North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Hosts Wake Forest on Senior Day
3/2/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC State forward Kenny Inge can remember how terrible it was to lose the Pack's home finale last year. Not only did the 66-63 defeat to Clemson prevent seniors Justin Gainey and Tim Wells from going out on a winning note, it also just happened to be the Wolfpack's seventh straight loss in a promising season that had gone down hill in February.
Now a senior himself, Inge is hoping there won't be a similar outcome this Sunday when NC State (13-14, 5-10) entertains No. 21 Wake Forest (18-9, 7-8) in the final regular season game for both teams.
"I can recall last year on Justin's senior night, we lost to Clemson. I was hurting for them," Inge said. "For me, I really would just like to close it out with a win because it's been a rough year. It's the young guys who really want to make sure we go out on a winning note."
But as much as Inge and fellow seniors Ron Kelley, Damon Thornton and Cornelius Williams would love to get a victory in their final home game, it's highly doubtful NC State will have an edge in the incentive department. At 18-9 overall and 7-8 in the ACC, Wake Forest appears to be a team that is straddling the NCAA Tournament bubble. And it would be safe to say that the Deacons aren't interested in defending the NIT title they captured last year.
"I think our guys want to do well for a lot of reasons," said NC State head coach Herb Sendek. "Obviously, Wake has their own goals in mind as well. I expect it to be a very competitive game."
NC State and Wake Forest have a history of playing swing games at the end of the season. Two years ago, the Deacons may have ended the Pack's NCAA Tournament hopes by posting a lopsided triumph in Winston-Salem. But one week later, the Wolfpack returned the favor by knocking off the Deacs in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
A little more than a month ago, Wake handed NC State one of its most disappointing losses of the season. Trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, the Pack rallied to grab a three-point advantage in the final minute. But a Broderick Hicks shot from beyond the arc with five seconds remaining sent the game in overtime. The Deacons eventually prevailed 74-69.
Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek is facing quite a dilemma as he tries to figure out who will be in his starting lineup on Sunday. Sendek came under harsh criticism a year ago when he didn't start Wells on senior day. But there are two reasons it might be difficult for him to give his four seniors a start on Sunday. First, all four players are big men, and all play either the center or power forward positions. Secondly, as part of his punishment for a drunk driving charge in October, Thornton hasn't been allowed to start at all this season.
"In order to do that we would have to do something very unorthodox," Sendek said about starting all four seniors. "I just don't know how we would pull that off. I think we might be able to get through starting three of them."
Sendek said he would confer with NC State Athletic Director Lee Fowler before deciding whether Thornton should be allowed to start.
When asked if the 6-11 Williams could handle the point guard position at the beginning of the game, a smiling Sendek said, "Cornelius wouldn't want to do that." It's almost a given that the Deacons would open the game with some sort of fullcourt pressure if State chose to start all four of its senior big men.
The rivalry with Wake Forest is the oldest in NC State history. The Wolfpack holds a 122-87 advantage in a series that started during the 1910-1911 season. The Deacons have won 11 of the last 15 meetings, although the Pack has prevailed in the last two games played in Raleigh.
