North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Hopes to Continue Momentum
10/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 20, 2004
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - With a second place finish in the ACC - it's highest since 1989 - and a third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the NC State basketball program continued its forward thrust last season. Along with the team successes, Herb Sendek was named ACC Coach of the Year and Julius Hodge the league's player of the year. But with a new year on the horizon and a strong nucleus of players returning, the Pack has in its sites even loftier goals for 2004-05.
Hodge, who's already being lauded in many circles as a Preseason All-American, will be joined by a group of familiar faces, a group that includes the likes of forward Ilian Evtimov, Levi Watkins, center Jordan Collins and guards Engin Atsur and Cameron Bennerman. Add to the mix Georgetown transfer Tony Bethel, plus talented freshmen Andrew Brackman, Cedric Simmons and Gavin Grant, and you have the makings of a club that should be deeper and bigger.
And although the Pack lost starters Marcus Melvin and Scooter Sherrill off of last year's 21-10 squad that won 11 of 16 ACC games, there's a feeling that those holes will be filled quickly.
"I don't see us as having to patch up any particular hole; that's not my mindset," said Sendek, who'll be starting his ninth season in Raleigh. "I think we have a very reasonable amount of depth, I think we have good balance between our frontcourt and our backcourt and we have good balance between some youthful exuberance and experience. I don't see any one area that we have to patch up in terms of personnel."
Sendek's optimism is perhaps only exceeded by his players, especially the always confident Hodge, who believes his senior year could turn out to be special.
"This is probably the most complete team," Hodge responded when asked if this could be the best NC State team he's played on. "Guys are really together because we like each other and we really want to win big this year. We're real focused so far and I'm not going to let anyone lose their focus because this is my last year."
Hodge's decision to return for his senior year instead of putting his name in the 2004 NBA Draft was obviously crucial to NC State's hopes for this season. And one of the reasons he's often cited for returning is the opportunity to play alongside Bethel, against whom he often battled in practice last season. Bethel, a combo guard, will give the Wolfpack another backcourt player who has the ability to breakdown a defense off the dribble and create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.
"Tony is a real good player," Hodge said. "I don't want to say we're the best backcourt in the nation, but I do think we are. With my size and the way I've been dominating the league so far and Tony's quickness and his ability to shoot and create for others, I think we're going to be hard to handle."
After starting 52 of 59 games for Georgetown and averaging 10.5 points and 3.1 assists in two years, Bethel made the decision to transfer to NC State more than a year ago. And although he was required to sit out last season, he did get an opportunity to practice every day and learn the system.
"Last year, sitting out was tough for me," said Bethel. "But it was the best decision for me to come here to NC State. I didn't feel I was getting better at Georgetown. I've made a lot of improvement here so far. I just hope to bring some leadership, another outside threat and somebody that can compliment Julius Hodge and Engin Atsur in the backcourt."
Although some will view Tony Bethel as the point guard NC State hasn't really had in a few years, he'll be just another part in a unique system that doesn't always rely on a singular primary ball-handler. As it is, players like Hodge and Atsur also have the ability to get the basketball up the court and get the offense organized.
"I'm really looking forward to having Tony on the floor with us," Sendek said. "He gives us a guy who can put the ball on the floor and go off the dribble and create some scoring opportunities for his teammates. There's always a place on a team for a guy who is a leader, who helps set the table, get guys organized and who can transport the ball under the influence of pressure without turning the ball over. We take a great deal of pride in being able to take care of the ball. I think over the last three years we have the fewest turnovers in the league, so as much as we have tended to focus on that point guard, I think we've assembled a team that is able to share the ball and handle the ball effectively. Tony, together with some our other guys, are going to be able to do that."
In assessing the upcoming season, Sendek wouldn't make any predictions during NC State's annual media day on Wednesday, but he did show a great deal of confidence in the team he'll put on the floor this season.
"We have a chance to be a very good team," He said. "I've never been one to make predictions, but I think we have a good basketball team, one that should expect to do well. I think we have a group of guys who have tremendous confidence in themselves. They've had a measure of success that they can point to; I think they understand what it takes and they have a tremendous amount of respect for our league and how good you have to be in order to have a chance."
Evtimov to Return Next Week: After undergoing arthroscopic surgery for the second time in two months, Evtimov was not able to join his teammates on the floor for the Wolfpack's first practices over the weekend.
"About 10 days before we started practice he had his knee scoped," Sendek said. "It was the same knee that he had surgery on this past summer. When they went in to clean out his knee, they were able to clean out some flakes and debris. Our best optimistic guess is that he'll be back on the floor sometime early next week. It's not good to miss practice obviously, but in Ilian's case, he's such a cerebral player. As we put things in here early in the season, he's as apt as anybody to pick it up. He knows our system inside and out. Hopefully, his comeback will be expedited by his experience."
Evtimov, who sat out the entire 2002-03 season after undergoing major knee surgery for a torn ACL, returned to averaged nearly 13 points over his last 13 games last season and had a career-best 28-point outburst in the Pack's second round NCAA Tournament loss to Vanderbilt.
The Wolfpack will make its first public appearance during the annual Red/White Game this Saturday at the RBC Center. Festivities begin at 5:45 p.m. Admission is free.
