NC State Wolfpack

By Tony Haynes

If Steve Blake doesn't make it in the NBA, maybe he'll have success in the area of refractive eye surgery. After watching the Maryland point guard carve up NC State's proud defense with some of the prettiest passing this side of John Stockton, I'm convinced he could thread a needle with a one inch wide rope.

In Maryland's overwhelming 95-66 victory over the Pack on Tuesday, Blake finished with 15 points, nine assists and ZERO turnovers. And it's not as if most of the passes he attempted were easy. On one fast break, he floated a pass into the hands of Lonnie Baxter, who may have had an NC State defender beat by a half-step. The ball dropped in so softly it looked like a butterfly with burnt toenails.

Blake threw passes that were hard, some that were soft, and others that skipped perfectly into the waiting hands of an appreciative teammate. It was quite an exhibition. And had I not been broadcasting the game from the NC State point of view, I would have enjoyed it even more.

A great point guard is to a basketball team what a great conductor is to a grand symphony. Make no mistake about it: Steve Blake has some great musicians in his orchestra. People like Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter, Byron Mouton and Terence Morris usually apply the finishing touches when they get the ball in scoring position.

But it is the point guard who is responsible for getting the ball where it needs to go at exactly that perfect moment. When a shooter gets open off of a specific screening action, he's usually only free for a fraction of a second. If the ball doesn't arrive on time, a potential score can be lost. The same goes for feeding the post. Frontcourt players work hard to put themselves in a position to score, but their efforts can be wasted if the ball doesn't come their way at the perfect time and from the proper angle.

The point guard runs the show and on Tuesday night in College Park, Steve Blake was a showstopper.

For NC State this season, there has been no consistent conductor. Clifford Crawford, Archie Miller and Anthony Grundy have all tried their hand at running the Wolfpack offense. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. Blessed with quickness and athleticism, Crawford often makes breathtaking plays in the open floor. But as an inexperienced sophomore, is still trying to master the art of consistently running an effective halfcourt offense on a consistent basis. Miller, who was slowed by a stress fracture in his left leg, is a deadly shooter who also does a nice job of feeding the post. He is not, however, as much of a threat off the dribble. Grundy, who was slated to play the off-guard position this season, brings more of a scoring mentality to the point position.

The Pack has a great point guard on its bench, but unfortunately, Sean Miller's eligibility ran out in 1992. One of the finest point guards in Big East history, Miller still holds records at the University of Pittsburgh for assists (744) and free-throw percentage (.885). Now, as an assistant on Herb Sendek's staff, he is working overtime in an effort to develop a top-notch lead guard at NC State.

The top teams in the ACC have one thing in common: all have received consistent performances from their point guards this season. North Carolina's fortunes turned around when Ronald Curry went from being a quarterback on the football field to being a quarterback on the basketball court. Duke has the dazzling Jason Williams, who is perhaps the league's most talented player. At Virginia, there's the lightning quick Donald Hand. Georgia Tech has been bolstered by Tony Akins, who had finally come into his own in his junior season.

And then there's that guy at Maryland. At his current pace, Blake would become the first Terrapin to lead the ACC in assists since John Lucas in 1974. If you ask me, that's some pretty impressive company.