North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Wolfpack Picked Fourth in ACC Preseason Poll
10/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 23, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
GREENSBORO - When Ilian Evtimov entered NC State as a freshman five years ago, the Wolfpack was coming off the only losing record of Herb Sendek's tenure at the school.
There was unrest and uncertainty. But also some hope, thanks to a five-player recruiting class that included Julius Hodge, Josh Powell, Levi Watkins, Jordan Collins and Evtimov.
Granted, Evtimov was ranked by one publication as the worst of the league's 34 newcomers that year. But as he heads into his fifth year with the Wolfpack, things are much different. First of all, Sendek has guided the Wolfpack to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, one away from the school record set by Jim Valvano from 1985-89. That includes a trip to the Sweet Sixteen last year.
And Evtimov is now the elder statesman - and one of the biggest contributors - to the Wolfpack's recent success.
So while everyone at Sunday's ACC Operation Basketball - where NC State was picked in the preseason poll of media to finish fourth in the league behind Duke, Boston College and Wake Forest - was still fixated on how the Wolfpack would replace Julius Hodge, Evtimov found it to be a good time to reflect on how far the Wolfpack has come during his career.
"I think over the last four years, we have gotten a certain amount of respect from the media and from the fans," said a slimmed-down Evtimov. "Now, here we have our best player (Hodge) just drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA, a guy who was the heart-and-soul of our team.
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And, as for replacing Hodge as a leader? Both Sendek and his players say that's not something they spend time worrying about.
"This year, we are going to define the word team a lot better than anybody else," Evtimov said. "I think it is not going to be one person's team. It is going to reflect a sense of unselfishness and a sense of unity this year. We are going to be dependent on each other instead of on one person."
There are still some questions about the team heading into the season. Fifth-year senior Tony Bethel still hasn't practiced because of a groin injury that he suffered during last year's ACC Tournament in Washington.
Bethel said Sunday that he was ready to begin running and shooting this week, and Sendek remains confident that he will be ready to contribute when the season begins on Nov. 18 against Stetson.
So there is reason for the sense of optimism that comes from having three experienced seniors (Evtimov, Bethel and Cameron Bennerman), junior guard Engin Atsur, and a sophomore class that saw plenty of action during their first season of college ball. Both Andrew Brackman and Cedric Simmons are stronger and more durable than they were last year, which is part of the reason why Evtimov slimmed down: so he could play more on the perimeter, where he could make passes and hit 3-point shots.
And the trio of freshman - Brandon Costner, Courtney Fells and Ben McCauley - class has been steadily improving since full-squad practices began on Oct. 14.
It all made for plenty of optimistic talk about the Wolfpack at Sunday's annual gathering of ACC coaches and media. In the end, however, both Sendek and his players know that it's not the preseason predictions that matter.
"We determine our future and how good we are going to be," Bethel said. "We are very hungry, after being in the Sweet 16 and knowing what it takes to get there. This is our goal: to win games and get back there.
"The predictions really don't matter to us. It's how we finish. We were written off last year, a couple of times. One point we were 3-7 in the league. We are just going to play with that same urgency from the beginning and look to have a big year."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@mindspring.com.
