Any scouting rpt on NC St this year?
- Thread starter buckeye
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state has a very young team with a lot of speed and athleticism but not much experience. they are 5-0 after easy home wins over over unremarkable opponents. they have a lot of potential but are untested against quality opponents and off their home court. line appears to be about right, maybe a little short, but i see this game as pretty unpredictable. this is a watershed year fror coach herb sendek with a lot of job pressure to produce an ncaa tournament team this year. gonna have to pass this game until i see how they fare with a real test.
RALEIGH - N.C. State's players know what the ACC/Big Ten Challenge is about: money.
They know its an ESPN prime-time production. They know that it's heavily hyped. They also know that by March few will remember who won these games or where.
But in late November, the Wolfpack players, 5-0 and anxious for their first road test, are eager to face Ohio State in a 7:30 p.m. game today at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
"It means a lot to us," senior guard Archie Miller said. "I don't think there's a team in the ACC it doesn't mean a lot to.
"Everybody in the league will be looking at the TV or newspaper to see who won. It's like, 'Virginia and Duke, did they hold their own?' You don't want to be that team where people say, 'They got a loss.' "
In the first two years of the Challenge, the Pack has held its own. State went to Purdue two years ago and topped the Boilermakers 61-59 at Mackey Arena. A year ago, N.C. State shut down guards Joe and Jon Crispin and whipped Penn State 84-76 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
Both years, the ACC won five of the Challenge's nine games. Both years, the Pack gave the ACC a tie-breaking fifth victory.
"It's something we're proud of: being the deciding factor the last two years," senior Anthony Grundy said. "We want to uphold that. Even though we may not be playing the last game, we want to do our part and hope everybody else in the conference does their part."
The Pack's five victories at home have come against teams that may be hard-pressed to make any postseason tournament: Prairie View, San Jose State, East Carolina, James Madison and The Citadel. But NCSU coach Herb Sendek -- and Wolfpack fans -- have learned some important things about this team in those five games.
Among them:
Josh Powell can play. The 6-9, 217-pound freshman center is a little too lean and will get mashed a few times inside this season, but Powell can rebound in traffic, block shots and has some effective post moves.
'JULES MUST ADAPT. Don't let the build fool you. Freshman Julius Hodge may be skinny but he's wiry tough and has the skills. But he will need more time to get a good feel for college ball -- and for what Sendek wants of him.
Loyola Marymount they're not. Sendek has promised a faster pace this season but it's no "Runnin' Pack." State, picking its spots in the transition game, has averaged 76.4 points. In contrast, the Pack averaged 78.2 points in its first five games last season. Maybe later.
A rotation is being formed. Sendek seems set on a starting lineup of Powell, Miller, Grundy, Hodge and sophomore Marcus Melvin. They're getting the bulk of the playing time, with freshmen Ilian Evtimov and Levi Watkins, junior Cliff Crawford and sophomore Scooter Sherrill splitting most of the rest.
Evtimov is the handy man. He's no blur on the court, but Evtimov is strong, can defend, handle the ball and has savvy.
Zoned out. The Citadel slapped a 2-3 zone on the Pack on Friday and State shot 34.6 percent. As Bulldogs coach Pat Dennis said, "N.C. State probably will see a lot more zones this year."
Grundy says the Pack has enough shooters that zones "shouldn't be a problem." Time will tell.
Tonight's opponent, Ohio State, has played just two games, stopping Winthrop 78-54 and Albany 87-62. Winthrop won 18 games and the Big South tournament last year; Albany was 6-22 last season.
The Buckeyes, 20-11 last year, have been in the NCAA Tournament the past three years and want to make it an unprecedented four in a row.
"They return four starters and they shoot the ball exceptionally well," Sendek said. "It'll be a challenge, but it's coming at a good time for us. I think the first part of our schedule worked out well for us, not just because we have a good record but because we had a pretty good mix of opponents. What we need now is a good road test."
Ohio State should be that test. The Buckeyes were third in the Big Ten last year with an 11-5 record and had just one significant personnel loss: 6-11 Ken Johnson, a four-year starter. Still, most preseason prognostications have the Buckeyes finishing seventh or eighth in the Big Ten this year.
"I think Ohio State is similar to our Purdue game two years ago," Grundy said. "Not many people expected us to go up there and win, but we did. And I think we're going to do it again. We're ready for it."
They know its an ESPN prime-time production. They know that it's heavily hyped. They also know that by March few will remember who won these games or where.
