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The Sports Network
By Scott Haynes, College Basketball Editor
DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 15th, 1:30 p.m. (et).
FACTS & STATS: Site: Greensboro Coliseum (23,500) -- Greensboro, North
Carolina. Television: ESPN. Home Record: NC State 13-3, Wake Forest 16-0.
Away Record: NC State 3-7, Wake Forest 7-4. Neutral Record: NC State 1-1, Wake
Forest 1-0. Conference Record: NC State 9-7, Wake Forest 13-3. Series Record:
NC State leads, 122-92.
GAME NOTES: A rematch of the ACC regular season-finale between Wake Forest and
NC State takes center stage at the Greensboro Coliseum, as the ninth-ranked
and top-seeded Demon Deacons battle the fourth-seeded Wolfpack in semifinal
action of the ACC Tournament this afternoon. The Demon Deacons, who captured
their first ACC regular season title since 1962 with a 13-3 league ledger,
advanced through the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 69-61 win over Florida
State on Friday. The victory was Wake's seventh straight, as the team hasn't
lost since February 17th against Maryland. Skip Prosser's team is just one
game away from its first championship game since winning the title in 1996. In
all, Wake Forest has won four tournament titles. Standing in the way is a
dangerous NC State squad, which got past a hungry, but young Georgia Tech team
in the quarterfinals, 71-65. The Wolfpack rank third in tournament history in
terms of success, claiming 10 crowns. They are trying to return to the title
game for the second straight season, after losing to Duke (91-61) in last
season's championship game. Wake Forest has won eight straight in this series,
including a 78-72 win in Raleigh in the season-finale, giving the Demon
Deacons to regular season crown.
Playing stingy defense in the first half, NC State held Georgia Tech to a mere
.344 shooting in the first half, taking a nine-point lead into the break, and
holding on for the victory. The Wolfpack shot 50 percent from the floor in the
game, and got balanced scoring, as four players finished in double figures in
the win. While First-Team All-ACC selection Julius Hodge has been the focal
point of the offensive attack this season, others stood up and made an account
of themselves in the quarterfinal victory. Center Josh Powell led the way with
18 points and eight rebounds, while guard Scooter Sherrill and forward Marcus
Melvin added 15 points apiece. Hodge rounded things out with 10 points, sis
rebounds and six assists. Herb Sendek improved to 6-1 in ACC opening round
games at NC State, as the Wolfpack moved into the semifinal round for the
fourth time in the last five seasons. Coming into the tournament, Hodge
averaged a team-high 17.6 ppg. Offensive help comes from Marcus (12.3 ppg) and
Powell (11.4 ppg) inside, while Sherrill (10.2 ppg) provides perimeter
support.
The Demon Deacons showed their championship form on Friday. All-American and
First-Team All-ACC selection Josh Howard struggled from the floor, but the
rest of the team picked up the slack in leading Wake Forest to a win over a
pesky Florida State team in quarterfinal action. Howard still led the team in
scoring with 17 points, but was just 7-of-15 from the floor, including missing
all three of his three-point shots. Howard also hauled in eight rebounds.
Freshman guard Justin Gray came off the bench with a spark, as he poured in 15
points and doled out six assists in the win, while forward Vytas Danelius
chipped in with 14 points. Fellow forward Jamaal Levy added just six points to
the cause, but was more of a weapon on the boards, where he pulled down a
game-high 12 caroms. This has been Howard's year to shine, as he has joined
Duke greats Shane Battier, Grant Hill and Christian Laettner as the only
players in league history to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists,
200 steals and 100 blocks. The ACC's leading scorer this year, Howard came
into the tournament averaging 20.1 ppg. Danelius and Gray have provided the
most offensive support, adding 13.0 and 11.9 ppg, respectively.
The Demon Deacons certainly know how to handle the Wolfpack, having posted
eight straight wins in this series. The Wolfpack are no strangers to this type
of pressure, being here last season and winning. However, this could just be
the year of Wake Forest, which will find a way, usually with Howard leading,
to get into Sunday's championship tilt against the winner of the Duke/North
Carolina game.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Wake Forest 79, NC State 74
By Scott Haynes, College Basketball Editor
DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 15th, 1:30 p.m. (et).
