North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary's Game Notes: NC State at Florida State
2/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2002
NC STATE (17-6, 6-4) at FLORIDA STATE (10-11, 3-7)
DATE: Sunday, February 8, 2002 @ Leon County Civic Center, Tallahassee, FL (12,200)
TIME: Tip-off: 1:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network.
AIRTIME: 12:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: Raycom/Jefferson Pilot (Regional)
OPPONENT-- The Seminoles dropped their fourth straight game and fifth in the last six contests Thursday night at Duke. Mike Dunleavy scored 20 points, Dahntay Jones added 18 and the Blue Devils shot 60 percent in the second half to get revenge on FSU with an 80-49 victory Thursday night.
Many believed the Blue Devils (21-1, 9-1) would quickly crush the team that gave them their only loss a month ago. But that was far from the case as the Seminoles kept it close in the first half. Then came a closing 36-11 run with FSU shooting only 29 percent in the second half.
Duke, which won its ninth straight game since the 77-76 loss in Tallahassee on Jan. 6, got its first 10-point lead with 13:57 left and never looked back. Florida State changed defenses and used its athletic ability to turn Duke's powerful offense into a turnover-fest. The Devils coughed the ball up 21 times and were never in sync offensively until the final run. Even All-American guard Jason Williams had one of his worst shooting games of the season with seven points on 3-for-13 from the field. However, FSU's leading scorer Monte Cummings was also ice cold. He was held to one point on 0-for-9 shooting. Michael Joiner led the Seminoles with 13 points.
FSU is very athletic and has the largest number of interchangeable players ever under coach Steve Robinson. The 'Noles are much better and have more numbers up front. Newcomers Anthony Richardson and Trevor Harvey along with a slimmed-down Nigel Dixon and an improved Michael Joiner are able to hold their own inside.
Senior guard, Antwan Dixon, is a much improved shooter. He's hitting 46 percent of his shots, including 36 percent from three-point range. Delvon Arrington is one of the ACC's best point guards. The senior is FSU's career assist leader and must be forced into shooting jump shots by the Wolfpack defense. Arrington is shooting only 40 percent from the field this season. Cummings has been the 'Noles most consistent player.
FSU likes to get easy baskets in transition, so the Pack will have to be sharp defensively. Keeping the 'Noles off the boards will also be a factor. Florida State is averaging 15.3 offensive rebounds a game Lately, FSU has been having problems offensively. Against ACC opponents the 'Noles are shooting only 41 percent from the field and scoring 67 points a game.
The Pack won the first meeting in Raleigh a month ago 77-62. NC State scored 26 points off 21 FSU turnovers, made 17-25 free throws, and held the 'Noles to 43 percent shooting.
PROBABLE FLORIDA STATE STARTERS
30 Monte Cummings G 6'4 Sr. 14.9ppg. 3.8 rpg. 1.8 apg.
10 Delvon Arrington G 5'11 Sr. 10.6ppg. 4.0 rpg. 6.7 apg.
15 Trevor Harvey C 6'10 Jr. 4.3 ppg. 3.0 rpg. 1.0*
04 Antwuan Dixon F 6'5 Sr. 9.6 ppg. 4.7 rpg. 0.8*
01 Michael Joiner F 6'7 So. 7.8 ppg. 4.7 rpg. 1.2 apg.
TOP RESERVES:
54 Anthony RichardsonF 6'7 Fr. 8.5 ppg. 3.8 rpg. 1.2 apg.
33 Mike Matthews C/F 6'10 Jr. 4.2 ppg. 3.0 rpg. 1.5*
34 Nigel Dixon C 6'10 Jr. 6.8 ppg. 5.5 rpg. 0.2 apg.
51 Adam Waleskowski F 6'8 Fr. 2.9 ppg. 2.2 rpg. 0.3 apg.
* Blocked shots per game
A WIN--Would give the Wolfpack its second straight overall victory and seventh in-a-row over Florida State, including three straight at the Leon County Civic Center. The Wolfpack would sweep the regular season series with the Seminoles for the third straight year and improve to 7-4 in the ACC--the most ACC regular season wins under coach Herb Sendek. The victory, the 18th of the season, marks the most regular season victories by a Herb Senedk coached NC State team. The Wolfpack's road record would improve to 6-2 (4-1 ACC) with three away games remaining (Duke, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest).
A LOSS--Would be the third in the last four games for NC State, dropping the Wolfpack to 17-7 overall and 6-5 in the ACC and marking its second straight road loss. Florida State would break a six game losing streak in the series and get its first victory at home over the Pack since Jan. 23, 1999. The 'Noles all-time record versus NC State would improve to 15-16.
A POINT OR TWO ABOUT THE THREE-POINTER--Over the last six games (of which the Pack has won four) NC State has combined to shoot an impressive 57-146 from the three-point arc (.390). NC State is shooting .341 from the arc against all opponents this season (182-533). FSU is near the bottom in the ACC in three-point shooting vs. league teams .327.
