North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary's Game Notes: NC State at Georgia Tech
2/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 19, 2002
NC STATE (19-7, 8-5) at GEORGIA TECH (11-15, 3-9)
DATE: Wednesday, February 20, 2002 @ Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta, GA (9,191)
TIME: Tip-off: 9:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network.
AIRTIME: 8:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Sports (Regional)
OPPONENT-- The Yellow Jackets held St. Louis to 19 percent first half shooting, took a 12-point lead at the intermission and coasted to a 60-40 victory over the Billikens on Sunday afternoon in a non-conference road game. Tech shot only 39 percent overall, but was 7-15 from the three-point arc. The Jackets were also tough on the boards, outrebounding St. Louis 41-30, including a 14-8 margin on the offensive glass.
Just two players scored in double figures. Tony Akins led Tech with 21-points and 5 assists. Jason Edwin paced SLU with 14 points.
Georgia Tech and NC State have the two youngest teams in the ACC. Freshmen and sophomores have accounted for nearly 80 percent of Tech's points and 90 percent of its rebounds. However, the Jackets have a solid veteran point guard. Akins is No.2 the league in three-point percentage (.403). The senior is 8th in the ACC in scoring and 5th in assists. He also leads the league in three-point field goals (79). Teammate, Marvin Lewis is 20th in the league in scoring and would be 3rd in free throw shooting (.886) if he had enough attempts to qualify. The Jackets are averaging 74.5 points a game against ACC opponents while giving up 79.3.
Tech is not big, but has averaged nearly 15 offensive rebounds a game this season (12.3 vs. ACC). Ed Nelson has played consistently well for Tech inside. The freshman is averaging 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds vs. the ACC , but has struggled in his last two games scoring a total of only 5 points.
Defense was not a strength earlier this season, but lately Tech has tightened things up. The Yellow Jackets have won 4 of their last 6 games and during that stretch have held opponents to .406 shooting (132-325). However, the team's youth is reflected in the fact that vs. the ACC Tech has more turnovers (186) than assists (175).
The Jackets are shooting only .424 from the field vs. ACC teams, but they can be a very dangerous team if they are hitting from three-point range. In the last six games, Tech is shooting .391 from the arc while averaging 8.6 three-point field goals. Four of the Jackets five starters are effective three-point shooters.
PROBABLE GEORGIA TECH STARTERS
03 Tony Akins G 5'11 Sr. 16.0ppg. 3.7 rpg. 5.5 apg.
24 Marvin Lewis G 6'4 So. 11.9ppg. 4.1 rpg. 1.7 apg.
01 B.J. Elder G 6'3 Fr. 9.1 ppg. 1.9 rpg. 1.4 apg.
05 Clarence Moore F 6'5 So. 9.0 ppg. 5.5 rpg. 1.9 apg.
32 Ed Nelson F 6'7 Fr. 8.0 ppg. 6.8 rpg. 0.5 apg.
TOP RESERVES:
34 Robert Brooks C 6'8 Jr. 3.8 ppg. 4.9 rpg. 0.6*
33 Halston Lane F/G 6'5 So. 6.9 ppg. 3.0 rpg. 0.9 apg.
55 Anthony McHenry F 6'6 Fr. 1.9 ppg. 1.3 rpg. 0.7 apg.
02 Isma'il Muhammad F 6'5 Fr. 7.2 ppg. 3.3 rpg. 1.1 apg.
12 Luke Schenscher C 7'0 Fr. 4.6 ppg. 3.2 rpg. 1.3*
* Blocked shots per game
A WIN--Would give the Wolfpack its second straight victory, fourth in the last five ACC games, and a sweep of the regular season series with the Yellow Jackets for the first time since 1999. The Pack would break a two-game losing streak to Tech in Atlanta and improve to 20-7 overall and 9-5 in the ACC. That record would mark the most overall regular season and ACC regular season victories for the Wolfpack since the 1988-89 campaign. The Pack's road record would improve to 7-2 --equaling the number of road victories for the 1972-73 Wolfpack team that went unbeaten. Herb Sendek would record his first 20-win regular season as the Wolfpack's head coach.
