North Carolina State University Athletics
Final Wolfpack Basketball Notes
3/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 25, 2003
Final NC State Basketball Statistics
By Tony Haynes
Scooter Sherrill and Josh Powell finished on a roll, while Julius Hodge had a season that was All-ACC caliber in every way. Tucked underneath NC State's 18-13 overall record were a number of interesting facts and figures. Among other things, the Wolfpack was the best free throw shooting team the ACC has seen in 19 years. Hodge, a first team all conference pick, led the Pack in scoring, rebounding and minutes played. As a team, NC State set a new school record for accuracy from the free throw line, while also doing well in the areas of field goal shooting and assist-to-turnover ratio. If you like numbers, you might enjoy chewing on some of the statistics that have been accumulated below. Some of the stats are fairly basic, while others are a little unusual.
Key Team Notes:
* NC State set a new school record for accuracy from the free throw line, hitting 77 percent (488-634) for the season. It's the best mark in the ACC since North Carolina made 78.3 percent in 1984.
* NC State made it to the ACC Tournament finals in back-to-back years for the first time since pulling the trick in the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons.
* With its 9-7 mark in league play, the Wolfpack finished with a winning conference record in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1987-88 and 1988-89.
* NC State finished with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (456-440) for the second consecutive season (five ACC teams had negative ratios).
* Four players averaged more than 30 minutes per game led by Hodge, who averaged 35.3 minutes per contest. Anthony Grundy was the only player from last year's squad to tally better than 30 minutes per contest.
* The Wolfpack shot 45.6 percent from the floor (755-1656), up from last year's percentage of .452. On two-point field goal attempts, NC State knocked down 507 of 960 for 52.8 percent.
Individual Recap:
* Along with leading NC State in scoring (17.7 ppg.) and rebounding (6.1), Hodge attempted more free throws (219) than any other player in the ACC. The 6-6 sophomore shot 81.7 percent from the line.
* Over his final six games, junior guard Scooter Sherrill connected on 51.3 percent (19-37) of his 3-point attempts. Seventy of Sherrill's 104 total field goals this season were 3-pointers. Among players with more than 10 attempts, he was also the Pack's best free throw shooter, hitting 87 percent (47-54).
* Senior point guard Clifford Crawford, who led NC State in steals (66) and assists (131), had the third most defensive rebounds on the team with 107.
* Over his final nine games, sophomore center Josh Powell averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while also hitting 61.7 percent of his shots. Powell's field goal percentage for the season (57.1%) was the third best mark for a sophomore in school history (Kevin Thompson shot .605% in 1991 and Vann Williford .574 in 1968). Forty-five percent (74-of-163) of Powell's total rebounds came off the offensive glass.
* Although his overall percentage wasn't as good (43.8 percent last season compared to 37.6 percent this year) Marcus Melvin made 18 more 3-pointers (64 to 46) than last year and he did it in three fewer games.
* No one from the NC State radio crew was ejected from a single game for berating officials.
