North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Wolfpack Gave Glimpse of Future in Dallas
3/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 22, 2006
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - Seen during NC State's two NCAA Tournament games in Dallas: Cedric Simmons powering his way to the basket, scoring 24 points in two games against California and Texas; Gavin Grant slashing, scoring and dishing; Courtney Fells providing energy and bursting up the floor for transition baskets. Those are just some of the reasons coach Herb Sendek and his staff have every reason to believe they will have an opportunity to assemble another competitive, tournament caliber team next season.
To be sure, the senior trio of Cameron Bennerman, Ilian Evtimov and Tony Bethel will be missed. Between them, they combined to score 43 percent of NC State's points this season. When healthy, Evtimov was the perfect fit in the Wolfpack offense with his ability to pass and shoot. Bethel was a steady ball-handler, defender and good 3-point shooter. In his senior season, Bennerman's game rose to new heights on both ends of the floor.
Coming into the 2005-06 campaign, NC State faced the task of having to replace one great player in Julius Hodge, yet it will likely be tougher to fill the void left by three very good ones.
Bethel's role as a primary ball-handler will probably fall into the hands of returning senior Engin Atsur, but beyond that, it's anybody's guess who would inherit those duties when Atsur is off the floor. The versatile Grant, however, showed late in the year that he may be able to play as many as four different positions if asked to do so. With Evtimov bothered by a foot injury down the stretch, the 6-7 sophomore took advantage of extra playing time and averaged 15 points over his last five games.
After sitting, watching and learning most of the year, Fells also demonstrated a proclivity to provide instant productivity when asked to step on the court. Explosive, athletic and fearless, the 6-5 freshman from Shannon, Mississippi will certainly get his shot next year with both Bethel and Bennerman exiting the stage.
Another freshman, the one most Pack fans didn't see much of this season, will also inherit a prominent role in 2006-07. Before developing a stress fracture in his leg in late November, former McDonalds All-American Brandon Costner showed flashes of his enormous potential on the offensive end of the court when he drilled 4-of-7 3-point shots in an early season 12-point performance against the Citadel. But after being diagnosed with his injury, Costner never returned and will now await the results of a medical redshirt application that will be filed on his behalf.
With unlimited range and a high release point on his jump shot, the left-handed Costner already had the confident mentality of a big-time scorer when he arrived on campus. Next season, Sendek and the Pack will be able to take advantage of those offensive skills.
Another freshman, 6-8 forward Ben McCauley, will benefit from the brief but meaningful minutes he accumulated during some big ACC games this season.
Entering his junior year, 6-10 Andrew Brackman will also be asked to provide more punch after seeing his playing time diminish over the last three or four weeks.
This season, Sendek wasn't forced to press his freshmen into critical duty since the Pack featured three senior starters, a junior and three sophomores who dominated the rotation. But when highly-touted recruits Larry Davis, Dan Werner and Dennis Horner arrive on campus next fall, they'll be thrown right into the mix.
Fortunately for them, they'll be joining a program that is much more stable and established than the one Evtimov joined when he first came to Raleigh five years ago.
"When I first got here, NC State had obviously been through a tough stretch," Evtimov said of a school that was enduring an 11-year NCAA Tournament drought when he arrived. "When we got here, we knew we had to have a good season. I think because we were so young it brought a lot of competition and a lot of intensity and challenges. We had a very good first season, exceeding everyone's expectations and made the tournament. After that we just kept playing hard. We had a new system and we just kept getting better. We've come back to the tournament five years in a row and I think the program is going in the right direction. I want to say that every year we're getting better and better."
Evtimov is certainly one of the main reasons why the program is in much better shape than it was when he donned a red and white uniform for the first time. Now he'll pass the torch over to a group of young players who have already provided a glimpse into the future.
NC State Notables in 2006
-The Wolfpack was second in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (41.3 %).
-NC State (22-10) won 20-plus games for the third straight year and fourth time in five seasons.
-The Pack got to the 20-win plateau earlier than any NC State team since 1974.
-This marks only the second time in school history that NC State has qualified for the NCAA Tourney five straight years.
-The Wolfpack's free throw percentage (.751) ranked No. 2 in the ACC.
-Cedric Simmons' total of 80 blocked shots is surpassed only by Thurl Bailey's total of 95 in 1983.
-NC State made a total of 288 3-point shots, the third highest total in school history.
