North Carolina State University Athletics
Streaking Pack Hosts Western Carolina
12/28/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TONY HAYNES
RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State (8-3) ran its winning streak to four straight games on Thursday night with a 79-73 victory at Seton Hall. But given the fact that the Wolfpack’s charter back to Raleigh didn’t arrive until after midnight, coach Sidney Lowe’s team will have very little time to savor the win.
On Saturday, NC State will welcome an old friend back to the
Now in his third year with the Catamounts, Hunter was an NC State assistant coach under Herb Sendek between 2001-05, years in which the Wolfpack made four straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament. A longtime coaching veteran, Hunter currently owns 537 career victories, which makes him the 12th winningest active coach in the country.
One of the popular myths associated with Hunter is that he brought the Princeton-style offense to NC State after being hired by Sendek in the summer of 2001. In reality, it was Muskinghum College’s Jim Burson, a noted expert on the offense and a friend of Hunter’s, who actually schooled Sendek on the attack he would employ his last five season’s with the Wolfpack.
In the midst of a building process this year, Hunter’s youthful Catamounts are currently 4-7 and are coming off a 60-57 win over Presbyterian on Thursday. Western got the win despite playing without perhaps its best player, guard Michael Porrini, who was suspended for breaking a team rule. Porrini, a 6-2 freshman, is expected to be back on Saturday. He averages 13 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Sophomore Forward Brandon Giles, who averages 11.6 points per contest, is the only other player averaging in double-figures for the Catamounts.
Six of Western Carolina's top seven players are either freshmen or sophomores.
The only current Wolfpack player that Hunter actually coached during his time with the Pack is also the hottest NC State performer right now. Senior Gavin Grant, who was a freshman in Hunter’s last year on the Wolfpack bench, has averaged 20 points and 5.6 rebounds over the Pack’s last five games. Grant is averaging 14.7 points for the season, second only to freshman center J.J. Hickson’s 16.5 points per contest.
NC State has won all 12 games in the series against
