North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary's Game Notes: Georgia Tech at NC State
2/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2003
GEORGIA TECH (12-8, 5-4) at NC STATE (12-7, 5-4)
DATE: Wednesday, February 12, 2003, @ RBC Center, Raleigh, NC (19,722)
TIME: Tip-off: 9:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network.
AIRTIME: 8:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: Raycom/Jefferson Pilot Sports (Regional)
OPPONENT-- Jarrett Jack scored a career-high 20 points, banking in a crucial 3-pointer with 39 seconds remaining to help Georgia Tech to a 90-84 homecourt victory over No. 8 Maryland on Sunday.
Jack, a freshman point guard, was inspired by the presence of Stephon Marbury, in town for Sunday night's NBA All-Star game. The former Georgia Tech star sat near the Yellow Jackets' bench. "He's my favorite player, and I modeled my game after him," said Jack.
Georgia Tech never trailed after a 14-0 spurt in the first half, stretching the margin to as many as 13 points before Maryland began to rally. The Terrapins closed to 82-80 on a 3-pointer by Drew Nicholas with 1:12 remaining. However, with the shot clock running down, Jack banked in a straightaway 3-pointer to give the Yellow Jackets some breathing room. He later added a free throw with 25 seconds left and Anthony McHenry's slam dunk finished off the Terrapins with 11.3 seconds remaining. The student body stormed the court after the horn sounded on Georgia Tech's most impressive victory of the season.
Nicholas led the Terrapins with 18 points after a rough first half -- two points on 1-of-8 shooting. His performance mirrored Maryland's. The Terrapins shot only 33 percent (15-of-45) in the opening half and finished at just 42 percent despite going 20-of-38 in the second half. Georgia Tech was above 50 percent in both halves, connecting on 14-of-23 (61 percent) over the final 20 minutes. That helped to overcome 19 turnovers, a reflection of the Yellow Jackets' youth and super-fast tempo.
Ryan Randle and Nik Caner-Medley each scored 14 points for the Terrapins, while B.J. Elder led Tech with 23 points and Marvin Lewis added 16. The Yellow Jackets were 25-of-31 from the free-throw line, while Maryland got to the line only 11 times, making eight.
The Jackets have won 3 of their last 4 games, including victories over North Carolina and Virginia, and are shooting .455 from the field and .376 from three-point range. However, they've struggled at the free throw line (.666). Tech is outrebounding opponents by an average of 40-36 and is pulling down 14.4 offensive rebounds a game. Offensively, Bosh has added more balance inside, but Tech still has a potent outside game with Elder and Lewis. Both are shooting .415 from the three-point line and attempt 63 percent of the Jackets three-point shots.
Tech has good size and depth. Eight players average at least 13 minutes a game. However, the Jackets appear to have two different personalities. They are 11-0 at home, but have yet to win a road game, picking up their only other win at a neutral site.
PROBABLE GEORGIA TECH STARTERS
No. Name 03 Jarrett Jack G 6'3 24 Marvin Lewis G 6'4 32 Ed Nelson C 6'8 01 B.J. Elder F/G 6'4 04 Chris Bosh F 6'10
TOP RESERVES:
12 Luke Schenscher C 7'0 55 Anthony McHenry F 6'7 02 Isma'il Muhammad F 6'6 34 Robert Brooks F 6'8 10 Jim Nystrom G 6'4* Blocked shots per game
A WIN--Would stop a two-game losing streak and improve NC State to 13-8 overall and 6-4 in the ACC. The Wolfpack would win its fourth straight home game and improve to 12-1 at the RBC Center this season. NC State would earn a split with Georgia Tech in the regular season series after losing 85-61 to the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta on January 11th.
A LOSS--Would be the third in-a-row for the Wolfpack, marking its longest losing streak of the season. NC State would drop to 12-9 overall and 5-5 in the ACC and suffer its first ACC loss at the RBC Center. The Pack's home record would drop to 11-2, while Tech would win its second straight game and fourth in its last five outings. The Yellow Jackets would earn a sweep of the regular season series after beating NC State 85-61 in Atlanta on January 11th.
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE --Overall, NC State is forcing an average of 17.0 turnovers a contest (306) and is converting many of those opportunities into points. In its last 12 games the Pack has scored 214 points off turnovers (17.8 a game). State is averaging 9.3 steals a game (176).
HITTING FROM THREE EQUALS VICTORY-- In its 12 victories, the Pack is shooting .406 from the arc (116-286) while only .282 in its 7 losses (48-170). A total of 35-percent of the Pack's scoring has come via three-point shooting.
NIFTY FIFTY -- NC State has shot 50% or better in 6 games this season and won all of them. The Pack is 6-7 when shooting less than 50%. Combined, the Pack is shooting .503 from the field in its 12 wins (321-638) and only .387 in its 7 losses (156-403).
RECENT SHOOTING WOES--The Pack has lost 3 of its last 4 games. In the three losses, NC State has shot a combined .418 from the field (64-153) and .271 from the three-point arc (19-70). Also in those losses, the Pack has averaged only 13 free throw attempts a game (29-39).
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE --NC State's free throw shooting has been impressive. The Pack is shooting .749 from the charity stripe (298-398) this season.
