North Carolina State University Athletics
"Wounded" Wolfpack Visits Clemson
3/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Clemson, S.C.- Just one day after NC State had sustained a gut wrenching 68-65 loss to Maryland on Sunday night, its practice floor at Reynolds Coliseum was empty. The gym was quiet because most of the activity was taking place downstairs, in the training room. Before and after the Maryland game, illness and injury were making life difficult for a Wolfpack team (15-10, 8-6) that is running out of time to get the victories it needs to secure a second straight bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Before Sunday night's contest, three starters-point guard Cliff Crawford, forward Marcus Melvin, and swingman Julius Hodge-were suffering from flu-like symptoms. But the outlook became even more bleak by Monday when Crawford (strained hip flexor muscle) and forward Levi Watkins (strained groin) were undergoing treatment for injuries that have put them on the questionable list for Wednesday's game at Clemson (5-9, 15-10).
"It's a real concern for us that they possibly will not be able to play," Sendek said. "I don't have the answer to that categorically yet. We're obviously fighting the clock with three games in a span of seven days."
If Crawford can't play or is hampered on Wednesday, NC State will lose its best hope of controlling the Tigers' best player. Point guard Edward Scott, who averages 18 points per game, will certainly be looking to go out in style when he plays his final home game at Littlejohn Coliseum. He'll have a better chance to do just that if Crawford, who held him to 12 points in the Wolfpack's 78-56 victory over Clemson on February 2, isn't at full speed.
Crawford's defense in that first game combined with NC State's red shot shooting were too much for the Tigers to overcome. Firing away over the Clemson zone, the Wolfpack nailed 14-of-31 3-pointers, while also shooting 57 percent from the floor. After the game, Tigers coach Larry Shyatt implied that his team would probably go with a different defensive strategy for this game. He didn't back off that statement when previewing the game this week.
"When a team plays with the versatility that they have in their line-up, and they play really with what would be considered six guards and a post player, you have to make some decisions," Shyatt said. "If, as some teams in our league have, you guard at 40 feet and pressure, pressure, pressure, they'll put it on the deck. If you try to defend an area closer to the basket like we did, they will get quite a few threes. I guess we made the wrong choice up there."
Although it did drop road games to league heavyweights Maryland and Wake Forest last week, Clemson has been playing some of its best basketball of the season over the last few weeks. Prior to last week's losses, the Tigers recorded three consecutive conference wins over North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State.
"They're a good basketball team," Sendek said. "Anytime you have a senior point guard playing like Ed Scott is and have some other experienced players up front like Ray Henderson and Tomas Nagys, you have a chance. They're a big, strong bruising team and they're tough on the backboard."
With its size up front, Clemson is a team that usually does a good job of chasing down missed shots, but in game one last month, NC State actually outrebounded the Tigers 23-22.
The Wolfpack has won the last four games played between the two clubs and holds a 90-40 advantage in the all-time series.
