North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary's Game Notes: NC State at No. 3 Maryland
2/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2002
NC STATE (16-5, 5-3) at No. 3 MARYLAND (17-3, 7-1)
DATE:Sunday, February 3, 2002 @ Cole Field House, College Park, MD (14,500)
TIME: Tip-off: 4:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network.
AIRTIME: 3:30 p.m. EST (Click for list of stations carrying game)
TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net (National)
OPPONENT-- Late in the second half of Thursday night's Maryland at Virginia game, the UVA crowd started acting as if the 8th ranked Cavaliers had won. Big mistake. Maryland rallied from 9-points down with 3:22 to play to steal a 91-87 victory. The Terps scored 13 of the last 15 points, finally taking the lead on Juan Dixon's running one-hander from the baseline with 31 seconds left. Virginia then missed three shots to seal its fate. Two free throws by Tahj Holden and one by Byron Mouton finished the scoring.
Virginia took its big lead by scoring seven straight points, but Drew Nicholas hit his only two field goals of the game, both 3-pointers, and the Terrapins went 4-for-5 from the line at the end to clinch it. Maryland finished 25-for-26 from the line, the only miss coming in the final seconds, while Virginia had seven costly misses in 19 tries from the line in the second half.
Mouton led Maryland with 21 points, Dixon had 16 while Lonnie Baxter added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Roger Mason Jr. had 29 points for the Cavaliers (14-4, 4-4), while Travis Watson had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Against ACC opponents, Maryland began the week leading the league in assists, blocked shots, assist-to-turnover ratio, field goal percentage defense, and three-point field goal percentage. Dixon, Baxter, Chris Wilcox and Mouton are all ranked among the league Top-20 in scoring vs. ACC opponents. Baxter, Wilcox and Dixon are also in the Top-15 in rebounding. Dixon leads the league in steals while Steve Blake is near the top in assists.
Prior to the Virginia game, Maryland was shooting .487 against ACC teams from the field and .417 from the three-point arc while opponents were hitting only 42.5 percent of their field goal attempts.
The Terps have won four straight games and will be looking for a sweep of the regular season series with the Wolfpack for the second straight year. When the two teams met in Raleigh on December 30th, it wasn't pretty. In a game dominated by defense and personal fouls (57), Maryland squeaked out a hard-fought 72-65 victory. The Terps were able to offset 31 percent shooting in the second half by knocking down 35-of-49 free throws for the game. NC State shot just 29.9 percent from the floor. The Pack will need its two hottest players to step-up in this game. Anthony Grundy has shot only 32.7 percent in 8 career games vs. Maryland. Archie Miller has averaged 5.3 points in 7 career outings against the Terps.
PROBABLE MARYLAND STARTERS
03 Juan Dixon G 6'3 Sr. 19.1ppg. 4.6 rpg. 2.9 apg.
25 Steve Blake G 6'3 Jr. 7.5ppg. 3.7 rpg. 7.4 apg.
35 Lonnie Baxter C 6'8 Sr. 15.1ppg. 8.3 rpg. 1.9 *
01 Byron Mouton F 6'6 Sr. 11.0ppg. 4.7 rpg. 2.0 apg.
54 Chris Wilcox F 6'10 Sr. 11.0ppg. 7.7 rpg. 1.7 *
TOP RESERVES:
12 Drew Nicholas G 6'3 Jr. 6.9 ppg. 2.6 rpg. 2.5 apg.
45 Tahj Holden F 6'10 Jr. 6.8 ppg. 2.6 rpg. 1.4 *
33 Ryan Randle F/C 6'9 Jr. 4.4 ppg. 3.8 rpg. 0.0 apg.
* Blocked shots per game
A WIN--Would be the Pack's fifth in its last six games and sixth straight on the road -the first six game road win streak for NC State since the 1973-74 season. The Pack's ACC road record would improve to 4-0 and its overall league mark to 6-3. State would end a 12-game losing streak to Maryland at Cole Field House in the final season for that building and beat the Terps for the first time in the series since a home victory in January, 2000. NC State's record vs. teams ranked in the nation's Top-10 this season would improve to 3-2 and the Pack would gain a split of the regular season series with the Terps.
A LOSS--Would be NC State's second straight overall, fifth straight to Maryland in the series and 13th in-a-row to the Terps at Cole Field House in the final season for that building. The Pack's road winning streak would end at five straight games and drop NC State to 16-6 overall and 5-4 in the ACC. State's record vs. teams ranked in the nation's Top-10 this season would dip to 2-3. Maryland would sweep the regular season series with the Pack for the second straight year.
BOMBS AWAY--In its last five games, NC State has combined to shoot an impressive 47-122 from the three-point arc (.385). NC State is shooting .335 from the arc against all opponents this season (164-489). Maryland is shooting .376 from the arc.