BENCHMARKS-- Last season, the Wolfpack bench averaged nearly 20 points a game. This season is a different story. So far, the bench has scored 216 points for an 11.3 average. Its season-low production was vs. Coppin State and UNC with zero points. Its best was 34 against Fairleigh-Dickinson.
LEAD AFTER 20.....WIN AFTER 40--NC State has posted a 9-4 record when leading at the half this season. The Wolfpack is 3-3 when trailing at the break.
REBOUNDING--The Pack outrebounded UVA on 2/9 (33-30), but has been outrebounded in 4 of its last 6 games, including a 67-46 margin on the offensive glass.
NEXT FOR THE PACK-- NC State will visit Temple University for a non-conference game, Saturday, February 15, 2003. Airtime will be 3:00 p.m.
WOLFPACK PLAYERS TO WATCH
JULIUS HODGE-- Led the Pack at Virginia on 2/9 with 15 points, but was 1-7 shooting from three-point range and committed 6 turnovers. One of the top scorers in the ACC with a 18.6 ppg. average (354), Hodge was held to 13 points on 3-13 shooting @ WFU on 2/6. Hodge also ranks among the ACC's Top-10 in field goal percentage, free throw percentage, rebounding, assists, steals and assist-to-turnover ratio. He leads the Pack in minutes played with 655 (34.5). Hodge scored a career-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds vs. UNC on 1/26. It was his 7th game of 20 or more points this season. Since then, he has struggled some, averaging 15.5 points, 5 rebounds (20) and 4 assists (16), but shooting only .395 from the field (19-48) and .200 from the arc (4-20) over his last four games. On 12/14/02 Hodge became the first NC State men's player to record a triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists against NC A&T.
MARCUS MELVIN--This versatile junior forward has struggled in his last four games, averaging 10.5 points (42), 4.8 rebounds (19) while shooting only .359 from the field (14-39) and .385 from the three-point line. His last two outings have produced only 12 points on 5-21 shooting (.238). He has not attempted a free throw in his last two games. Melvin led the Pack at FSU on 1/18 with 21 points and 10 rebounds and was 3-5 from the three-point line. He scored a career-high 23 points vs. Northwestern on 12/4/02 and has scored in double-figures in 15 of 19 games. Last season, Melvin was a difference-maker in the Pack's upset of eventual national champion Maryland in the ACC Tournament with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists on 7-12 shooting from the field.
JOSH POWELL-- The sophomore center has struggled some in his last two games, recording a total of 14 points and 10 rebounds. A shot-blocker, Powell could be the most improved Wolfpack player this season. He leads the Pack in field goal percentage (.555) and was starting to play his best basketball of the season. In his last 5 games, he has averaged 12.0 points (60) while shooting .694 from the field (25-36). Powell was outstanding vs. UNC on 1/26 with 17 points and 9 rebounds. He tied a career-high with 23 points and added 9 rebounds in the loss to Boston College on 1/16.
SCOOTER SHERRILL--The Pack's leader in three-point field attempts and makes (42-111) is also one of the team's better free throw shooters. This season Sherrill has made 21-25 attempts from the charity stripe (.840). The junior guard scored a career-high 22 points vs. Gonzaga on 12/17/02, but since then his point production has dropped. He's averaged 7.8 points (94) over his last 12 games. Showed improvement vs. UVA on 2/9 with 10 points including 2-3 shooting from three-point range.
CLIFF CRAWFORD-- The Wolfpack lone senior has been outstanding in his last two games, averaging 13.5 points (27), 7 rebounds (14), 4 assists (8) and 3.5 steals (7). He led the Pack at WFU on 2/6 with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals while shooting 8-13 from the field. Crawford was sensational vs. Duke on 1/22 with 21 points, 6 assists and played tremendous second-half defense on J.J. Redick. The Duke Freshman was held to only 4 points in the final 20-minutes. In his last 9 games, Crawford has averaged 10.0 points (90), 4.1 rebounds (37) and 4.4 assists (40) while shooting .550 from the field (33-60). He leads the Pack in assists (83), steals (46) and three-point percentage (.417). Against Wofford on 12/29/02, Crawford scored a career high 22 points while hitting 9 of 11 field goal attempts. Crawford is the team's best defender and leads the Pack in deflections. He is among the ACC's Top-10 in assists and steals.
LEVI WATKINS--The Maryland native has played well in his last two games, averaging 10.5 points (21), 3.5 rebounds (7) while shooting .500 from the field (8-16). Against WFU on 2/6, Watkins recorded 11 points on 4-6 shooting from the field--his best outing in two weeks. In the win over Duke on 1/22, the sophomore contributed with 10 points and 3 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench. Scored a career-high 15 points at GT on 1/11 and hit 4 of his 5 attempts from the three-point arc. A 2001 Parade High School All-American, Watkins suffered a torn knee ligament (ACL) vs. Maryland on 12/30/01 and was lost for the remainder of the 2001-02 season. Shedding his knee brace vs. Virginia on 1/5/03, Watkins recorded 6 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists while holding Travis Watson to 4 points and 4 rebounds during the opening half.
