North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State And Duke Square Off At ESA
1/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-NC State's young basketball has already had more than its share of impressive moments this season. There was the steely-eyed confidence the Pack displayed in a remarkable performance at Syracuse. There was also a win at Virginia, something no NC State had done in 13 years. And even though it fell to Maryland, the Wolfpack more than held its own, pushing the talented Terrapins to the limit before losing 72-65.
But now comes the supreme test.
Until someone proves otherwise, Mike Krzyzewski's Duke Blue Devils (ranked #1 in the coaches poll and #2 in the AP writers poll) are the standard-bearers of ACC basketball. It has been that way now for five consecutive years, a stretch during which they have captured five straight regular season titles and three tournament championships. Last Spring's national title was Duke's third during the Krzyzewski era, which started in 1980.
While raising a few eyebrows around the college basketball world, NC State's 12-3 start has still been met with some skepticism. To this point, the Wolfpack hasn't done quite enough to earn a spot in the national polls. Around these parts, however, the best way to gain instant credibility is to knock off Duke (13-1, 2-1). NC State will get its chance when the Blue Devils come calling to the sold-out ESA on Sunday night.
"We have respect for them because everyone knows that Duke has a great team, but NC State is on the rise," said Pack guard Cliff Crawford. "We've been working hard and preparing very well. Players from one through 13 believe we can pull a victory out."
Like most teams in the league, NC State has felt Duke's wrath in recent years, losing 10 straight in the series and 15 of the last 16. The Pack's last victory over the Blue Devils came in the quarterfinals of the 1997 ACC Tournament.
This year's Duke team features a Hall of Fame coach (Krzyzewski was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last summer), and a star-studded roster of future NBA Draft picks. The talent of players like Jason Williams (21.8 ppg.), Chris Duhon (9.2 ppg, 6.6 apg.), Mike Dunleavy (16.9 ppg., 7.0 rb.) and Carlos Boozer (17.4, 8.5 rb.) is undeniable. In order to beat the Blue Devils, NC State will have play with the same poise, composure and swagger that helped it hold together in the tough road wins over Syracuse and Virginia.
"Our team has a good level of confidence, but our team does not have a cockiness," said Wolfpack head coach Herb Sendek. "Our team has a grounded confidence. We believe in ourselves but at the same time, probably nobody is more aware than we are of the growth potential we still have and how much work we still have to do."
Among other things, Duke leads the league in scoring (91.1), scoring margin (19.7), turnover margin (+6) and steals (10). Perhaps more than any other team in college basketball, the Blue Devils rely heavily on generating offense from their defense. In Thursday night's 104-79 obliteration of Georgia Tech, Duke scored 44 points off of 29 Yellow Jacket turnovers.
Taking care of the ball against Duke's halfcourt man-to-man pressure will be at the top of Sendek's priority list. Averaging just 13 turnovers per game, the Wolfpack has valued the basketball better than another team in the ACC this season. That trend must continue on Sunday for NC State to have any chance of winning.
"We are a pressing team so we go against [pressure] every day in practice," Crawford said. "I think we should be ok in that department. That shouldn't be a major problem as long as we play with poise and play together."
Whether he's guarding Duhon or Williams, Crawford will draw a key defensive assignment in Sunday's game. More than likely, he'll spend time on both players. Williams, who leads the ACC in scoring, is one of the frontrunners for player of the year honors in both the league and the nation.
"He's a great player," Crawford said of the 6-2 Williams. "He really has the ultimate green light so you've got to always stay on your toes and make sure you find him wherever he is on the court. It's going to be a tough challenge but I think I'm up to it."
Guard Anthony Grundy, who leads the Wolfpack in scoring with an average of 15.1 points per game, has averaged 18 points over his last four games, while also coming up with 12 steals and 17 rebounds during that same stretch. Freshman Julius Hodge (11.5), sophomore Marcus Melvin (11.1) and rookie center Josh Powell (10.1) are also scoring in double-figures for the Pack.
Sunday's game will mark the third time in the last two weeks that NC State has met a team ranked in college basketball's top 10 and the fourth time this season the Pack has encountered a squad in that elite class. To this point, the Wolfpack's record against top-10 teams is 2-1. If NC State is able to improve that mark to 3-1, more than just a few eyebrows will be raised.
