes begin, NCAA rules allow coaches to work with up to four players at a time for a total of two hours per week. The Wolfpack men have taken full advantage by going through a series of three 40-minute skill workouts every week.
The sessions focus primarily on individual improvement, with an emphasis on basic fundamentals like shooting, dribbling, and passing. The workouts have also given the coaching staff an opportunity to take a sneak peek at this year's freshman class.
Here's assistant coach Sean Miller's assessment of what he's seen so far:
On 6'8 forward Marcus Melvin: "I guess the best compliment I can pay to Marcus right now is that he has been as consistent as anyone on our team in terms of working. He has missed zero workouts since he came to school, going back to our conditioning program, which we started the beginning of September. I'd say there have been 30 workouts so far and he's 30 for 30. In all of those workouts he's really pushed himself. That's a good sign because the freshmen that are able to compete at the ACC level are also the guys who don't have a problem with working hard. He's a better player. He's bigger and stronger now than when he got to school. And I think by the beginning of November, he'll make another jump. He's a little bit different in that he can dribble, pass and shoot at a pretty high level for a freshman who is 6'8. He's got a nice looking shot; I think eventually during his career he'll be a good three-point shooter. In our recruiting, we're trying to make our four position somebody who is very skilled. Someone you would almost have to treat as if he's a one, two or three on offense. Marcus is 6'8, 230 and he's working hard. He's versatile and he has some skills. I think in terms of our frontcourt rotation, he'll be a factor."
On 6'3 guard Scooter Sherrill: "Scooter is a lot like Marcus in that I can pay him the ultimate compliment by saying he is a workhorse. Just like Marcus, he's been at every workout. They're roommates and they're a lot alike in that they are very serious about what they're supposed to do and where they're supposed to be. When our guys lift weights and do the weight room stuff, you can really push Scooter and he'll keep working. And like Marcus, he has a great body. He's about 6'3, but he's built like a tank. The biggest surprise in Scooter this fall is that he's shooting the ball the second best on our team behind Arch [Miller]. In our drills, we chart the shots that are made and he's consistently right there in the top three. That's good news for Scooter, and good news for us."
On 6'2 guard Trey Guidry: "What you see is what you get. He's been very consistent as a worker. He doesn't have the physical size and strength of Marcus and Scooter right now, but he's really making great gains. He's lifting weights a lot with Kenny [Inge]. That's good because he's beginning to make a lot of strength gains. He can really shoot the ball."
On 6'9 forward Michael Bell: "Michael has been battling tendinitis in his knees and we've been taking it slow. He's mostly been lifting weights and working on his upper body. It's our hope that he'll be able to get going in the next month."
If they didn't already know, the first year players found out soon enough that a strong work ethic has become a very important trademark of coach Herb Sendek's program. The upperclassmen have been setting the tone throughout the off-season.
"Kenny Inge is a completely different person right now," Miller said. "He started in the spring after our NIT trip to New York and he hasn't stopped. The guy weighs 238 pounds, which is hard to comprehend when you consider he weighed less than 200 when he got here. His body fat is the same, so all he's done is pack on 15-20 pounds of muscle."
Inge will be joined on the frontline by an experienced cast that includes seniors Damon Thornton and Ron Kelley, along with sophomore Damien Wilkins.
"Damon and Kenny are on track to have big years," Miller said. "And the guy that might surprise you the most is Damien Wilkins. He's at another level as a player; he's more athletic this year, more experienced, he's a better shooter and he's hungry. I think he has a little edge to him because he feels like he should have had a better year last year, although he had an excellent season for us. Some guys make that huge jump between their freshman and sophomore years, and I think he's going to be one of them."
Miller added that center Ron Kelley, who was slowed by injuries last season, should be fully healthy once practice begins on Saturday, October 14.
Now that four-year starter Justin Gainey has graduated, the point guard position could become a question mark heading into the season. A lot will depend on just how long it takes sophomore Cliff Crawford to get a handle on things.
"Cliff is very talented," said Miller. "With his strength, size and his speed he takes a backseat to nobody in the ACC. What he's missing is experience. With each week that goes by this fall and as he gets in some games, he's going to get better and better. You look at what Steve Blake was able to do at Maryland last year. He ended up having a great year, but early on there were a couple of games in which the other guys on his team carried him. In think that's what's going to happen with Cliff."
Miller's brother, junior Archie Miller, will also be a factor at the point position.
