North Carolina State University Athletics
MBB Hosts Georgia Southern Saturday at Reynolds
12/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
NC State Hosts Georgia Southern: After taking a week off for final exams, NC State will return to home action this weeknd, as the Wolfpack will host Georgia Southern on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum.
Under Sidney Lowe, the Pack is 3-0 playing in games after the annual week off for final exams. The Pack's margin of victory in those three games has been 22.7 ppg, with an 80-65 win over Savannah State in 2006-07, and a 74-49 win over South Carolina State in 2008-09, and a 74-46 win over Winston-Salem State last season.
The Pack will also be playing in Reynolds for the fifth time under Lowe. NC State is a perfect 4-0 thus far in games in the 'Old Barn', with an average margin of victory of 17.3 points under Lowe. Last season, the Pack defeated High Point (69-56) and Winston-Salem State (74-46).
The game will be available on GoPack.com's Pack Pass.
The Series Versus Georgia Southern: This is only the third matchup between NC State and Georgia Southern, and each of the previous two games were also in Raleigh. NC State won during the 1972-73 season, 144-100, and also won in 1977-78., 98-80.
Pack Is Familiar with Reynolds Coliseum: NC State will be playing in the friendly confines of historic Reynolds Coliseum once again this season. Reynolds Coliseum served as the home of the Wolfpack for 50 years, prior to NC State moving into the RBC Center for the 1999-2000 season.
The Wolfpack currently holds a perfect record of 8-0 in games played at Reynolds since the RBC doors opened. The Pack played a regular season contest in Reynolds for five straight seasons (2002-06), and also hosted one NIT game in 2007. Last season, NC State played two regular games in Reynolds.
The Pack's average margin of victory in those games is 24.3 points.
Last Time Out for NC State: NC State overcame an 11-point halftime deficit, as the Pack pulled out a 77-73 win at Marquette last Saturday. Down 36-25 at the break, NC State opened the second half on an 11-2 run, and used another 17-2 run midway through the half to take control of the game. The Pack shot 71.4 percent (20-28) in the second half, including hitting all four three-point attempts, and scored 52 points in the final 20 minutes of action. After being held to just two points in the first half, Tracy Smith went 8-of-10 in the second half and scored 17 of his team-high 19 points in the period. Javier Gonzalez added 15 points and seven assists.
Smith Leads Charge: It is no secret that a large protion of the NC State offense revolves around forward Tracy Smith. On most offensive possessions, the junior will get his hands on the ball in the low post. With the added attention this year, Smith worked on passing out of the double team for most of the offseason.
At the end of last season, Smith was perhaps the Pack's top offensive weapon. He started 12 of the final 13 games, and averaged 12.2 points in those starts. On the season overall, he increased his scoring average 6.7 points from his freshman season, the third highest increase in the ACC during last season.
Seven games into the 2009-10 season, Smith is leading the offensive charge once again. Smith has recorded four double-doubles in the Pack's first seven games, and was named MVP of the Glenn Wilkes Classic leading NC State to a perfect 4-0 record in the event. He averaged 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in the four games.
Smith's biggest impact this year so far was against Auburn in the final game of the Glenn Wilkes Classic. It was Smith's put-back with just 1.3 seconds left that gave the Pack the 60-58 win. Also in that game, Smith pulled down a career-best 15 boards, seven offensive, and also scored 11 points.
Smith also helped the Pack come back from an 11-point halftime deficit at Marquette to gain the road win. Held to just two points in the first half, Smith went 8-of-10 from the field in the second half and scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half.
Smith has led the Pack in scoring in six of the seven games, and has led the team in rebounds in all seven. For the season, Smith leads the Pack in both scoring (17.6) and rebounding (10.0). In the ACC rankings, he is second in scoring, third in reboudning, and ninth in field goal percentage (.532)
Over the last three games, Smith has averaged 20.7 points.
Smith Sees Double: Tracy Smith has recorded a double-double in four of the first seven games of the year. That mark is currently tied for first in the ACC.
Smith now has six double-doubles during his career, and the Pack is a perfect 6-0 in those contests.
Defense Doing the Job: NC State's defense had been leading the charge to the Pack's 6-1 start to the season. NC State currently ranks third the ACC in scoring defense, giving up 57.9 points a game. Only two oppenents have scored over 60 points (Northwestern 65, Marquette 73), and the Pack held Akron to just 45 points at the Glenn Wilkes Classic.
On the other side of things, the Pack's offense has scored over 70 points just once in the first seven games. NC State currently ranks last in the ACC in scoring offense at 65.7 points a game.
Racking Up the Assists: Junior Javier Gonzalez is the Pack's top playmaker when he is on the court. Gonzalez is currently leading the ACC in assists, dishing out 6.6 per game. His season total of 46 thus far is more than triple any other Pack player.
Already this season, Gonzalez has dished out eight assists in three different games.
Gonzalez also currently ranks third on the Pack with his 10.4 points per game, and has pulled down 4.6 rebounds an outing as well.
Over his last four games, Gonzalez has reached double figures in scoring each time and is averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
Horner the Leader: Senior Dennis Horner is the most experienced Pack player, as he is the only member of the 2009-10 squad to be in his fourth season at NC State. Horner, who signed with Herb Sendek but kept to his committment after the coaching change, came into his final season having seen action in 92 career games.
Seven games into his senior season, Horner is proving to be one of the Pack's leaders. He is second on the team averaging 13.7 points a contest, connecting on 55.0 percent (33-60) of his shots and 60.0 percent (9-15) from three-point range.
Point Guards Adjusting to New Roles: Seven games into the 2009-10 season, each point guard on the Pack's roster has a bit of a different role than last season.
Junior Javier Gonzalez started the last 10 games of last season at the point, and was the starter in the first seven games of the year. Gonzalez has averaged 30.4 minutes a game this season, but he has also seen a lot of time at shooting guard when Julius Mays comes into the game.
Mays has averaged 23.6 minutes, coming off the bench in the first seven games and has been the Pack's primary ball handler when he is in the game.
Senior Farnold Degand who had started 21 games over the last two seasons at point guard, will be playing more shooting guard this season. Degand sat out the first six games of the season due to coach's decision, but saw action for the first time at Marquette and finished with six points and two assists in 14 minutes of action.
Davis Making an Impact: Freshman forward Josh Davis might not have been known to many Wolfpack fans when he was a late signee this past spring, but his impact on the court is making him a well known factor for NC State.
The local prduct from Athens Drive High School has come off the bench in each of the first seven games, seeing action at small forward.
Davis has averaged 10.1 minutes a game, and has been productive especially grabbing offensive rebounds. In fact, 11 of his 16 rebounds this season have come on the offensive end, and he is second on the Pack in offensive boards.
Davis' best game to date came at Marquette, as he posted career-bests of nine points and six boards in 16 minutes of action. He also held Marquette's star forward Lazar Hayward to 2-of-6 shooting and forced him into five turnovers in the second half of the Pack's win.
Free Throw Advantage: NC State's ability to get to the free throw line this season has been a big factor in the 6-1 start.
The Pack has converted more free throws (106) than the opponent has even attempted (101). NC State is getting to the free throw line 22.1 times a game, compared to just 14.4 for the opposition.
NC State is taking advantage of, as the Pack ranks sixth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.684).