A LOSS--Would be the second in the last three games for NC State, dropping the Wolfpack to 19-8 overall and 8-6 in the ACC. Tech would win its second straight game and fifth in the last seven outings. The Jackets would pick up their third straight victory over the Pack in Atlanta and split the regular season series with NC State for the third straight year. The Pack's road record would drop to 6-4 (4-3 ACC).
ASSISTS UP... TURNOVERS DOWN--In 19 of 26 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 13.4 turnovers a game (347). Last season, the Wolfpack turned the ball over nearly 17 times a contest. Georgia Tech is averaging 15 assists and 16 turnovers a game against ACC teams.
CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS --Overall, NC State is forcing an average of 16.9 turnovers a contest (439) and is converting many of those opportunities into points. The Pack is averaging 17.8 points off turnovers in ACC games (231). Georgia Tech is forcing ACC teams into 16.5 turnovers a game.
A POINT OR TWO ABOUT THE THREE-POINTER--Over the last 9 games (of which the Pack has won 6) NC State has combined to shoot .378 from the three-point arc (82-217). NC State is shooting .343 from the arc against all opponents this season (207-604). Georgia Tech is No. 2 vs. ACC opponents in three-point shooting (.379).
NIFTY FIFTY -- NC State has shot 50 percent or better in 9 games this season (including 3 of its last 5) and won 7 of them. In 13 ACC games, the Wolfpack has shot a combined .448 from the field (329-734). NC State is 12-5 when it has shot below 50 percent. Georgia Tech is shooting .424 from the field vs. ACC teams.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY --NC State's free throw shooting has really improved this season. The Pack is shooting .749 from the charity stripe (420-561) overall and .743 in ACC games (223-300). Last season, the Pack shot .673 from the line. Georgia Tech is No. 7 in the league in free throw shooting vs. ACC teams (.667).
NOT EXACTLY BOARD CHAIRMEN...BUT NOT BAD --For a team that did not expect rebounding to be a strength, the Wolfpack has held its own in conference play. In ACC games the Pack is trailing slightly on the boards 416-443 but holds a 132-126 edge on the offensive glass. For the season, NC State is even vs. opponents on the boards 33-33. Georgia Tech is being outrebounded by ACC opponents by an average of 39-35.
PINE POINTS-- The Wolfpack's young, but deep bench is averaging 20.6 points a game (535) this season. Freshmen have accounted for more than 41 percent of the team's total minutes played.
NEXT FOR THE PACK-- North Carolina will visit NC State on Sunday, February 24, 2002. The game will be carried live on the Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network with an airtime of 6:00 p.m. EST.
ARCHIE MILLER-- The senior captain led the Pack with 17 points at FSU on 2/10 and has shown more offensive punch lately. Miller has averaged 12.0 points (96) in his last 8 games on 24-55 shooting from the field (.436). Equaled his career high with 22 points Jan. 30th vs. Wake Forest on 6-11 shooting including 4-7 from the three-point arc. After missing 9 games last season with a stress fracture of his left leg, extra precautions were taken in January to enhance the chances of keeping Miller in the line-up for the remainder of the season. Those precautions included reduced practice time. Prior to the injury, Miller led the team in minutes and assists per game. He continues to lead in free throw shooting 51-60 (.850) and is No. 2 in assists (85) and steals (34). He leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 2.66-to-1mark and has only 24 turnovers in his last 21 games. The fifth-year senior is tied for second in the school record book for career three-point field goals made (197). Needs one to pass Lakista McCuller. Miller is seventh in career three-point percentage at .423 (197-466).
ANTHONY GRUNDY-- A sore ankle has hampered the Wolfpack's leading scorer and first team All-ACC candidate in two of his last three outings. He bounded back with a solid performance vs. Clemson on 2/16 with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals after being held to less than 20 points in back-to-back games vs. FSU (13) and Duke (16). Grundy was outstanding against Virginia on Feb. 6th with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. In his last 10 games, Grundy has averaged 20.6 points (206), 6.3 rebounds (63), 3.6 assists (36) and 2.2 steals (22) while shooting .541 from the field (79-146) and .348 from the three-point arc (16-46). In ACC games this season, Grundy is averaging 19.1 points (248), 3.6 assists (47) and 2.6 steals (34). The senior guard had one of his finest games of the season vs. Wake Forest on Jan. 30 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 (16.9 ppg.), assists (90), steals (60), minutes (31.9) and rebounding (5.6). The Louisville, Ky., native ranks second in school history with 228 career steals and is 7th in career three-pointers made (152).
