North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Hosts Northwestern in ACC/Big Ten Challenge
12/3/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 3, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-Northwestern basketball coach Bill Carmody remembers rolling his eyes over the summer when it was announced that his Wildcats would be drawing a match-up with NC State in the annual ACC/Big Challenge. The Wolfpack's Herb Sendek probably did the same thing. You see, both teams employ Princeton-like offenses that often prey on their opponent's unfamiliarity with the unusual blend of back-cuts and perimeter screening actions. But the advantage of unfamiliarity could be lost when the two clubs meet at the RBC Center on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
"A lot of what we do is similar, and there's a familiarity there that makes it almost like another conference game," Sendek said. "I think [the offenses] are similar, but there's more to it than that surface level comparison. First, we have different personnel, so though the frameworks of the offenses may be very similar, I think we're trying to do things within that framework that take advantage of our personnel. The other factor is that the defenses are very different. The way the offense is run is in part a function of the defense it is facing."
The two offenses may in fact look very different if Northwestern chooses to play the match-up zone it has often employed in its first four games. In its last outing, a 58-37 win over Coppin State on Saturday night, NC State (2-0) was unable to run its regular man-to-man offense because the Eagles played zone on every single possession. Zone offenses are, of course, very different than the schemes used against man-to-man defenses.
The similarities between the two-halfcourt attacks will only be apparent if both teams choose to employ man-to-man defenses.
"Herb and I talked over the summer and neither one of us wanted to play each other because we do things in a similar fashion," said Carmody, who came to Northwestern from Princeton. "We have similar frameworks, but you have to tailor your offense to the players you have. You have to look at your players; they sort of tell you what to do and in what direction you go."
And in the case of Northwestern and NC State, the differences in personnel actually produce as many contrasts as similarities. To begin with, the Wolfpack would prefer to use its athleticism to create a faster tempo. The Pack will look to push the pace by employing two or three different presses after made baskets or free throws. On the flip side, Carmody's Wildcats feel more comfortable with a slower, more deliberate halfcourt style of basketball that shortens the game and keeps the score in the 50-to-60-point range.
"You would like for your tempo to win out but you don't always have that luxury, as we saw against Coppin State," Sendek said. "To be the best team you possibly can be, you must be flexible enough to play at different speeds and tempos. Some games are going to have more of a high-octane flavor, while others are going to be grind'em out affairs."
Excluding an 81-55 blowout win over New Hampshire, Northwestern (3-1) has scored below 60 points in its other three games, including a 59-55 triumph at Kansas State last Saturday night. In other words, Wolfpack fans who weren't necessarily entertained by last Saturday's low-scoring game against Coppin State may need to prepare themselves for something similar on Wednesday night.
"It worked out that in some ways the Coppin game should help prepare us mentally for our game against Northwestern," Sendek said. "When we scheduled Coppin, we simply needed a game and we were actually scurrying to find an opponent for that date. That's just how it worked out."
NC State is 2-1 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Prior to falling to Ohio State last year, the Wolfpack recorded victories over Purdue (61-59 in 1999) and Penn State (84-76 in 2000). If it prevails on Wednesday, the Pack will improve its own record while also putting another feather in the cap of the ACC, which has won the first three challenges between the two power conferences.
"I'm just concerned with NC State and Northwestern right now," said NC State senior Cliff Crawford. "I wish the rest of the ACC teams good luck, but my main focus is on Northwestern and getting better as a team right now."
2002 ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Monday, Dec. 2
Florida State 80 Iowa 67
Tuesday, Dec. 3
Duke 91 Ohio State 76
Clemson 79 Penn State 70
Indiana 80 Maryland 74 (OT)
Illinois 92 North Carolina 65
Wednesday, Dec. 4
Georgia Tech at Minnesota 7:00 (ESPN)
Northwestern at NC State 7:30 (ESPN2)
Virginia at Michigan State 9:00 (ESPN)
Wake Forest at Wisconsin 9:30 (ESPN2)