WHEN SHOTS FALL, SO DO OPPONENTS -- NC State has shot 50 percent or better in six games this season and won all six. In 8 ACC games, the Wolfpack has shot a combined .433 from the field (204-471). NC State is 10-5 when it has shot below 50 percent and is looking for its first 50 percent shooting effort in an ACC game this season. Maryland is shooting .472 from the field.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY --NC State's free throw shooting has really improved this season. The Pack is shooting .740 from the charity stripe (325-439) overall and .719 in ACC games (128-178). Last season, the Pack shot .673 from the line. Maryland is shooting .683 from the foul stripe.
ASSISTS UP... TURNOVERS DOWN--In 17 of 21 games this season, NC State has recorded more assists than turnovers. That happened only 8 times last season. In addition, the Pack is averaging only 12.8 turnovers a game (268). Last season, the Wolfpack turned the ball over nearly 17 times a contest. Maryland is averaging 19.6 assists and 14 turnovers a game.
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE --NC State scored 17 points off 14 Wake Forest turnovers on 1/30 and is forcing an average of 17.4 turnovers a contest (365). The Pack is averaging 18.3 points off turnovers in its 8 ACC games (146). Maryland is forcing an average of 15 turnovers a game overall.
BANGING THE BOARDS --Rebounding was not expected to be a strength, but the Wolfpack has held its own in conference play. In 8 ACC games the Pack is trailing slightly on the boards 263-274 but holds a 91-68 edge on the offensive glass. For the season, NC State is holding an average edge vs. opponents of 34-33 on the boards (721-695). Maryland is outrebounding opponents by an average of 42-39 and is getting 13.6 offensive rebounds a game.
PINE POINTS-- The Wolfpack's young, but deep bench is averaging 20.0 points a game (422) this season. Freshmen have accounted for more than 40 percent of the team's total minutes played.
NEXT FOR THE PACK-- NC State will host Virginia in an ACC game on Wednesday, February 6, 2002. The game will be carried live on the Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network with an airtime of 7:00 p.m. EST.
ARCHIE MILLER-- The senior captain has averaged 17.3 points (52) in his last 3 games on 14-27 shooting from the field (.519). Equaled his career high Wednesday night with 22 points vs. Wake Forest on 6-11 shooting including 4-7 from the three-point arc. Despite a sore left leg, the senior leader continues to provide leadership. In his last 5 games, he's committed only 10 turnovers. To avoid the recurrence of a stress fracture in his left leg, the Wolfpack captain's practice time has been limited. After missing 9 games last season with a stress fracture, extra precautions are being taken to enhance the chances of keeping Miller in the line-up for the remainder of the season. Prior to the injury, Miller led the team in minutes and assists per game. He continues to lead in free throw shooting (.818) and is No. 2 in assists (67) and steals (28). He leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 2.68-to-1mark and has only 17 turnovers in his last 16 games. The fifth-year senior is third in the school record book for career three-point field goals made (188). Miller is seventh in career three-point percentage at .426 (188-441).
ANTHONY GRUNDY-- The Wolfpack's top performer is the ACC Player of the Week. In his last five games, Grundy has averaged 22.0 points (110), 6.6 rebounds (33), 5.0 assists (25) and 2.8 steals (14) while shooting .561 from the field (41-73) and .440 from the three-point arc (11-25). In ACC games this season, Grundy is averaging 19.0 points (152), 4.5 assists (36) and 3.3 steals (26). The senior guard is coming off one of his finest games of the season vs. Wake Forest with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists. At Syracuse on December 8th Grundy notched 26 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals while shooting 10-16 from the field. Currently, he leads the team in scoring (16.4 ppg.), steals (52), minutes (31.5) and rebounding (5.5). The Louisville, Ky., native ranks is second in school history with 220 career steals and is 7th in career three-pointers made (147).
JULIUS HODGE-- The 2001 McDonalds and Parade High School All-American has boosted his level of play in his last 3 games, averaging 13.3 points (40), 4.7 rebounds (14) and 4 assists (12) on 13-22 shooting from the field in that span. Recorded 17 points and 5 rebounds his last time out on 1/30 vs. WFU on 6-8 shooting from the field. He dished out a career-high 7 assists vs. Temple on 1/26. Hodge led the Pack at UVA with a career-high 21 points on 7-8 field goal shooting and recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds vs. Maryland on 12/30. Overall, he's averaging 10.7 points (224) and 4.8 rebounds a game (100) and is shooting .357 (23-70) from three-point range. New York's "Mr. Basketball" as a senior and the New York Daily News High School Player of the Year, Hodge averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists during his senior year at St. Raymond's High School in Bronx, NY. Rated as the No. 1 shooting guard in the nation by ESPN.com.