FACTS & STATS: Site: Greensboro Coliseum (23,500) -- Greensboro, North
Carolina. Television: ESPN. Home Record: NC State 13-3, Wake Forest 16-0.
Away Record: NC State 3-7, Wake Forest 7-4. Neutral Record: NC State 1-1, Wake
Forest 1-0. Conference Record: NC State 9-7, Wake Forest 13-3. Series Record:
NC State leads, 122-92.
GAME NOTES: A rematch of the ACC regular season-finale between Wake Forest and
NC State takes center stage at the Greensboro Coliseum, as the ninth-ranked
and top-seeded Demon Deacons battle the fourth-seeded Wolfpack in semifinal
action of the ACC Tournament this afternoon. The Demon Deacons, who captured
their first ACC regular season title since 1962 with a 13-3 league ledger,
advanced through the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 69-61 win over Florida
State on Friday. The victory was Wake's seventh straight, as the team hasn't
lost since February 17th against Maryland. Skip Prosser's team is just one
game away from its first championship game since winning the title in 1996. In
all, Wake Forest has won four tournament titles. Standing in the way is a
dangerous NC State squad, which got past a hungry, but young Georgia Tech team
in the quarterfinals, 71-65. The Wolfpack rank third in tournament history in
terms of success, claiming 10 crowns. They are trying to return to the title
game for the second straight season, after losing to Duke (91-61) in last
season's championship game. Wake Forest has won eight straight in this series,
including a 78-72 win in Raleigh in the season-finale, giving the Demon
Deacons to regular season crown.
Playing stingy defense in the first half, NC State held Georgia Tech to a mere
.344 shooting in the first half, taking a nine-point lead into the break, and
holding on for the victory. The Wolfpack shot 50 percent from the floor in the
game, and got balanced scoring, as four players finished in double figures in
the win. While First-Team All-ACC selection Julius Hodge has been the focal
point of the offensive attack this season, others stood up and made an account
of themselves in the quarterfinal victory. Center Josh Powell led the way with
18 points and eight rebounds, while guard Scooter Sherrill and forward Marcus
Melvin added 15 points apiece. Hodge rounded things out with 10 points, sis
rebounds and six assists. Herb Sendek improved to 6-1 in ACC opening round
games at NC State, as the Wolfpack moved into the semifinal round for the
fourth time in the last five seasons. Coming into the tournament, Hodge
averaged a team-high 17.6 ppg. Offensive help comes from Marcus (12.3 ppg) and
Powell (11.4 ppg) inside, while Sherrill (10.2 ppg) provides perimeter
support.
The Demon Deacons showed their championship form on Friday. All-American and
First-Team All-ACC selection Josh Howard struggled from the floor, but the
rest of the team picked up the slack in leading Wake Forest to a win over a
pesky Florida State team in quarterfinal action. Howard still led the team in
scoring with 17 points, but was just 7-of-15 from the floor, including missing
all three of his three-point shots. Howard also hauled in eight rebounds.
Freshman guard Justin Gray came off the bench with a spark, as he poured in 15
points and doled out six assists in the win, while forward Vytas Danelius
chipped in with 14 points. Fellow forward Jamaal Levy added just six points to
the cause, but was more of a weapon on the boards, where he pulled down a
game-high 12 caroms. This has been Howard's year to shine, as he has joined
Duke greats Shane Battier, Grant Hill and Christian Laettner as the only
players in league history to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists,
200 steals and 100 blocks. The ACC's leading scorer this year, Howard came
into the tournament averaging 20.1 ppg. Danelius and Gray have provided the
most offensive support, adding 13.0 and 11.9 ppg, respectively.
