North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Virginia
2/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2005
NC STATE (13-8, 3-5) vs. VIRGINIA (10-9, 1-7)
DATE: Saturday, February 5, 2004 @ RBC Center, Raleigh, NC (19,722)
TIME: Tip-off: 8:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network.
AIRTIME: 7:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: Raycom-Jefferson Pilot (ACC Network)
OPPONENT-- Providence guard, Donnie McGrath, was struggling offensively, but he found the range against Virginia. The 6-4 junior hit all nine of his 3-point attempts for a career-high 27 points. Teammate, Ryan Gomes, added 20 to help the Friars end a seven-game losing streak with a 98-79 win over the Cavaliers at Dunkin' Donuts Center.
Entering the game, McGrath was shooting only 36 percent from the field and averaging 8 points a game. However, his performance on Wednesday night fell just one 3-pointer short of the school record.
Providence led 40-39 at halftime, but came out firing with 72 percent shooting in the final 20-minutes (18-25). The Friars hit their first seven shots and took a 61-51 advantage on a McGrath 3-pointer with 14:28 to play.
After another McGrath long-range basket made it 66-56,Virginia caught fire, scoring the next seven points. Gary Forbes' layup cut the Friars lead to three with 8:14 remaining. With Providence still holding a three-point advantage, McGrath sank consecutive 3-pointers in a span of only 17-seconds that gave the Friars a 74-65 cushion with 6:41 on the clock. Virginia never recovered, despite 24 points from Devin Smith.
The Cavaliers were outrebounded 40-27 and shot only 41 percent from the field (26-63). Providence (10-11) finished with 57 percent shooting, including 14-25 from three-point range. It was the second consecutive game in which UVa. surrendered 14 three-point field goals.
After a 9-2 start, Virginia has struggled. The Cavaliers have lost 7 of their last 8 games, adding more doubt about the future of their head coach. Pete Gillen has six years left on a 10-year contract, but barely hung onto his job after last season.
During Virginia's disappointing eight-game stretch, defense and rebounding have been problem areas. Opponents have averaged 89 points a game while shooting 50 percent from the field and nearly 45 percent from three-point range. Plus, the Cavaliers were outrebounded in all but two of those contests. Offensively, Virginia has averaged 74 points and shot only .406 from the field during the span.
Adding to the Cavaliers' woes was the loss of starting forward Jason Clark. The senior was declared ineligible following the Duke game on January 16th. Clark averaged 6.7 points and 5.2 rebounds, shot 62 percent from the field and led the team in blocked shots before departing the lineup.
Smith and center Elton Brown have been Virginia's most consistent players. Smith leads the team in scoring and torched Iowa State for 40 points in early December. He's a steady three-point shooter (.378) and is also the team's No. 2 rebounder. Brown, one of the best rebounders in the ACC, can be tough to handle in the post. He's recorded 11 double-doubles this season, but is shooting only 40 percent from the field in ACC games.
Virginia can be dangerous from beyond the arc. In their last 3 games, the Cavaliers have averaged 9.3 made three-point field goals while shooting a respectable 38 percent from the bonusphere. Smith (.378) and J.R Reynolds (.370) are the most accurate Virginia long-range bombers.
Freshman, Sean Singletary, is one of only two players to start every game this season for Virginia. The rookie point guard leads the team in assists and steals (1.8), but also in turnovers and personal fouls.
NC State has won seven of the last eight games against Virginia in the series and has beaten the Cavaliers seven consecutive times in Raleigh. In last year's meeting at the RBC Center, the Wolfpack routed the Cavaliers 86-69. State shot 58 percent in the second half and scored 24 points off 18 Cavaliers turnovers. The Pack was on fire from the three-point arc, sinking 11-of-27.
A WIN--Would mark the third in the last five games for the Wolfpack and 10th at home this season. The Wolfpack would improve to 14-8 overall and 4-5 in the ACC and beat Virginia for the 8th time in the last 9 meeting in the series while earning its eighth straight victory over the Cavaliers in Raleigh. The Cavaliers would fall to 10-10 overall and 1-8 in the ACC, losing their fourth in a row and 8th in the last 9 games. The two teams will meet again in Charlottesville on Wednesday, March 2nd at 9 p.m.
A LOSS--Would be the second in-a-row for the Wolfpack and third in the last four games. The Pack would drop to 13-9 overall and 3-6 in the ACC. NC State's home record would fall to 9-4 with two straight losses at the RBC Center. Virginia would break a three-game overall losing streak and win for only the second time this season in the ACC to improve to 2-7 in the league and 11-9 overall. The Virginia victory would be its first in Raleigh since 1997, breaking a streak of seven straight losses to the Pack at both Reynolds Coliseum and the RBC Center.
BETHEL IS BACK --Guard, Tony Bethel, is back after missing an extended period due to illness. In his last two games, the redshirt junior has averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47 percent from three-point range (7-15). Prior to his illness in late December, Bethel was among the team leaders in assists, steals and rebounds. The Wolfpack was 3-6 while Bethel was either absent or severely limited.
BENNERMAN AND WATKINS OUT -- Cameron Bennerman, has missed the last four games and with an elbow injury suffered in practice on January 21. Bennerman is the Wolfpack's #2 scorer and top three-point shooter this season (.423). Senior forward Levi Watkins will miss 4-6 weeks after suffering a sprained right medial collateral ligament during practice on February 2nd.
ASTOUNDING ATSUR -- Engin Atsur, has committed only 11 turnovers all season in ACC games. Atsur is No. 2 in the ACC in assist to turnover ratio in league games (.264). He's also played some tough defense, holding Duke's J.J. Redick to 8 points, Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack to 16 and Maryland's John Gilchrist to 13 points. Against Clemson on Jan. 29th, Atsur scored a career-high 21 points and shot 5 of 8 from three-point range. A respiratory infection limited his effectiveness at UNC on Thursday. He played only 19 minutes with 3 points and 3 turnovers.
HODGE HIGHLIGHTS -- Julius Hodge continues to lead the Pack in scoring (18.3) assists (4.3) and rebounding (7.6). The 2004 ACC Player of the Year has five double-doubles this season, including 20 points and 11 rebounds at Maryland on 1/23/05.
LONG DISTANCE PLEASE --State is the No. 2 three-point shooting team in the ACC against league opponents (.414). The Pack is also No. 2 in the league in three-point field goals per game (8.75) and fourth in three-point attempts (21) versus ACC teams.
BULGARIAN BOMBER --Ilian Evtimov, a native of Bulgaria, has been knocking down three-point shots lately. In his last six games, the redshirt junior has made 12 of 25 attempts from the arc for 48 percent.
TURNOVER TALE --The Wolfpack is averaging 12.5 turnovers per game including season-low 5 turnovers against Liberty University. In its five ACC losses, State has averaged only 12.4 turnovers.
CAN I HELP YOU? --NC State is averaging an assist on an impressive 60% of its field goals (330-551). Against ACC opponents, the Pack is No.2 in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.16).
SOME HOT OPPONENTS -- In its five ACC losses opponents have shot a combined 52 percent against State in the second half (65-126) and outscored the Pack 202-173 in the final 20 minutes.
