'Basketball' 8'9VThd Daily f ar HeelEriday; November' I4?,' 19897
'Fire & Ice' lead scorching Wolfpack in '89
By BROCK PAGE
Staff Writer
As the college basketball season
fast approaches, no team is more eager
to get on the court than the N.C. State
Wolfpack. With the cloud of an
NCAA investigation still hanging over
its head, the Pack must be chomping
at the bit to play ball again.
Some say the troubles of the past
will inspire this year's squad to per
form better on the court and in the
classroom.
"It will motivate us on the court
and off the court," junior point guard
Chris Corchiani said. "We need to
show the rest of the world that first
we're students and then athletes, and
that we're good in both."
Proving that to the world may be
very costly for N.C. State. Avie Lester,
a returning 6-foot-9 starting center,
will miss an indefinite number of
games due to academic ineligibility
under new team standards imposed
by head coach Jim Valvano. With a
frontcourt that was already weak due
to the loss of All-ACC forward
Chucky Brown, the team will sorely
miss the inside presence of Lester.
As Valvano heads into his 10th
year at N.C. State, where he has
compiled a 191-102 record, he can
be content with the knowledge that
there is at least one area in which the
team will be very strong.
The bright spot for the Wolfpack
is the backcourt duo of Corchiani and
junior Rodney Monroe, who have
been gracing the cover of preseason
basketball magazines. Fire and Ice,
as they have been called, are recog
nized by many as the finest guard
tandem in the nation.
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"It's a great honor to get such rec
ognition," Corchiani said. "We also
know what's at stake. We have to
prove it and back it up with our play."
The 6-3 Monroe is the ACC's top
returning scorer, averaging 2 1 .4 points
per game last year. He will have to
carry most of the scoring burden again
this year. Corchiani, who led the
conference in assists (8.6) and steals
(2.6), averaged 10.5 points per game
and will have to assume even more
of a scoring role for the Wolfpack.
"I'll be looking to shoot a few
more three-pointers," Corchiani said.
"I need to hit early in the game to
open it up for my other teammates
and to take some pressure off Rod
ney." Every team that N.C. State faces
will try to shut Monroe down so that
someone else besides Corchiani will
have to try to take up the slack. With
out Brown, who had 16.4 points a
game last year, someone must step
NC State
No.
13
54
34
24
3
22
23
25
32
21
33
42
15
Name Pos.
Chris Corchiani G
"Brian D'Amico C
Bryant Feggins ......... F-G
'Torn Gugliotta F
'Mickey Hinnant G-F
'Brian Howard
F
'Jamie Knox
'David Lee
"'Avie Lester
"Rodney Monroe
. Anthony Flobinson . . .
Kevin f hompson
Ftoland Whitley
'Denotes Letters Won
F
C-F
C
G
F
F
G
Head Coach
Jim Valvano (Rutgers, 1967)
Assistants
Dick Stewart (Rutgers, 1969)
Derreck Whittenburg (N.C. State, 1985)
oHffltt-'.
301 W. Franklin St (Next to Hardee's)
Free parking at the door!
929-5228
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am - 6pm Sat 10am - 5pm
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up from the frontline as a scoring
threat. Somebody also has to make
up for the lost rebounding power of
Brown, who was second in the ACC
in that category with an 8.8 average. -
The leading candidate right now
is senior Brian Howard, a 6-7 return
ing starter at forward who averaged
12.5 points and 5.4 rebounds per game
a year ago.
"Brian is the most underrated
player in the country," Corchiani said.
"He does everything for us. Without
him, we don't have a team. He has
stepped up in scoring, rebounding and
leadership."
In a recent exhibition game against
the Venezuelan National Team, N.C.
State looked impressive with an 88
55 win, as senior guard Mickey Hin
nant scored 22 points to lead the team.
The 6-6 Hinnant will come off the
bench regularly to spell Corchiani and
Monroe and will be expected to con
tribute heavily for the Wolfpack.
Roster
Hgt.
6-1
6-11
6-6
6-9
6-6
6-7
6-7
6-8
6-9
6-3
6-9
6-9
6-0
Wgt.
182
252
190
219
185
209
205
221
218
181
220
225
164
Year
Jr.
Sr.
Fr.
So.
Sr.
Sr.
So.
Sr.
Sr.
Jr.
Fr.
Fr.
So.
Hometown
Miami, Fla.
Reading, Penn.
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Huntington Station, N.Y.
Raleigh, N.C.
Winston-Salem. N.C.
. Vicksburg. Miss.
Torrance, Calif.
Roxboro, N.C.
Hagerstown, Md.
Havelock, N.C.
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Goldsboro, N.C.
Sophomore Tom Gugliotta, a 6-7
forward, will be expected to fill the
starting spot left vacant by the depar
ture of Brown. Gugliotta has a nice
touch on his outside jumper and has
had a strong preseason.
With the sudden absence of Lester,
N.C. State has to find someone else
to take over at center. Brian D'Amico,
a 6-1 1 senior, and David Lee, a 6-8
senior, could possibly step in for
Lester. Neither received a lot of qual
ity minutes last year, and both will
take time before they are ready to
contribute.
The problems of the front line leave
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the door open for two incoming fresh
men to make an immediate impact.
The newcomers, 6-9 Kevin Thompson
and 6-6 Bryant Feggins, played to
gether for Glenn High School in
Winston-Salem. Both have been out
standing in practice and are expected
to make significant contributions.
This year's squad, much like last
year's, is generally picked to finish
near the middle of the ACC. In 1989,
the Wolfpack went 10-4 in the ACC
and 22-9 overall, winning the regular-season
conference championship.
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