But in late November, the Wolfpack players, 5-0 and anxious for their first road test, are eager to face Ohio State in a 7:30 p.m. game today at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
"It means a lot to us," senior guard Archie Miller said. "I don't think there's a team in the ACC it doesn't mean a lot to.
"Everybody in the league will be looking at the TV or newspaper to see who won. It's like, 'Virginia and Duke, did they hold their own?' You don't want to be that team where people say, 'They got a loss.' "
In the first two years of the Challenge, the Pack has held its own. State went to Purdue two years ago and topped the Boilermakers 61-59 at Mackey Arena. A year ago, N.C. State shut down guards Joe and Jon Crispin and whipped Penn State 84-76 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena.
Both years, the ACC won five of the Challenge's nine games. Both years, the Pack gave the ACC a tie-breaking fifth victory.
"It's something we're proud of: being the deciding factor the last two years," senior Anthony Grundy said. "We want to uphold that. Even though we may not be playing the last game, we want to do our part and hope everybody else in the conference does their part."
The Pack's five victories at home have come against teams that may be hard-pressed to make any postseason tournament: Prairie View, San Jose State, East Carolina, James Madison and The Citadel. But NCSU coach Herb Sendek -- and Wolfpack fans -- have learned some important things about this team in those five games.
Among them:
Josh Powell can play. The 6-9, 217-pound freshman center is a little too lean and will get mashed a few times inside this season, but Powell can rebound in traffic, block shots and has some effective post moves.
'JULES MUST ADAPT. Don't let the build fool you. Freshman Julius Hodge may be skinny but he's wiry tough and has the skills. But he will need more time to get a good feel for college ball -- and for what Sendek wants of him.
Loyola Marymount they're not. Sendek has promised a faster pace this season but it's no "Runnin' Pack." State, picking its spots in the transition game, has averaged 76.4 points. In contrast, the Pack averaged 78.2 points in its first five games last season. Maybe later.
A rotation is being formed. Sendek seems set on a starting lineup of Powell, Miller, Grundy, Hodge and sophomore Marcus Melvin. They're getting the bulk of the playing time, with freshmen Ilian Evtimov and Levi Watkins, junior Cliff Crawford and sophomore Scooter Sherrill splitting most of the rest.
Evtimov is the handy man. He's no blur on the court, but Evtimov is strong, can defend, handle the ball and has savvy.
Zoned out. The Citadel slapped a 2-3 zone on the Pack on Friday and State shot 34.6 percent. As Bulldogs coach Pat Dennis said, "N.C. State probably will see a lot more zones this year."
Grundy says the Pack has enough shooters that zones "shouldn't be a problem." Time will tell.
Tonight's opponent, Ohio State, has played just two games, stopping Winthrop 78-54 and Albany 87-62. Winthrop won 18 games and the Big South tournament last year; Albany was 6-22 last season.
The Buckeyes, 20-11 last year, have been in the NCAA Tournament the past three years and want to make it an unprecedented four in a row.
"They return four starters and they shoot the ball exceptionally well," Sendek said. "It'll be a challenge, but it's coming at a good time for us. I think the first part of our schedule worked out well for us, not just because we have a good record but because we had a pretty good mix of opponents. What we need now is a good road test."
Ohio State should be that test. The Buckeyes were third in the Big Ten last year with an 11-5 record and had just one significant personnel loss: 6-11 Ken Johnson, a four-year starter. Still, most preseason prognostications have the Buckeyes finishing seventh or eighth in the Big Ten this year.
"I think Ohio State is similar to our Purdue game two years ago," Grundy said. "Not many people expected us to go up there and win, but we did. And I think we're going to do it again. We're ready for it."
from the columbus paper:
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N.C. State-OSU at a glance
Tuesday, November 27, 2001
When: 7:30 tonight.
Where: Value City Arena.
TV: ESPN2.
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WBNS-FM (97.1).
Records: Ohio State, 2-0; N.C. State, 5-0.
Last meeting: Ohio State won 81-64 on Dec. 22, 1998, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in a Puerto Rico Holiday Classic semifinal.
Buckeyes starters: Zach Williams, 6-7, so. (15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Will Dudley, 6-8, sr. (6 ppg, 2 rpg); Boban Savovic, 6-5, sr. (12 ppg, 5 apg); Brian Brown, 6-4, sr. (18.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Brent Darby, 6-1, jr. (13 ppg, 2 apg).
