North Carolina State University Athletics
Hodge, Pack Look to Survive and Advance in NCAA Tourney
3/17/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 17, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Worcester, Mass. - During a stellar college career in which he has piled up points, assists, rebounds and awards, Julius Hodge's biggest team disappointments have occurred in the NCAA Tournament. Close, devastating losses in early round games have often left the normally loquacious New York native virtually speechless. This time around, the sense of urgency is even more pronounced because the next time NC State loses, Hodge will be forced to take off his No. 24 Wolfpack jersey for the last time. On Friday at 12:15, he'll try to avoid that scenario when the Pack meets Charlotte in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
"No one wants to go home this time of year," Hodge said during NC State's NCAA press conference on Thursday. "I remember our losses in the NCAA Tournament and every game seemed to be dramatic and games we should have won. This being my last year, I don't want it to end yet. Everybody is going to play with a chip on their shoulder."
Four years ago, Hodge's fingernail foul on a 3-point shot attempt by Caron Butler was ultimately the difference in a 77-74 second round defeat to Connecticut. The next year, the Wolfpack was ousted by two points on a late 3-point shot by California. And just when the Pack didn't think the heartbreak couldn't get any worse, it did. Down by 11 points with less than four minutes to play, Vanderbilt scored 21 points on its last seven possessions to oust NC State by a bucket last March.
"I definitely used that game as a motivational tool to get better over the summer," said Hodge, who needs just 10 points on Friday to join David Thompson and Rodney Monroe as the only players in school history to score 2,000 points in a career. "I think about it from time to time. But now we're in a situation where if we play great basketball the way we have the last couple of weeks, we can win this game and be in the same situation we were in last year. Hopefully we'll win this time."
And just as was the case during last week's three-game ACC Tournament run in Washington, NC State will likely be shorthanded on Friday. Guard Tony Bethel (groin pull) could only watch Thursday's open practice session at the 14,000 seat DCU Center. Senior Center Jordan Collins, who separated his right shoulder late in the regular season finale against Wake Forest, only did some light shooting during the workout.
"Tony will not play tomorrow," said Pack head coach Herb Sendek. "Jordan Collins may be available, but has not been able to work with us this week outside of some minimal shooting. Our mindset has to be very much like it's been for much of our season and we just have to be prepared to go with the guys who are healthy."
Five Wolfpack starters have missed a total of 22 games this season, a total that will be bumped up to 24 games following Friday's contest against Charlotte.
Playing right smack in the middle of ACC country, the 49rs have quietly put together a solid program under coach Bobby Lutz. Charlotte posted a 21-7 mark this season, a record that included impressive victories over the likes of Indiana, Cincinnati and Memphis.
The 49rs will also be making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in the last nine years. Still, it seems Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest and NC State receive more notoriety, even in Charlotte's own hometown.
"It's not something we dwell on or worry about because we have had a great run," said Lutz, who has won 62 percent of his games in seven years. "As far as being overlooked, the ACC has earned what they get. If it's not the best league, year in and year out, it's one of the top two every time. Those schools deserve it. At the same time, we're starting to earn some things. I don't want anyone to give us anything except for what we're due. I think we have a good program that's getting better and better."
Charlotte spent four straight weeks in the AP Top 25, peaking at No. 18 on February 28th before a three-game losing skid to end the season knocked it out of the rankings. While Lutz acknowledges that his team didn't play well down the stretch, his big concern this week has been NC State's hybrid open floor halfcourt offense, a style the 49rs haven't faced in 2004-05.
"We can't do it." Lutz giggled when asked what it was like trying to simulate the Wolfpack offense in practice this week. "Our guys try hard but you can't do it in three days. NC State does it everyday all year and some of their veterans have done it now for several years. Our swat team as we call them have done the best they can, but certainly they haven't done it as well as NC State. They pose some problems because they can shoot the ball and spread you out. And they have Julius Hodge, one of the best players in the country."
Hodge will likely be guarded by Charlotte's Eddie Basden, an ultra-active 6-5 senior who was named both Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
"I think Eddie Basden is a great college player," Hodge said. "He plays great defense. I look forward to it."
Basden compliments his superb defense by averaging 15.3 points per game on the offensive end. Curtis Withers, a 6-8, 238-pound junior, scores inside and out to put up 18.1 points per contest. The outside threat that opens things up inside for Withers is long-range bomber Brendan Plavich. The 6-2 Plavich has unlimited range and led Conference USA in 3-point baskets (109-284) for the second straight year. After trying to chase Duke's J.J. Redick off of screens last week in D.C., the Wolfpack's Engin Atsur will try his hand at guarding Plavich on Friday.
Something will have to give when Charlotte's high-scoring offense (78 points per game) runs into an NC State team that's yielded just 62 points per contest to its last nine opponents. Improved defense is what turned the Wolfpack season around just in time to produce a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. This time, however, Hodge wants to stay around a little longer, especially after he chose to come back for his senior season instead of making an early jump to the NBA last spring.
"I love NC State," Hodge said. "It was an easy decision to come back. I'll earn my degree in four years and I got another opportunity to play college basketball, which I love. Now we as a team are in a position to do something big. First it's Charlotte and we have to be focused against them. We have to play well to win."
