North Carolina State University Athletics
Pack Gearing up for Manhattan Pressure
12/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2004
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - On Sunday, the Manhattan Jaspers will return to the stage on which they were thrust into the national limelight during last season's NCAA Tournament. It was at the RBC Center last March that the small liberal arts college in New York turned the college basketball world on its ear by stunning Billy Donovan's Florida Gators (75-60) in the first round of the tourney. Coached by former Virginia assistant Bobby Gonzalez, the Jaspers (3-1) return to Raleigh this weekend, this time for a meeting with Herb Sendek's 13th ranked (coaches poll) Wolfpack (5-0).
After stunning Florida more than eight months ago, Manhattan came within an eyelash of a `Sweet 16' appearance before falling in a hard fought game to Wake Forest, 84-80.
"I think Manhattan has certainly established an outstanding tradition," Sendek said. "They won 25 games a year ago and I think that our area really has an appreciation for their team and program because they came into the RBC and handily beat an excellent Florida team. They were then a possession away from beating Wake Forest, so they know how to win."
Small but quick, the Jaspers frustrated both the Gators and Deacons with their relentless fullcourt pressure, a defensive style they will likely employ once again against NC State.
This should all make for an interesting matchup since Manhattan is forcing an average of 19 turnovers per game, while the Wolfpack has traditionally been among the ACC's best teams at taking care of the basketball the last few years. Through five games this season, the Pack has continued to value the ball, averaging just over 11 turnovers per contest.
"You really have to handle the basketball," Sendek said. "They're going to extend their defense 94 feet. They really pressure the basketball. It starts with their point guard Kenny Minor, who really gets up after the ball. They would like to turn you over and allow that to lead to easy baskets. Even when they don't turn you over, you have to be careful that you still take shots in rhythm and you don't let them take you out of what you do day in and day out."
To this point, NC State has proven that it can play well at a variety of paces. But in this case, the Wolfpack would probably like to avoid the more chaotic tempo that Manhattan generally prefers. In order to play its type of game, NC State will certainly need to focus on not only taking care of the ball, but making sure it gets quality shots on the majority of possessions.
After getting off to a poor shooting start against Purdue on Monday, Sendek says the Wolfpack started rushing some things after missing its first eight shots. On Sunday, NC State could encounter some difficulties if it falls into the same trap.
"I thought early in the game [against Purdue] we had really good looks and just didn't make them," Sendek said. "Then I thought for a period of time we started to press a little bit because the ball wasn't going in instead of just staying with things."
Despite shooting just 33 percent in the 60-53 victory over the Boilermakers, NC State still leads the ACC in shooting percentage (.524) and 3-point percentage (.421). The Wolfpack is also third in scoring offense (84.4), first in scoring margin (+31.2), first in scoring defense (53.2) and first in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.79).
Senior swingman Julius Hodge continues to set the Pace for the Pack, averaging 18.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Center Jordan Collins (10.0) and reserve guard Cameron Bennerman (10.0) are also averaging double figures.
Peter Mulligan, a 6-5 forward and Hodge's former teammate at St. Raymond's in the Bronx, is putting up an average of 21 points per contest to lead the Jaspers.
