North Carolina State University Athletics
New Season Awaits Wolfpack in ACC Tourney
3/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 9, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Washington, D.C. - Neither NC State coach Herb Sendek nor anyone else knows how many wins the Wolfpack (17-12, 7-9) would need in this week's ACC Tournament to land a fourth straight NCAA bid. What is perfectly clear is that it will take a Herculean effort for the Pack to walk out of the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. with its first ACC title since 1987. In the newly expanded ACC, six teams - seeds six through 11 - will be asked to win four games in four days to capture the championship. NC State's quest for such an improbable run begins Thursday against Florida State (12-18, 4-12) at around 2:30.
"This year, if we make a run in the ACC Tournament, that's four games; one game more than I've ever played in my career," said Wolfpack junior Ilian Evtimov. "I remember going to the finals in my freshman year and three games is a lot of games. Four is something I can't even imagine."
It is something, however, that Sendek's first team at NC State experienced. Back in 1997, the Wolfpack became the only team in league history to go from the old `play-in game' to the tourney final. In the end, the Pack ran out of gas and fell to a superior opponent in North Carolina.
NC State's hopes of pulling off a similar feat this weekend suffered a blow near the end of Sunday's regular season finale when senior center Jordan Collins sustained a shoulder separation. With Collins doubtful for the ACC Tournament, that's one less productive body Sendek will have it his disposal.
"We're going to have to rely on a collective effort to replace Jordan," said Sendek, who is one of just three current ACC coaches to have a winning record in the conference tournament. "He is clearly one of our most experienced players. He's been playing his career best basketball, and really was playing as well as anybody on our team. I don't know that we can point to any one individual. Certainly, Cedric [Simmons], Andrew [Brackman] and Levi [Watkins] may most directly do that, but I think it's up to everybody to take part in making up for his absence."
Another player whose role could change is Evtimov. After playing the `5' position in NC State's offense his first two seasons, the redshirt junior has spent most of this year at the `4.' With Collins on the shelf, Evtimov will likely get more minutes at his old spot.
"I may be put in a situation where I could play some `5' like I did last year and my freshman year," Evtimov said. "It's something I haven't done lately. I've played the `5' a few possessions, but not over long periods. I may find myself doing that, which is fine because it's not new to me. I know the system from the `5'and if I need to play there to help us win then I'll do it."
NC State's opponent on Thursday - Florida State - has truly had a bizarre season. Although their record is just 12-18 overall, the Seminoles, at times, have proven they can play with just about anyone when they wake up on the right side of the bed. FSU has beaten the likes of Minnesota, Florida and Wake Forest. The `Noles also put together perhaps their best performance of the year back on January 26th, a 70-64 triumph over NC State in Raleigh. Then, for whatever reason, they proceeded to lose their next nine in a row before finishing up with a 68-63 victory over Virginia.
During their nine-game skid, the Seminoles dropped a three-point decision at Georgia Tech, lost by one at Virginia, and came up short in another one-point defeat in a rematch with the Yellow Jackets.
In its win over the Pack at the RBC Center, Florida State got 29 points from explosive sophomore Von Wafer, who drilled 5-of-7 shots from 3-point range.
"Once he makes his first couple, you have to guard a guy who's able and willing to put up a shot anytime and it can go through the net," said Wolfpack senior Julius Hodge. "We're going to have to start off tough on him early. Hopefully, we can continue with our great team defense, which I know we will."
Defense has been the catalyst of late for NC State, which won four of its last six conference games. In Sunday's 55-53 defeat to 4th ranked Wake Forest, the Pack put together an amazing defensive effort against one of the nation's most prolific offensive teams.
It's the type of defense the Pack wasn't playing the first time around against FSU.
"We're definitely a different team," said Hodge. "We're playing our best basketball right now, and with everything that happened last game we still had the opportunity to win, but we missed our free throws. That's something we can fix with a snap of the finger. The way we're playing on defense is really going to help us."
Hodge can only hope the free throw shooting improves in the tournament. In the two-point loss to the Deacons, the Pack was just 9-of-22 from the line. In the five conference games NC State lost by a total of just 12 points (-1 to Miami, -1 to Virginia Tech, -6 to Florida State, -2 to Virginia, and -2 to Wake Forest), the Wolfpack shot just 57 percent (64-of-112) from the foul line.
But despite all of its troubles, injuries, adventurous free throw shooting and inconsistent play, the Pack can still play its way into the NCAA Tournament with perhaps a win or two this weekend. Many of the so-called RPI gurus say an unusual shortage of at-large quality teams has left the door wide open for ACC clubs like NC State and Maryland.
"I could be a lawyer and advocate our side and go down a checklist of points that would be persuasive in our favor, but it's much better to try to play your way in than talk your way in," Sendek said. "Hopefully, we'll play well in Washington."
And he'd like to play well enough to stretch it to a fourth day.
Note: The Wolfpack Radio Network will provide live coverage of each and every game of the ACC Tournament beginning Thursday morning at 11:30.
