North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Looks to Keep Streak Alive Against 'Noles
1/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - When it takes the RBC Center floor on Wednesday night, NC State (12-6, 2-3) will be looking to do something it hasn't done in 2005: Put together back-to-back wins. Not since it defeated Brigham Young and Columbia in late December has the Wolfpack recorded consecutive victories. And it just so happens that the opponent on Wednesday is a team the Pack has dominated in recent years. Florida State (10-9, 2-4) is winless in its last 12 meetings with NC State, a streak that goes all the way back to January 23, 1999.
Game time at the RBC Center is 7:30 p.m.
It's highly unusual in the always competitive ACC for one team to have such a long stretch of success against another. Only Duke's 18 straight wins over Clemson and Maryland's 13-game winning streak over the Tigers are more impressive.
"I think they've been better than Florida State most of the time," was the only thing FSU coach Leonard Hamilton would say when asked about NC State's recent success in the series.
In the first round of last year's ACC Tournament, the Seminoles were on the verge of ending the streak before the Wolfpack rallied from an 11-point deficit with 13 minutes left to post a 78-71 victory.
Nearly 11 months later, the only thing that's been consistent about Florida State and NC State has been their inconsistency. One needs to look no further than what happened last week for a prime example. On Tuesday, the `Noles stunned 3rd ranked Wake Forest in overtime, 91-83. Four days later, playing again on its home floor, Florida State was smoked by Duke, 88-56.
It was virtually the same story last week for the Wolfpack, which fell by one at Virginia Tech before rebounding with an impressive 85-69 triumph on the road at Maryland.
Which teams will show on up Wednesday? Stay tuned.
"North Carolina State is a team that's dealt with some adversity with illness and injuries, and I thought it threw them off there a little bit," Hamilton said. "But after watching them against Maryland, it's obvious they have the eye of the tiger back. Even though they're still not 100 percent healthy, they still have a great system that their kids believe in and they execute very well. Their team seems to have great chemistry; they seem to play a style that compliments their team. We expect a typical North Carolina State team that's playing hard, well and that is well coached."
Freshmen Andrew Brackman and Gavin Grant have been lifesavers while the Pack has been shorthanded in recent weeks. Grant's improvement, in particular, has been crucial during a time when guards Tony Bethel and Cameron Bennerman have been sidelined. After Bennerman sustained a sprained elbow during practice last Friday, Grant stepped in and got his first start at Maryland. The rookie from the Bronx, N.Y. responded by scoring 12 points and dishing out four assists.
"He's really played well for us," said NC State head coach Herb Sendek. "He continues to get better everyday and has really stepped up. We're really excited about his progress and his future."
Grant has averaged 13 points over his last three games, shooting 62 percent (13-21) from the field and 71 percent (5-7) from the 3-point arc.
It will be interesting to see who for NC State gets the defensive assignment on Von Wafer Wednesday night. Wafer, a 6-5 sophomore, ranks fourth in the ACC in 3-point baskets with 43 in 17 games. In FSU's win over Wake Forest, Wafer nailed a career-high seven 3s in a 30-point outburst. Big man Al Thornton also tallied 26 and quick point guard Todd Galloway 21 against the Demon Deacons.
Hamilton figures it will take similar numbers on Wednesday to end Florida State's losing skid against NC State.
"We don't have any room for error," Hamilton said. "We need somebody to step up every night in order for us to be successful. We don't have anyone showing that they can be consistent night in and night out. With Thornton being a sophomore, Wafer being a sophomore and Galloway being kind of a role player last year, it's understandable that those guys are just now having their best games because they're just now starting to play."
There's another nasty little losing streak Hamilton and the `Noles passionately want to end: a 26-game skid in ACC road games. FSU hasn't won a league game on the road since it downed Clemson in Death Valley on March 3, 2001.
Wolfpack Notes: Julius Hodge has notched three straight double-doubles and four in his last five games....NC State guard Engin Atsur leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio against league competition (20 assists/five turnovers...Four Wolfpack starters have missed a total of eight games since Christmas due to injury or illness...NC State has used six different starting line-ups this season...The Pack has dished out an assist on 60 percent of its baskets this season and ranks No. 1 in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio...Wednesday's game against Florida State will not be televised. Airtime on the Wolfpack Radio Network is 7:00 p.m.
