North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: BYU
1/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2004
NC STATE (7-2) vs. BYU (10-2)
DATE: Wednesday, January 7, 2004 @ RBC Center, Raleigh, NC (19,722)
TIME: Tip-off: 8:00 p.m.
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network.
AIRTIME: 7:30 p.m.
TELEVISION: espn2
OPPONENT-- The Cougars are the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West Conference this year, returning four starters from last year's 23-9 co-championship team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Four-year starter Mark Bigelow (BYU's #10 career scorer) and fellow senior Rafael Araujo were both named to the Preseason All-MWC Team. Senior guard Kevin Woodberry and junior forward Jared Jensen also were starters last season for BYU coach Steve Cleveland.
Key newcomers include junior transfer Mike Hall and freshmen Mike Rose and Garner Meads. A McDonald's High School All-American, Meads (6-8, 230) suffered an injury before his first season at BYU, redshirted and completed a two-year LDS Church mission before returning this season. Rose leads the team in three-point percentage (.531) making 17-32 shots from beyond the arc.
Araujo is scoring 20.7 points and 10.8 rebounds to lead BYU. The 6-11, 280 pound All-America candidate with NBA potential has posted eight double-doubles in his last 10 games including five in-a-row during that stretch. He also leads the team in field goal percentage (.637), blocked shots (14), personal fouls (31) and turnovers (42). Junior college transfer, Luis Lemes, leads the team in assists (5.5) in his first year as a starter.
As a team, the Cougars shoot .513 from the floor, including .388 on threes, and .707 from the line while scoring 77.8 points per game. BYU allows 62.6 points while the opposition has shot .438 from the field and .341 from behind the arc. The Cougars are strong on the boards with a rebound margin of + 6.9 and a average of 11 offensive rebounds a game. Depth is not a problem. Ten players see at least 9 minutes of action a game.
BYU's only losses have come on the road at California (46-47) and at Utah State (74-76). In both those games opponents held Araujo below his scoring and rebounding average. The Cougars have posted impressive wins over Oklahoma State (76-71), Southern Cal (85-61) and at Santa Clara (68-66).
The Cougars last victory against an ACC school was 61-48, over Virginia on March 14, 1991, in the NCAA Tournament at Salt Lake City. The NC State game will be the first time BYU has faced an ACC school on the opponent's homecourt since Dec. 20, 1976 when BYU lost at North Carolina, 113-93. Next year's NC State game in Provo will be the first time an ACC team will travel to play BYU on its home floor.
A WIN--Would be the third straight for the Wolfpack overall and eighth in-a-row at home, keeping NC State unbeaten this season in Raleigh. The Pack would improve to 8-2 overall and 7-2 against non-conference teams this season and to 40-4 at the RBC Center against non-ACC competition.
A LOSS--Would be the second in the last 4 games for NC State, dropping the Wolfpack to 7-3 overall and breaking a seven game home winning streak this season. BYU would become only the fifth non-conferecne team to beat NC State at the RBC Center against 39 victories.
IT'S FINE AT THE LINE --NC State has been solid from the free throw line again this season making 76% of its foul shots (133-175). The Pack has made as many free throws as its opponents have attempted this season (93-133).
GETTING IT DONE ON DEFENSE --The Pack is holding opponents to a very impressive 58.2 points a game while limiting the opposition to 38% shooting from the field (195-515) and 25% from the three-point arc (41-165). NC State is forcing 17 turnovers a game. In its last five games, the Pack has averaged 20.2 points a game off opponents turnovers (101).
DIALING LONG DISTANCE-- In its 7 victories, the Pack is shooting 34% from the three-point arc (59-176) while only 27% in its 2 losses (13-48). NC State is 2nd in the ACC in three-point field goals made per game (8.0), but in eighth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.321).
ITS BETTER TO GIVE THAN RECEIVE --NC State is averaging an assist on 65% of its field goals, the best mark in the ACC (147-227).
WOLFPACK PLAYERS TO WATCH
Julius Hodge-- Leads the team in scoring (18.9),rebounding (7.6), assists (4.6), field goal percentage (.542) and three-point percentage (.450).minutes (34.1). In his last two games, Hodge has averaged 22.5 points while shooting 65% from the field and has made all 12 of his free throws. A first-team All-ACC selection last season, Hodge was voted first-team All ACC Tournamnent after averaging 19.3 points (58) and 9 rebounds (27) --including a career high 31 points against Wake Forest in the semifinals.
Marcus Melvin--In his last two games the versatile senior forward has averaged 18 points and 6.5 rebounds. Melvin is No. 2 on the Wolfpack team in scoring (14.2), rebounding (7.4) and leads the squad in blocked shots (1.2). Notched a career high 27 points and 13 rebounds in a win over UW-Milwaukee on 12/7/03. Last season, Melvin was named first-team All-ACC Tournament after averaging 17.3 points (52), 6 rebounds (18) and shooting .515 from the field (17-33) and .473 from the arc (9-19).
Scooter Sherrill--The Pack's No. 3 scorer is shooting 49% from the field this season but has struggled at times offensively. The senior guard has been one of the Pack's top three-point shooters throughout his career, but in his last 6 games has made just 3-27 shots from bsyond the arc (11%). Sherrill played well in the Pack's win over Virginia on 12/28 with 19 points on 8-14 shooting. Last season, he was named to the second-unit of the All-ACC Tournament team after averaging 11.6 points (35) and shooting .500 from the three-point line.
Levi Watkins--The Wolfpack's sixth man is also the team's most improved player. He's shooting 47% from the field and 40% from three point-range this season which represent the best marks of his career. Watkins did not play vs. UNC-Wilmington on 1/3/04 due to injury, but in the two games prior to that contest he averaged 12.5 points on 9-16 shooting.
Ilian Evtimov--The redshirt sophomore from Bulgaria is No. 2 on the NC State team in assists (3.0) and has been averaging about 26 minutes a game as he continues to work his way back from a season-ending knee injury suffered early last season. In his last 2 games, Evtimov has averaged 9 points and 3.5 rebounds