IT'S SIMPLE...WHEN SHOTS FALL, SO DO OPPONENTS -- NC State has shot 50 percent or better in 8 games this season (including two straight) and won 7 of them. In 10 ACC games, the Wolfpack has shot a combined .446 from the field (256-574). NC State is 10-5 when it has shot below 50 percent. FSU is shooting .414 from the field vs. ACC teams.
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE --NC State's free throw shooting has really improved this season. The Pack is shooting .747 from the charity stripe (361-483) overall and .739 in ACC games (164-222). Last season, the Pack shot .673 from the line. FSU is near the bottom in the ACC from the foul line .626 against league opponents.
ASSISTS UP... TURNOVERS DOWN--In 18 of 23 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 13.1 turnovers a game (302). Last season, the Wolfpack turned the ball over nearly 17 times a contest. FSU is averaging 13.8 assists and 16.5 turnovers a game.
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE --NC State scored 22 points off 20 UVA turnovers on 2/6 and is forcing an average of 17.4 turnovers a contest (401). The Pack is averaging 18.8 points off turnovers in its 10 ACC games (188). FSU is forcing an average of 16.8 turnovers a game.
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 317-346 but holds a 102-95 edge on the offensive glass. For the season, NC State is holding an average edge vs. opponents of 34-33 on the boards. FSU is being outrebounded by ACC opponents by an average of 37-39.
PINE POINTS-- The Wolfpack's young, but deep bench is averaging 20.3 points a game (466) this season. Freshmen have accounted for more than 42 percent of the team's total minutes played.
NEXT FOR THE PACK-- NC State will visit Duke in an ACC game on Thursday, February 14, 2002. The game will be carried live on the Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network with an airtime of 6:30 p.m. EST.
ARCHIE MILLER-- The senior captain has averaged 13.8 points (69) in his last 5 games on 19-35 shooting from the field (.543). Equaled his career high with 22 points Jan. 30th 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. 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 (.813) and is No. 2 in assists (76) and steals (30). He leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 2.71to-1mark and has only 20 turnovers in his last 18 games. The fifth-year senior is third in the school record book for career three-point field goals made (192). Needs 6 to pass Lakista McCuller. Miller is sixth in career three-point percentage at .429 (192-448).
ANTHONY GRUNDY-- The Wolfpack's top performer is coming off a great performance against Virginia on Feb. 6th with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. In his last seven games, Grundy has averaged 22.0 points (154), 6.1 rebounds (43), 4.6 assists (32) and 2.6 steals (18) while shooting .533 from the field (56-105) and .371 from the three-point arc (13-35). In ACC games this season, Grundy is averaging 19.6 points (171), 4.3 assists (43) and 3.0 steals (30). 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.), steals (56), minutes (32.1) and rebounding (5.4). The Louisville, Ky., native ranks second in school history with 224 career steals and is 7th in career three-pointers made (149).
JULIUS HODGE-- The 2001 McDonalds and Parade High School All-American sat out the Virginia game on Feb. 6th due to a one-game suspension handed out by the ACC for hitting Maryland's Steve Blake on Feb 3rd. Hodge has boosted his level of play in his last 4 games, averaging 13.0 points (52), 4.5rebounds (18) and 3.75 assists (15) on 17-29 shooting from the field in that span (.586). 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 10.7 points (236) and 4.7 rebounds a game (104) and is shooting .365 (27-74) 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 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. In the previous 7-games, Melvin averaged 4.7 points (33), 3.0 rebounds (21) while shooting .343 from the field (11-32). 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 with 117 (5.1).
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 three appearances, Powell is averaging only 4.3 points (13)and 2.3 rebounds (7). However, he continues to shoot at a high percentage. In his last 7 ACC games, Powell is shooting .514 from the field (18-35). In his last 16 games, the 6-9 freshman is shooting .606 from the field (54-89). 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 .570 (81-142). He's also the Pack's leading offensive rebounder (46) and shot blocker (24). 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--Came off the bench to score a career high 20 points in 21 minutes against UVA on Feb 6th on 6-9 shooting from the field. The hard working sophomore is the Packs top percentage three-point shooter vs. ACC teams (.520) hitting 13-25 attempts. 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 6 ACC games, Sherrill has averaged 10.3 points (62) while shooting .636 from the field (21-33) and .600 from the three-point arc (12-20).
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 10 league games (including 4 starts), Crawford is shooting .511 from the field (23-45). 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 24.
ILLIAN EVTIMOV-- This freshman, who has started 7 straight games, tied his career high with 15 points vs. Temple while playing 24 minutes on 1/26. However, like most young players in the ACC he's had his ups and downs. He committed a season-high 7 turnovers at Maryland on 2/3, but bounced back with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals vs. UVA on 2/6. Evtimov has been a three-point threat in league play shooting .357 from the arc against ACC opponents (15-42). He nailed three, three-point field goals at Clemson on 1/15 and finished with 11 points. The 6-7, 226 pounder followed that performance with 9 points and a career-high 4 assists vs. Georgia Tech on 1/19. Evtimov enjoyed the best game 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 7.9 points and 3.7rebounds 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 18 minutes a game and 5.7 points a contest (131). 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 10 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.