The Demon Deacons certainly know how to handle the Wolfpack, having posted
eight straight wins in this series. The Wolfpack are no strangers to this type
of pressure, being here last season and winning. However, this could just be
the year of Wake Forest, which will find a way, usually with Howard leading,
to get into Sunday's championship tilt against the winner of the Duke/North
Carolina game.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Wake Forest 79, NC State 74
The Sports Network
By Brian Mason, College Basketball Staff Writer
DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 15th, 4:05 p.m. (et).
FACTS & STATS: Site: United Center (21,711) -- Chicago, Illinois.
Television: CBS. Home Record: Indiana 11-1, Illinois 14-0. Away Record:
Indiana 2-9, Illinois 3-6. Neutral Record: Indiana 7-1, Illinois 5-0.
Conference Record: Indiana 8-8, Illinois 11-5. Series Record: Indiana leads,
78-71.
GAME NOTES: The second-seeded and 13th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini try to
continue their dominance in the Big Ten Tournament as they take on the sixth-
seeded Indiana Hoosiers semifinal round action from the United Center in
Chicago. The Hoosiers advanced to this matchup with a 63-56 victory over
third-seeded Michigan on Friday, as they have now won four of their last five
games and are an impressive 7-1 in neutral site tilts. With the victory, they
upped their overall record to a solid 20-11 and have probably solidified a
spot in the NCAA Tournament by doing so. If Indiana can advance to the
championship game, it will be its second time there in history, as it lost to
Iowa in the 2001 Tournament finale. The Illini were absolutely dominating in
their 94-65 quarterfinal victory over 10th-seeded Northwestern on Friday. They
have now won six of their last seven games and are in search of their first
ever Big Ten Championship in school history. A win today would put Illinois
back in the Championship for the third time in its history, as it made it
their in 1999 and 2000, but lost both times to Michigan State. This marks the
150th meeting all-time between these two teams, with the Hoosiers holding a
78-71 series edge. The two squads split their season series this year, with
the Hoosiers winning the first meeting, 74-66 and the Illini returning the
favor with an 80-54 blowout victory against Indiana on February 25th in
Champaign. The winner of today's contest will advance to take on the
winner of the semifinal matchup between eighth-seeded Ohio State and fifth-
seeded Michigan State, in the Championship game on Sunday.
A.J. Moye provided a spark for the Hoosiers coming off the bench in the win
against Michigan, scoring a team-high 18 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting
from the field. Jeff Newton and Tom Coverdale chipped in 15 points and six
rebounds apiece. while Bracey Wright added eight points despite an 0-5
shooting night from three-point range. The Hoosiers shot just 38.3 percent
from the floor and 4-of-24 from behind the arc, but they did convert an
impressive 23-of-29 free throw attempts. Indiana also did an excellent job of
protecting the ball and turned it over just four times the entire contest.
While the Hoosiers' offense sputtered, it defensive tenacity was unwavering,
holding Michigan to just 38.5 percent shooting from the floor. The Hoosiers
also forced the Wolverines into 12 costly turnovers, but will need to do a
better job on the boards, as Michigan was able to winning the rebounding war,
38-29.
Brian Cook, the Big Ten Player of the Year, registered a double-double
performance in the Illini's win against Northwestern, scoring 20 points and
ripping down a game-high 12 boards. Cook finished the game 8-of-10 from the
foul line, while also connecting on 2-of-4 long range attempts. Roger Powell
added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, while Dee Brown and Nick
Smith had 10 points apiece. Brown also did an excellent job getting his
teammates involved, dishing out a game-high nine assists. The Illini shot 51.7
percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc, while converting
26-of-34 free throw attempts as well. The Illinois defensive pressure was all
over Northwestern, as it was held to just 29.5 percent shooting from the floor
and 26.9 percent shooting from three-point territory. Northwestern also lost
the battle on the boards 41-35, and turned the ball over 12 careless times in
the contest.
