North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Georgia Tech
2/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2006
No. 16/15 NC STATE (19-4, 8-2) at GEORGIA TECH (9-12, 2-8)
DATE: Sunday, February 12, 2006 @ Alexander Memorial Coliseum, Atlanta, GA (9,191)
TIME: Tip-off: 1:00 p.m. EST
RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network
AIRTIME: 12:30 p.m. EST
TELEVISION: Raycom-Jeffersion Pilot (ACC Network)
OPPONENT--Georgia Tech was on a four-game winning streak, heading into its January 14th contest at NC State. The Yellow Jackets shot 52 percent from the field and outrebounded the Wolfpack that day, but it wasn't enough. State sank 13-of-27 three-point attempts, outscored the Jackets by 9 points at the foul line and six Wolfpack players scored in double-figures. The result was an 87-78 loss that started Tech on a crash dive. The Yellow Jackets still have not recovered.
Thursday night in Tallahassee, Florida State sent Georgia Tech to its eighth consecutive loss 80-79. Andrew Wilson's 3-point basket with 1:31 left capped a furious 24-9 finish for the Seminoles. Wilson, a sixth-year senior, finished with 10 points, including 3-of-5 shooting from 3-point range.
Although neither team managed to score in the final 1:31 the game went down to the final shot. The Yellow Jackets got the ball with 4.4 seconds remaining after FSU's Ralph Mims missed two free throws, but Jeremis Smith's heave from midcourt hit the backboard as the buzzer sounded.
Alexander Johnson led the Seminoles (14-6, 5-5) with 14 points, including a dunk that tied the game at 77 with 2:06 left. FSU's leading scorer and rebounder, Al Thornton, was in foul trouble all night and fouled out with 10 points in only 16 minutes.
The teams combined to commit 42 personal fouls and 46 turnovers, but the Jackets shot 51 percent from the field and made 11-of-18 shots from behind the 3-point line.
Georgia Tech led for most of the game and built a 70-56 lead with 9:17 left on a jumper by Lewis Clinch before the `Noles rallied.
Zam Frederick and Ra'Sean Dickey led Tech with 19 points apiece while Anthony Morrow added 17. The Jackets won the boards 37-28 thanks to Smith's game-high 11 rebounds.
Tech has talent, but the Yellow Jackets are inexperienced and have been making too many mistakes. They average nearly 19 turnovers against ACC opponents and sometimes struggle to score. In ACC games, Tech averages 66.7 points while shooting .435 from the field and only .659 from the foul line.
However, the Yellow Jackets can rebound, play defense and they're dangerous from beyond the 3-point line. Tech is third in offensive rebounding (14.2) and shoots nearly 40 percent from the arc in league games.
Morrow, the ACC's second-leading three-point shooter, and Smith, the No.2 rebounder in the conference, form a potent inside-outside combination. Morrow is averaging 22.0 points over his last two games and against the league is shooting .439 from 3-point range while averaging 16.0 points. He has taken more shots than anyone on the Georgia Tech team (264) and leads the squad in scoring, 3-point attempts and makes (61-of-139), free throw percentage (.864) and minutes played (32.6).
Smith, who has posted 8 double-doubles, is one of the most improved players in the ACC. The sophomore had eight or more rebounds 13 times and leads the Jackets in steals (1.6) as well as free throw attempts and makes, but shoots only 56 percent from the line (82-146).
Dickey tops Tech in blocked shots (1.5) and field goal percentage (.609) and is starting to play his best. In his last 6 games, the sophomore has averaged 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting better than 65 percent from the field.
Of the five starters departing Tech after last season, point guard Jarrett Jack was probably the biggest loss. Jack is now with the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers. Frederick, Jack's replacement, has talent but has been inconsistent. He has nearly as many turnovers as assists (74-to-79) and leads the team in fouls as he continues his on-the-job training.
Mario West, who missed six games with a toe injury, started for the first time since Dec. 28th, when he took the floor against FSU on Thursday. The veteran is Tech's best on-the-ball defender and can be a difference-maker.
State has won the last seven meetings in the series. The Wolfpack downed the Yellow Jackets 53-51in Atlanta on February 13, 2005, as Tony Bethel drove around Jarrett Jack for the winning basket with 9.8 seconds to play. The must-win helped spark the Pack to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
A WIN--Would be the Wolfpack's fifth in-a-row and 6th in the last 7 games, improving NC State to 20-4 overall and 9-2 in the ACC. It would be the Pack's third straight season of 20-wins or more and would put State one victory away from equaling last season's win total. The Wolfpack would beat Georgia Tech for the eighth straight time, sweep the regular season series for the third straight year and win for the third time in-a-row over the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. State would improve to 5-3 away from home this season (4-2 ACC) and send Georgia Tech to its 9th straight loss. The Yellow Jackets would drop to 9-13 overall and 2-9 in the ACC.