Wolfpack starters: Marcus Melvin, 6-7, so. (10.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg); Josh Powell, 6-9, fr. (11.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Julius Hodge, 6-6, fr. (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg); Anthony Grundy, 6-3, sr. (13.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Archie Miller, 5-10, sr. (10.2 ppg, 4.6 apg).
Noteworthy: Brown tied his career highs by making 11 of 12 free throws against Albany last Tuesday. His teammates, though, were only 14 of 25 (56 percent). . . . Albany's .521 field-goal percentage was the best against the Buckeyes since Penn State's .529 last Jan. 10. Kansas, Illinois, Penn State and Alabama were the only teams to shoot 50 percent or better against Ohio State last season. . . . As freshmen three years ago, Brown, Savovic and Dudley combined for nine points, five assists and five steals off the bench against N.C. State. . . . N.C. State is playing away from home for the first time. Its victories have come against Prairie View A&M, San Jose State, East Carolina, James Madison and the Citadel. . . . Four freshmen have been part of an eight-man rotation for the Wolfpack in the last two games.
Keep an eye on this matchup: N.C. State has installed a Princeton-style offense that looks to score off back-door cuts to the basket and flare screens to three-point shooters. Four of the five on the floor will face up and fire, including power forward Melvin, which could draw Williams away from the basket and strain Ohio State's already tenuous rebounding situation.
How it might play out: These teams look like mirror images, relying on experienced guards to control the offense while welcoming any help they can get from inexperienced players inside. Both teams are shooting about 50 percent from the field and will look for opportunities to run. North Carolina State might look for more three-point shots, though. The Wolfpack attempts about 40 percent of its shots behind the arc and has made 36 percent of them, or eight per game. The Buckeyes have attempted 29 percent of their shots from three-point range and have made 45.2 percent of them, or seven per game.
Next game: North Carolina-Wilmington, 5 p.m. Sunday, Value City Arena.
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N.C. State-OSU at a glance
Tuesday, November 27, 2001
When: 7:30 tonight.
Where: Value City Arena.
TV: ESPN2.
Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WBNS-FM (97.1).
Records: Ohio State, 2-0; N.C. State, 5-0.
Last meeting: Ohio State won 81-64 on Dec. 22, 1998, in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in a Puerto Rico Holiday Classic semifinal.
Buckeyes starters: Zach Williams, 6-7, so. (15.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Will Dudley, 6-8, sr. (6 ppg, 2 rpg); Boban Savovic, 6-5, sr. (12 ppg, 5 apg); Brian Brown, 6-4, sr. (18.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg); Brent Darby, 6-1, jr. (13 ppg, 2 apg).
Wolfpack starters: Marcus Melvin, 6-7, so. (10.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg); Josh Powell, 6-9, fr. (11.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Julius Hodge, 6-6, fr. (11.8 ppg, 5 rpg); Anthony Grundy, 6-3, sr. (13.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Archie Miller, 5-10, sr. (10.2 ppg, 4.6 apg).
Noteworthy: Brown tied his career highs by making 11 of 12 free throws against Albany last Tuesday. His teammates, though, were only 14 of 25 (56 percent). . . . Albany's .521 field-goal percentage was the best against the Buckeyes since Penn State's .529 last Jan. 10. Kansas, Illinois, Penn State and Alabama were the only teams to shoot 50 percent or better against Ohio State last season. . . . As freshmen three years ago, Brown, Savovic and Dudley combined for nine points, five assists and five steals off the bench against N.C. State. . . . N.C. State is playing away from home for the first time. Its victories have come against Prairie View A&M, San Jose State, East Carolina, James Madison and the Citadel. . . . Four freshmen have been part of an eight-man rotation for the Wolfpack in the last two games.
Keep an eye on this matchup: N.C. State has installed a Princeton-style offense that looks to score off back-door cuts to the basket and flare screens to three-point shooters. Four of the five on the floor will face up and fire, including power forward Melvin, which could draw Williams away from the basket and strain Ohio State's already tenuous rebounding situation.
How it might play out: These teams look like mirror images, relying on experienced guards to control the offense while welcoming any help they can get from inexperienced players inside. Both teams are shooting about 50 percent from the field and will look for opportunities to run. North Carolina State might look for more three-point shots, though. The Wolfpack attempts about 40 percent of its shots behind the arc and has made 36 percent of them, or eight per game. The Buckeyes have attempted 29 percent of their shots from three-point range and have made 45.2 percent of them, or seven per game.
Next game: North Carolina-Wilmington, 5 p.m. Sunday, Value City Arena.
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