Indiana has probably done enough in this tournament to capture an NCAA
Tournament berth, which is a good thing for the Hoosiers, because they will
not be able to contend with the Illini today. Illinois is punishing its
opponents with its powerful offensive attack and smothering defensive
pressure, as it will do so again to a poor shooting Indiana team.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Illinois 79, Indiana 66
By Brian Mason, College Basketball Staff Writer
DATE & TIME: Saturday, March 15th, 4:05 p.m. (et).
FACTS & STATS: Site: United Center (21,711) -- Chicago, Illinois.
Television: CBS. Home Record: Indiana 11-1, Illinois 14-0. Away Record:
Indiana 2-9, Illinois 3-6. Neutral Record: Indiana 7-1, Illinois 5-0.
Conference Record: Indiana 8-8, Illinois 11-5. Series Record: Indiana leads,
78-71.
GAME NOTES: The second-seeded and 13th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini try to
continue their dominance in the Big Ten Tournament as they take on the sixth-
seeded Indiana Hoosiers semifinal round action from the United Center in
Chicago. The Hoosiers advanced to this matchup with a 63-56 victory over
third-seeded Michigan on Friday, as they have now won four of their last five
games and are an impressive 7-1 in neutral site tilts. With the victory, they
upped their overall record to a solid 20-11 and have probably solidified a
spot in the NCAA Tournament by doing so. If Indiana can advance to the
championship game, it will be its second time there in history, as it lost to
Iowa in the 2001 Tournament finale. The Illini were absolutely dominating in
their 94-65 quarterfinal victory over 10th-seeded Northwestern on Friday. They
have now won six of their last seven games and are in search of their first
ever Big Ten Championship in school history. A win today would put Illinois
back in the Championship for the third time in its history, as it made it
their in 1999 and 2000, but lost both times to Michigan State. This marks the
150th meeting all-time between these two teams, with the Hoosiers holding a
78-71 series edge. The two squads split their season series this year, with
the Hoosiers winning the first meeting, 74-66 and the Illini returning the
favor with an 80-54 blowout victory against Indiana on February 25th in
Champaign. The winner of today's contest will advance to take on the
winner of the semifinal matchup between eighth-seeded Ohio State and fifth-
seeded Michigan State, in the Championship game on Sunday.
A.J. Moye provided a spark for the Hoosiers coming off the bench in the win
against Michigan, scoring a team-high 18 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting
from the field. Jeff Newton and Tom Coverdale chipped in 15 points and six
rebounds apiece. while Bracey Wright added eight points despite an 0-5
shooting night from three-point range. The Hoosiers shot just 38.3 percent
from the floor and 4-of-24 from behind the arc, but they did convert an
impressive 23-of-29 free throw attempts. Indiana also did an excellent job of
protecting the ball and turned it over just four times the entire contest.
While the Hoosiers' offense sputtered, it defensive tenacity was unwavering,
holding Michigan to just 38.5 percent shooting from the floor. The Hoosiers
also forced the Wolverines into 12 costly turnovers, but will need to do a
better job on the boards, as Michigan was able to winning the rebounding war,
38-29.
Brian Cook, the Big Ten Player of the Year, registered a double-double
performance in the Illini's win against Northwestern, scoring 20 points and
ripping down a game-high 12 boards. Cook finished the game 8-of-10 from the
foul line, while also connecting on 2-of-4 long range attempts. Roger Powell
added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, while Dee Brown and Nick
Smith had 10 points apiece. Brown also did an excellent job getting his
teammates involved, dishing out a game-high nine assists. The Illini shot 51.7
percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc, while converting
26-of-34 free throw attempts as well. The Illinois defensive pressure was all
over Northwestern, as it was held to just 29.5 percent shooting from the floor
and 26.9 percent shooting from three-point territory. Northwestern also lost
the battle on the boards 41-35, and turned the ball over 12 careless times in
the contest.
Indiana has probably done enough in this tournament to capture an NCAA
Tournament berth, which is a good thing for the Hoosiers, because they will
not be able to contend with the Illini today. Illinois is punishing its
opponents with its powerful offensive attack and smothering defensive
pressure, as it will do so again to a poor shooting Indiana team.
Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Illinois 79, Indiana 66
