North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: North Carolina
1/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2006
Audio: Guard Tony Bethel on Saturday's North Carolina game
Audio: Coach Herb Sendek on Saturday's North Carolina game
No. 12 NC STATE (12-1, 1-0) vs. No. 25 NORTH CAROLINA (8-2, 0-0)
DATE: Saturday, January 7, 2006 @ Dean Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC (21,750)
TIME: Tip-off: 3:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network.
AIRTIME: 2:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: espn2
OPPONENT-- Carolina has won two straight games since its 74-59 loss at Southern Cal on December 21st recording easy victories over UNC-Asheville and Davidson at home. The Tar Heels lost their top-seven scorers from last season's national championship team, but the cupboard of talent is far from bare.
Three-time ACC Rookie of the Week, Tyler Hansbrough, is the Heels top scorer and is a force inside. The Missouri native is the league's eighth-best scorer and leads all league freshmen in points while shooting 63 percent from the field. His ability to convert tough shots around the basket under heavy defensive pressure is exceptional. He also gets to the free throw line an average of 8 times a game.
Senior forwards David Noel and Reyshawn Terry join Hansbrough up front and are both averaging in double-figure scoring. Noel, a steady veteran who is probably the Heels best all-round player, leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (.450) and rebounding.
The backcourt is very young with freshmen Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard in the starting roles. Frasor, the point guard, leads the team in assists while Ginyard has averaged nearly two steals a game and leads Carolina in free throw percentage (.759). Off the bench, junior guard Wes Miller has attempted and made more three-point shots than anyone on the team (17-of-40) and freshman Danny Green tops the Heels in blocked shots.
While Carolina's ability to shoot from the perimeter and strike quickly on offense is not as lethal as last season, the Heels can still play winning basketball. They are the fourth-best scoring team in the ACC (80.6) and are No.2 in rebounding (+9.3) and third in steals (11.0) while forcing an impressive 19 turnovers a game.
UNC would like a high possession game and still looks to create transition opportunities with selective defensive pressure in both the full and half court. When the Heels don't score in transition, they look to get the ball inside to Hansbrough or to an open man outside. However, the perimeter game has been spotty.
Carolina's three-point shooting has not been up to par (.323) and neither has its perimeter defense. The Heels are surrendering almost eight three-point baskets a game while allowing opponents to shoot .371 from the arc.
If the Heels miss a shot, there is no reason to panic. They get back an impressive 49 percent of their misses and rank third in the ACC in offensive rebounding. Hansbrough and Noel are both excellent rebounders.
Carolina has won the last 4 games in the series with NC State. The Wolfpack's last win at the Smith Center was on February 25, 2003, when State triumphed 75-67. Since taking over as UNC's head coach, Roy Williams is 34-3 at home.
A WIN--Would be the Wolfpack's 8th in-a-row, marking its longest winning streak of the season and the second-best start in school history (since 1974) at 13-1. The Pack stops a 4-game losing streak to the Tar Heels in the series and improves to 2-0 in the ACC. The Wolfpack would improve to 2-1 on the road and beat its second top-25 opponent this season. UNC would drop to 8-3 overall and 0-1 the ACC and possibly out of the national rankings.
A LOSS--Would snap a 7-game winning streak and deny the Pack of its second best start in school history (since 1974). State would drop to 12-2 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. Carolina would record its fifth straight win over the Pack in the series and its third in-a-row in Chapel Hill. UNC would improve to 9-2 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. State's road record would dip to 1-2 and the Pack would drop to 1-2 against opponents ranked in the top-25.
IT ALL STARTS WITH GETTING STOPS --The Wolfpack is holding opponents to an ACC best 58 points a game. State also leads the league in field goal percentage defense (.365) and is second in three-point percentage defense (.285).
THE BEAUTY OF BETHEL --Senior guard Tony Bethel recorded a season-high 20 points and 4 steals and shot 8-of-9 from the field against UNC-Greensboro on Jan. 3rd. Bethel is NC State's best on-the-ball defender and is also a highly skilled playmaker and impressive rebounder.
THE TURK IS TERRIFIC -- Engin Atsur, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, leads the Pack in assists (61), steals (23), 3-point percentage (.470) and minutes (30.8). The junior has only 10 turnovers in his last 7 games. He's scored in double-figures in his last 6 games, averaging 13.2 (79) points and 5.5 assists (33) while shooting 58 percent from the three-point line (19-33).
BOMBS AWAY --During its seven-game winning streak, the Pack has shot 42 percent from the three-point arc (74-177).
A TALE OF TURNOVERS --The Wolfpack turned the ball over 18 times against UNC-Greensboro on Jan. 3rd, but for the season is averaging only 13 turnovers a game. State had a season-low 5 turnovers against New Hampshire on Dec. 30th.
CAM'S THE MAN --After a slow start, Cameron Bennerman has elevated his game. In his last 7 appearances, the senior has averaged 14.4 points a game (101) while shooting 63 percent during that span (47-75). Bennerman led the Pack with 17 points in the win over then 12th-ranked George Washington.
SIMMONS STEPS UP --The most improved player on the NC State team is Cedrick Simmons. The sophomore center played in 31 games last season and averaged 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds. This season, Simmons leads the team in scoring (12.0), rebounding (6.9) and blocked shots (3.0) while shooting a team high .619 from the field.
MAY I HELP YOU? --NC State is averaging an assist on an impressive 69 percent of its field goals (231-of-333) this season.
CLEANER GLASS-- The Pack's rebounding margin of +1.8 may be 10th in the ACC, but it is a big improvement from earlier this season. State is third in the ACC in defensive rebounds (25.9) per game.
INJURIES --Freshman forward Brandon Costner will miss his 8th straight game with a leg injury.
