On Friday night, the NC State men’s basketball team hosted its annual intrasquad scrimmage at the historic Reynolds Coliseum.
The event, typically held in PNC Arena, was moved to Reynolds this year because the 2014-15 season will be the last one before Reynolds will be closed for renovations.
“I thought the idea to have a throwback type game and bring the legends back was perfect for what’s going to happen,” head coach Mark Gottfired said. “Overall, it ended up being a great night.”
The night kicked off with the Legends game, which featured former Wolfpack greats, such as Julius Hodge and current assistant coach Derek Whittenburg. The 11 participants were split into teams and squared off in a 15-minute match.
The White team, led by 1974 NCAA Champion Monty Towe, emerged victorious in the match, 44-39. Despite his size (5’7”) and his age (61 years), Towe was named MVP of the contest after dazzling the crowd with behind-the-back passes and long-range three-pointers. After the game, Towe gave his remarks about playing at his alma mater.
“This is Reynolds Coliseum. You’re supposed to win when you play here,” Towe said.
All-time NC State points leader Rodney Monroe added 21 points for the White team. Hodge and former NBA head coach Vinny del Negro paced the Red team with 10 and eight points, respectively.
Gottfried said he was happy that the game ended without any injuries.
Following the Legends game, the Wolfpack women’s team took the court. The team, accompanied by two young NC State fans, competed in a hot-shot-style shooting competition.
Shortly after, the men’s team was introduced. The Pack men ran one by one onto the court to the roar of the crowd, followed by Gottfried driving a 1964 Cadillac.
For the main event, the Wolfpack took to the court for a 20-minute intrasquad scrimmage. The Red team was led by fan-favorite forward BeeJay Anya, while the White team had newcomer guard Trevor Lacey at point.
Post play was an interesting aspect of the scrimmage, as the Wolfpack currently lacks a true center. Anya was matched up with forward Lennard Freeman, while forwards Kyle Washington and Abdul-Malik Abu squared off.
Anya and Washington, the most probable starters for the Pack at the post positions this season, were excellent on defense, combining for six rebounds and three blocks.
However, the two were very limited on offense on the block, as their points came mostly from dump passes, offensive boards and a rare three-pointer from Washington. Gottfried said that he would like to see more designed plays for the big men.
“We need to work on our guards getting it in there better,” Gottfried said.
Junior guard Lacey was not very impressive in his debut for the Pack, missing his three shot attempts and recording just two assists in 19 minutes. However, Gottfried said that the Alabama-transfer just needs to shake off the rust.
“He’s done a great job,” Gottfried said. “When you take a year off like he did, playing under the lights helps a guy like him get back in the groove.”
Senior guard Desmond Lee, known mostly for his tight defense last season, led all scorers with eight points. Lee made the play of the night, as he threw down a ferocious fast break alley-oop from Lacey.
Sophomore guard Patrick Wallace provided the surprise of the night. Wallace barely saw the court last season, but dazzled in his appearance on Saturday, notching five points in just eight minutes of play. The sophomore led the team in three-point percentage last season, though he only shot nine times.
From an overall standpoint, Gottfried said that Saturday was a good stepping stone for the Pack.
“There are a lot of different ways to look at it,” Gottfried said. “But our guys have a long way to go.”
