North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary's Game Notes: NC State vs. Wake Forest
3/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2002
NC STATE (20-8, 9-6) at No. 24 WAKE FOREST (18-11, 8-7)
DATE:Saturday, March 2, 2002 @ Lawrence Joel Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC (14,407)
TIME: Tip-off: 2:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network.
AIRTIME: 1:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: CBS (Regional)
OPPONENT--It was senior night at Georgia Tech on Wednesday, but a freshman stole the show. B. J Elder scored 23 of his career-high 25 points in the second half as the red-hot Yellow Jackets sent Wake Forest to its fifth loss in six games. The 90-77 Tech victory was its fourth straight.
Senior, Tony Akins, delivered a memorable performance in his final regular season appearance at Alexander Memorial Coliseum with 19 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Georgia Tech also got a career-high 14 points from 7-foot freshman center, Luke Schenscher, who was 7-7 from the field.
The Deacons got solid play from Darius Songaila (24 points) and Josh Howard (17 points), but Craig Dawson, who had 27 points in a close loss to Maryland last Sunday, missed all five of his shots and was held scoreless. Wake Forest was outscored 50-36 in the second half despite shooting 58 percent and making 15 of 16 free throws for the game. The Deacons gave up too many easy baskets and did not get enough points in transition to counter.
Elder's total was the most by a freshman in the ACC this season. He scored eight of his points during a two-minute stretch early in the second half. That's when Tech took the lead for good 50-48. Elder also scored nine points over the final 3:28 to keep the Deacons from threatening.
Offensively, Wake Forest usually wins when scoring more than 80 points. Against ACC opponents, the Deacons are averaging 84.8 points a game while shooting .483 from the field. They are in the upper half of the league in almost every statistical category.
Against ACC teams, Wake Forest is shooting .370 from three-point range. Dawson (.429), Howard (.344) and Taron Downey (.386) are the Deacons most effective three-point shooters. Dawson has made 23 three-point field goals in his last five games. When the Deaks miss they usually get second chances. They are an excellent offensive rebounding team. Howard is one of the league's top offensive rebounders.
Songaila ranks among the ACC leaders in 10 different statistical categories while Howard's outstanding season was slowed when he missed four games with a high ankle sprain. Since returning, he's averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds over a two-game stretch. Scott is one of the league's top shot blockers.
Defensively, Wake Forest is allowing ACC opponents 81.5 points a game. Lately, the Deaks have improved their three-point field goal percentage defense (.364) vs. the ACC. The Deacons are forcing 14.8 turnovers this season while averaging 15 themselves. The winner of Saturday's game will capture the No. 3 seed and the loser will be the No. 4 seed in next week's ACC Tournament.
PROBABLE WAKE FOREST STARTERS
04 Taron Downey G 6'2 Fr. 4.7 ppg. 1.3 rpg. 1.7 apg.
42 Craig Dawson G 6'5 Sr. 12.1ppg. 2.5 rpg. 2.6 apg.
25 Darius Songaila C 6'9 Sr. 17.7ppg. 7.8 rpg. 2.6 apg.
05 Josh Howard F 6'6 Jr. 14.6ppg. 7.9 rpg. 2.2 apg.
13 Vytas Danelius F 6'8 Fr. 6.5 ppg. 4.1 rpg. 0.5*
TOP RESERVES:
34 Antwan Scott F 6'8 Sr. 9.9 ppg. 4.9 rpg. 1.5*
03 Broderick Hicks G 6'1 Sr. 9.2 ppg. 2.2 rpg. 3.1 apg.
33 Steve Lepore G 6'5 Jr. 4.8 ppg. 2.5 rpg. 0.9 apg.
10 Jamaal Levy F 6'9 Fr. 2.6 ppg. 2.2 rpg. 0.5 apg.
31 Ervin Murray G 6'5 Sr. 1.2 ppg. 1.3 rpg. 2.0 apg.
* Blocked shots per game
A WIN--Would give the Wolfpack five victories in its last seven games, a 21-8 overall mark and a third place regular season finish in the ACC at 10-6--its best league record since the 1988-89 campaign when NC State won the ACC regular season championship. The Pack would record its first 21-win regular season since 1987-88 and its first 10-win ACC season since 1988-89. NC State would break a five game losing streak to Wake Forest in the series and beat the Deacons for the first time at Joel Coliseum since 1997. The Pack's road record would improve to 7-4-equaling the number of road victories by the 1972-73 NC State team.
A LOSS--Would be the third in the last five games, dropping the Pack to 20-9 overall, 9-7 in the ACC, and a fourth place regular season finish-its best since the 1990-01campaign when NC State also finished fourth. The Pack's road record would drop to 6-5. The six road wins equals the most victories away from home by a Wolfpack team since the 1974 NCAA championship season. Wake Forest would sweep the regular season series with the Pack and beat NC State for the sixth straight times in the series and fifth in-a-row at Joel Coliseum. The Deacons would finish the ACC regular season in third-place.
LEAD AT THE HALF...LEAD AT THE FINISH--NC State has posted a 16-2 record when leading at the half this season. The only times the Pack lost with a lead at the break were against Wake Forest on 1/30 and at Georgia Tech on 2/20.
ASSISTS UP... TURNOVERS DOWN--In 21 of 28 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 (367). Last season, the Wolfpack turned the ball over nearly 17 times a contest.
CONVERTING TURNOVERS TO POINTS --Overall, NC State is forcing an average of 16.5 turnovers a contest (463) and is converting many of those opportunities into points. The Pack is averaging 17.2 points off turnovers in ACC games (258).