A LOSS--Would snap a 4-game Wolfpack winning streak, dropping State to 19-5 overall and 8-3 in the ACC. The Pack would fall to 4-4 on-the-road (3-3 ACC) and split its regular season series with Tech after beating the Yellow Jackets 87-78 on Jan. 14, 2006, in Raleigh. The loss would be the first to Georgia Tech since January 11, 2003, breaking a streak of seven straight wins over the Yellow Jackets in the series. Georgia Tech would improve to 10-12 overall and 3-8 in the ACC and win for the 9th time at home this season and for the 500th time in the 50-year history of Alexander Memorial Coliseum.
SHOOT THE LIGHTS OUT --The No.2 scoring and No. 3 shooting team in the ACC against league competition is NC State. The Wolfpack is averaging 78.34 points a game while shooting .480 from the field in ACC games. The Pack shot 62.5 percent from the field in two overtime periods in its win at Miami on Wed.
BETHEL THE BOMBADIER --Guard Tony Bethel leads the ACC in 3-point field goal percentage (.525) versus league opponents and has made 34 of his last 68 shots from the three-point arc (.500). Bethel is NC State's best perimeter on-the-ball defender and is also a highly skilled playmaker and rebounder. The redshirt senior has led the Wolfpack in scoring and rebounding in two of the last 3 games, averaging 12.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists during that span. He recorded 5 steals in a win over Wake Forest on Jan. 21. In his last 6 games, he's averaging 13.3 points (80) and 5.1 rebounds (31).
RINGTAILED HOWITZERS --State leads the ACC in three-point shooting in league games (.440) and has made more three-points shots overall (218) than any ACC team this season. The Pack averages 9.2 made three-point field goals a game and 44.5 percent of the Pack's field goal attempts come from behind the arc (548-1229).
STOP SIGNS --Consistent defense is a hallmark of Wolfpack basketball under Herb Sendek.. Overall, the Pack leads the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.394) and is allowing opponents only 65.4 points a game (4th). In ACC games, opponents are shooting only .420 shooting from the field (2nd).
HEY, MR. POSTMAN --Cedric Simmons has given NC State a low post scoring threat that was missing the last two seasons. The sophomore center recorded a career-high 28 points at Duke on Jan. 18th along with 9 rebounds, 7 blocked shots and 3 steals. This season, he is the team's No. 2 scorer (12.6) while leading the Pack in rebounding (6.9) and blocked shots (2.9) while shooting a team high .605 from the field. Simmons is the No. 2 shot blocker in the ACC behind Duke's Shelden Williams. Against Georgia Tech on Jan. 14, Simmons recorded 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks.
THE LINE HAS BEEN KIND-- The Pack is shooting an impressive .768 from the foul line in ACC games (185-241). State was 22-of-25 in its double overtime win at Miami on Wed.
THR IRON TURK-- Nobody on the Wolfpack team has played more minutes this season than Engin Atsur.. The native of Istanbul, Turkey, is one of the most versatile players in the ACC. The 6-4 junior leads the Pack in assists (88), steals (38) and minutes (32.7) while averaging 10.7 points a game. However, lately Atsur has struggled offensively. In his last 7 games, he has averaged only 8.0 points while shooting .350 from the field (18-51) and .257 from the three-point arc (9-35).
BALL SECURITY --With only a few exceptions, the Wolfpack has done a good job taking care of the ball. State is averaging only 13.6 turnovers a game this season.
BULGARIAN BOMBER --Not many forwards in the ACC shoot better than 40 percent from the three-point arc, but Ilian Evtimov is one of them (.421). The native of Sofia, Bulgaria, is also an excellent free throw shooter, making 19 of his last 21 shots from the foul line. In his last 4 games, Evtimov has averaged 14.5 points (58) points and 6.5 rebounds (26). Evtimov's 3-pointer to begin the second overtime was a big shot in the Pack's win at Miami on Wed.
R-B-C MEANS W-I-N-- State is 14-1 at the RBC Center, including a 5-0 ACC mark. Seton Hall is the only team to beat the Pack this season at home. Away from home the Pack is 4-3 (3-2 ACC).
THE CAM IS FOCUSED --Cameron Bennerman is playing the best basketball of his career in his final season with the Pack. The athletic senior scored 23 points to lead the Pack over Miami on Wed. and made 8-of-9 free throws. Bennerman leads the team in scoring (13.2) and over his last 17 games has averaged 15.0 points a game (255) while shooting 55 percent from the field during that span (96-of-175). The Greensboro native is one of the Pack's better free throw shooters (.853).
AN UNSELFISH PACK --NC State is averaging an assist on an impressive 65 percent of its field goals (382-of-584) this season. The Pack has 20 assists on 26 field goals in the double overtime win at Miami on Wed.
HARD KNOCKS ON THE BOARDS--Rebounding has been a challenge for the Wolfpack this season, but the Pack has won the battle of the boards in 2 of its last 4 games. State outrebounded Maryland on 42-39 overall and 17-15 on the offensive glass on Feb 5th.
INJURIES --Freshman forward Brandon Costner could miss his 19th straight game for the Wolfpack with a leg injury.