JULIUS HODGE-- Since sitting out a one-game suspension by the ACC for hitting Maryland's Steve Blake on Feb 3rd, Hodge has struggled offensively. In his last 3 games, the 2001 McDonalds and Parade High School All-American has been held to 17 points on 6-18 shooting. , However, over his last 7 games Hodge has shot the ball at a .489 clip from the field (23-47). Recorded 17 points and 5 rebounds 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 on 1/5 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 10.1 points (253) and 4.8 rebounds a game (119). 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 last two games, the sophomore forward has averaged 12 points while shooting 8-11 from the field. Against Clemson on 2/16, Melvin recorded 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. That followed 12 points at Duke on 5-6 shooting. He came roaring out of a seven game slump with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists against Virginia on Feb. 3rd. He made 5-6 shots from the field, including all four of his three-point attempts. 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 9.5 points (247) and is the team's No. 2 rebounder with 131 (5.0).
JOSH POWELL-- The freshman center is showing signs of coming out of a prolonged slump as he continues to learn and adjust to the level of play in the ACC. He recorded his best outing since January 19th with 9 points at Duke on 2/14 and followed that with 8 points and 3 rebounds vs. Clemson on 2/16. In his last 6 appearances, Powell is averaging only 5.0 points (30) and 1.7 rebounds (10). However, he continues to shoot at a better than averaged percentage. In his last 10 ACC games, Powell is shooting .489 from the field (23-47). His tip-in of a missed shot with :02 seconds to play was the game winning basket at Clemson on 1/15. Powell 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). He pulled down a career-high 9 rebounds vs. Syracuse. Powell scored a career high 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field vs. Wofford on 12/5/01. He leads the team in field goal percentage at ..558 (86-154). He's also the Pack's leading offensive rebounder (46) and shot blocker (28). 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--Did not score vs. Clemson on 2/16, but came off the bench to record a career high 20 points in 21 minutes against UVA on Feb 6th on 6-9 shooting from the field. He followed that with 16 points and 4 rebounds at FSU on 2/10. Sherrill has averaged 11.0 points (44) in his last 4-games while shooting .524 (11-21) from the field. He's made his last 19 straight free throw attempts.The hard working sophomore is the Packs top percentage three-point shooter vs. ACC teams (.455) hitting 15-33 attempts. Sherrill came off the bench at Clemson and scored 18 points and equaled a career high with 5 assists. 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 9 ACC games, Sherrill has averaged 9.6 points (86) while shooting .578 from the field (26-45) and .500 from the three-point arc (14-28).
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 13 ACC games (including 4 starts), Crawford is shooting .500 from the field (25-50). In his best ACC performance of the season, Crawford recorded 11 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 23 minutes at UVA on 1/5 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 27.
ILLIAN EVTIMOV-- This week's ACC Rookie of the Week scored a total of 34 points and 8 assists in games against Duke and Clemson while shooting 10-17 from the field. Evtimov has started 10 straight games for the Wolfpack and has averaged 10.1 points (101), 4.2 rebounds (42) and 2.7 assists (27) during that span. He's coming off a career-high 18 points vs. Clemson on 2/16. He scored 16 points at Duke on 2/14 on 6-11 shooting from the field. Evtimov has been a three-point threat in league play shooting .377 from the arc against ACC opponents (20-53). In only his second career ACC game at UVA on 1/5, he came off the bench to contribute 15 points, including 4 of 7 shooting from the three-point line. He's averaging 9.4 points and 3.8 rebounds 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 20 minutes a game and 6.7 points a contest (174). 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 is the Pack's biggest player in height and weight (262). Collins 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. He's averaged 10.3 minutes in 13 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.