A POINT OR TWO ABOUT THE THREE-POINTER--Over the last 11 games (of which the Pack has won 7) NC State has combined to shoot .402 from the three-point arc (101-251). The last 6 NC State opponents have hit only 25 of their last 94 three-point attempts (.265). WFU is shooting .370 vs. ACC teams from the three-point line.
NIFTY FIFTY -- NC State has shot 50 percent or better in 9 games this season (including 3 of its last 7) and won 7 of them. In 15 ACC games, the Wolfpack has shot a combined .445 from the field 378-849). NC State is 13-6 when it has shot below 50 percent. WFU is shooting .483 from the field vs. ACC teams.
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CHARITY --NC State's free throw shooting has improved dramatically this season. The Pack is shooting .755 from the charity stripe (460-609) overall and .756 in ACC games (263-348). Last season, the Pack shot .673 from the line. WFU is hitting at a .755 clip from the foul line vs. ACC teams.
NOT EXACTLY BOARD CHAIRMEN...BUT NOT BAD --The Pack was outrebounded at Georgia Tech on 2/20 (33-38), but generally has held its own on the boards in league play. That's not bad for a team that was not expected to be strong in that area. In ACC games the Pack is trailing slightly on the boards 486-512 but holds a 152-144 edge on the offensive glass. WFU is outrebounding ACC opponents by an average of 1.6 per game.
PINE POINTS-- The Wolfpack's young, but deep bench is averaging 20.3 points a game (567) this season. Freshmen have accounted for more than 41 percent of the team's total minutes played.
NEXT FOR THE PACK-- NC State will head to the ACC Tournament in Charlotte which begins on Thursday, March 7, 2002. The Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network will broadcast all eight ACC Tournament games. Coverage begins March 7th at 6:30 p.m.
ARCHIE MILLER-- The senior captain was 3-6 from the three point arc at Georgia Tech on 2/20 to move into second-place for career three-point field goals made at NC State. He now has 204 in his career. Miller led the Pack with 17 points at FSU on 2/10 and has shown more offensive punch lately. Miller has averaged 12.7 points (127) in his last 10 games on 34-72 shooting from the field (.472). He 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 55-64 (.859) and is No. 2 in assists (88) and steals (35). He leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 2.4-to-1mark and has only 28 turnovers in his last 23 games. Miller is seventh in NC State career three-point percentage at .426 (204-479).
ANTHONY GRUNDY-- With 28 points and 7 rebounds vs. UNC on 2/24, Grundy becamee first NC State player to record 1500 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 steals in a career. A sore ankle has hampered the Wolfpack's star and first team All-ACC candidate slightly, but he continues to produce impressive numbers. Grundy has led the Pack in scoring in 11 of his last 12 games. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.2 points (254), 5.9 rebounds (71), 3.6 assists (43) and 2.0 steals (24) while shooting .534 from the field (93-174) and .358 from the three-point arc (19-53). In ACC games this season, Grundy is averaging 19.7 points (296), 3.6 assists (54) and 2.3 steals (35). He bounded back with solid performances vs. Clemson and Georgia Tech by averaging 21.5 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 steals after being held to less than 20 points in back-to-back games vs. FSU (13) and Duke (16) due to a sore ankle. Grundy was outstanding against Virginia on Feb. 6th with 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. 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 (17.4 ppg.), assists (97), steals (62), minutes (32.21) and rebounding (5.5). The Louisville, Ky., native ranks second in school history with 230career steals and is 7th in career three-pointers made (155).
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 5 games, the 2001 McDonalds and Parade High School All-American has been held to 29 points on 9-29 shooting. He recorded 17 points and 5 rebounds on 1/30 vs. WFU on 6-8 shooting from the field and 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 9.8 points (265) and 4.8 rebounds a game (130). 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--Pulled down a career high 10 rebounds vs. UNC on 2/24. The last 4 games, the sophomore forward has averaged 13.0 points (52) while shooting 15-30 from the field (.500). He's coming off a double-double against UNC on 2/24 (18 points, 10 rebounds). 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. Melvin made 5-6 shots from the field in that game, including all four of his three-point attempts. The Fayetteville native was the Pack's hero at Houston, winning the game with 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 9.8 points (275) and is the team's No. 2 rebounder with 147 (5.3).
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 8 appearances, Powell is averaging only 4.5 points (36) and 2.7 rebounds (22). 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 .543 (89-164). He's also the Pack's leading offensive rebounder (51) and shot blocker (29). 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 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 10.0 points (60) in his last 6-games while shooting .531 (17-32) from the field. He's made his last 22 straight free throw attempts. The hard working sophomore is the Packs top percentage three-point shooter vs. ACC teams (.444) hitting 16-36 attempts. Sherrill came off the bench at Clemson on 1/15 scoring 18 points and equaling 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 11 ACC games, Sherrill has averaged 9.3 points (102) while shooting .571 from the field (32-56) and .484 from the three-point arc (15-31).
CLIFF CRAWFORD-- The junior guard has much of an offensive factor since providing 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 15 ACC games (including 4 starts), Crawford is shooting .491 from the field (26-53). 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 30.
ILLIAN EVTIMOV-- The freshman forward recorded a career-high 6 assists vs. UNC on 2/24 and also added 10 points and 3 rebounds. A two-time ACC Rookie of the Week, Evtimov scored a total of 34 points and 8 assists in games against Duke and Clemson during the week of February 11-17 while shooting 10-17 from the field. Evtimov started 10 straight games for the Wolfpack from 1/15-thru-2/16 and averaged 10.1 points (101), 4.2 rebounds (42) and 2.7 assists (27) during that span. He scored a career-high 18 points vs. Clemson on 2/16 and 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 .390 from the arc against ACC opponents (23-59). 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 9.0 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 (187). 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). DNP at Georgia Tech on 2/20. 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 10.0 minutes in 14 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.