MARCUS MELVIN--The sophomore forward has been in a slump the last six games, averaging 4.8 points (29), 3.3 rebounds (20) while shooting .310 from the field (9-29). The Fayetteville native was the Pack's hero at Houston, winning the game with a desperation three-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer. Melvin led NC State in scoring and rebounding in that game with 18 points and 7 boards. He's averaging 9.3 points and is the team's No. 2 rebounder (5.3).
JOSH POWELL-- His tip-in of Anthony Grundy's missed shot with :02 to play was the game-winning basket at Clemson on 1/15. The freshman continues to learn and adjust to the level of play in the ACC. In his last 5 ACC games, He's averaged 7.8 points (39) and 3.8 rebounds (19) while shooting .538 from the field (14-26). In his last 14 games, the 6-9 freshman is shooting .625 from the field (50-80). He won his second ACC Rookie of the Week award this season after combining for 32 points and 16 rebounds in victories over Wofford and Syracuse while shooting 15-18 from the field (.833). Powell pulled down a career-high 9 rebounds vs. Syracuse. He scored a career high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field vs. Wofford on 12/5/01. Powell leads the team in field goal percentage at .579 (77-133). He's also the Pack's leading offensive rebounder (44) and shot blocker (19). Powell was named Metro Atlanta Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club following his senior year at Riverdale High School. He averaged 22.7 points and 13 rebounds in his senior year and is the only player in school history to have his jersey retired.
SCOOTER SHERRILL--The hard working sophomore is the Packs top percentage three-point shooter vs. ACC teams (.556) hitting 10 of his 18 attempts. Did not play vs. Wake Forest on 1/30-only the second game this season in which he did not see action. Sherrill came off the bench at Clemson and scored a career high 18 points and equaled a career high 5 assists for his best performance of the season. His three-pointer from the left corner with 1:24 to play was a huge play in the Pack's come-from-behind victory. In his last 4 ACC games, Sherrill has averaged 9.3 points (37) while shooting .565 from the field (13-23) and .692 from the three-point arc (9-13)
CLIFF CRAWFORD-- The junior guard provided a spark for the Pack vs. WFU on 1/30 when he came off the bench to record 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. In 7 league games (including 4 starts), Crawford is shooting .513 from the field (20-39). In his best ACC performance of the season, Crawford recorded 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 23 minutes at UVA after starting the game in place of Archie Miller. He also played well in back-to-back games vs. Wofford and Syracuse combining for 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. An above average defender, Crawford is No.3 on the team in steals with 24.
ILLIAN EVTIMOV-- This freshman, who has started five straight games, tied his career high with 15 points vs. Temple while playing 24 minutes on 1/26, but was held scoreless by Wake Forest on 1/30. Another rookie who has stepped up his game against ACC opponents, Evtimov has become the Pack's No.2 three-point shooter in league play at .393 (13-33) He nailed three, three-point field goals at Clemson on 1/15 and finished with 11 points. Followed that with 9 points and a career-high 4 assists vs. Georgia Tech on 1/19. Evtimov enjoyed the best performance of his young Wolfpack career at UVA on 1/5 when he came off the bench to contribute 15 points, including 4 of 7 shooting from the three-point line. He's averaging 7.8 points and 3.1rebounds in ACC games. A native of Bulgaria, Evtimov lived in France for most of his life before moving to the United States. He averaged 21.5 points, 14 rebounds and 5.2 assists a game as a senior at Bishop McGuiness High School in Winston-Salem, NC. As a freshman at NC State, Evtimov is averaging 17 minutes a game and 5.4 points a contest (114). He's seen action in every game. He's the brother of former UNC forward Vasco Evtimov who is now playing professionally in Greece.
LEVI WATKINS-- A 2001 Parade High School All-American, Watkins suffered a torn knee ligament (ACL) vs. Maryland on 12/30 and will be lost for the remainder of the season. He scored 5 points in 6 minutes before the injury. Watkins earned his first career start vs. Charleston Southern on 12/19 and played 11 minutes, scoring 2 points. His best performance of the season came vs. UNC-Asheville when he finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds. Watkins averaged 23.2 points and 11.2 rebounds a game during his senior year at Montrose Christian in Rockville, MD.
JORDAN COLLINS-- The 6-10 freshman played the best ACC game of his career at UNC on 1/23 when he notched a career-high 8 points, pulled down 2 rebounds and dished out 2 assists in 21 minutes. Since the start of ACC play, Collins has earned more playing time lately. He's averaged 10.6 minutes in 8 ACC games. Collins had 7 points and 2 rebounds vs. UNC-Asheville on 12/15. Collins was a four-year starter at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, MD for legendary coach, Morgan Wooten. He averaged 15 points and 10.3 rebounds as a senior while leading DeMatha to a 27-5 record.
