ACC Time Capsule: NC State's 1959 ACC Championship

In 1959 NC State won its 4th ACC title in the 6th year of the conference’s existence. NC State finished the season with a 22-4 record (12-2 in conference play). The Wolfpack’s 12-2 conference record earned them the regular season title and the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament. The Pack’s road to the championship game was no cakewalk. The first round matchup against #8 seed South Carolina was a little tighter than most ACC fans were expecting, with NC State squeaking out a 75-72 victory in OT. The semi-final game wasn’t that much easier, with NC State defeating the University of Virginia 66-63. The only game of the tournament that the Pack glided through with great ease was the championship game, which to the delight to the Wolfpack Nation, was against the North Carolina Tar Heels. This was the championship game that ACC fans wanted to see. Both teams entered the tournament with a 12-2 conference record. These were the only two teams from the conference that had made it into the National rankings throughout the season. It was the #1 seed vs. the #2 seed. Well, the game wasn’t the nail-biter that everyone anticipated. NC State thrashed UNC 80-56.

The Wolfpack championship team walked out of the tournament with 3 guys on the 1st team All-Tournament team (Lou Pucillo, John Richter and George Stepanovich) and one on the 2nd team (Bob MacGillivray). John Richter was the MVP of the tournament, averaging 13.7 points in the three games. Even though Richter led the ACC in scoring (17.0) and rebounding (14.2), it was Lou Pucillo (14.7 ppg) who brought home the ACC Player of the Year award and was also elected to the 2nd Team All-American team (AP). When the season came to an end Pucillo and Richter were both on the 1st Team All-ACC team and Stepanovich was on the 2nd Team.

Unfortunately for the second time in the 50’s, NC State was held out of the NCAA tournament due to being on probation, and UNC went on to represent the ACC instead. NC State was serving a 4-year probation that began in 1957 for the recruitment of Louisiana high school star Jackie Moreland.

ACC Time Capsule: NC State's 1956 ACC Championship

In 1956, the NC State Wolfpack solidified themselves as the king of the ACC, winning their third straight ACC title. The Pack entered the '56 ACC Tournament as the #1 seed after going 11-3 in conference play. NC State's victims in the tourney were Clemson in the Quarter-finals (88-84), Duke in the Semi-finals (91-79) and Wake Forest in the Finals (76-64). The Wolfpack had three players make the All-Tournament Team, with Vic Molodet and John Maglio making the 1st team and Ronnie Shavlik making the 2nd team. Molodet walked off with the MVP award with numbers that people only put up on PS3. His tournament averages were 26.3 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Ronnie Shavlik also created ACC history when he became the first player to earn consensus All-American in the conference's brief history. Shavlik also earned the ACC Player of the Year award after averaging 18.2 points and 19.5 rebounds (7th in the nation) on the year. Ronnie Shavlik and Vic Molodet were both selected to the All-ACC 1st team.

1956 was a big year for the ACC. For the first time, the ACC had four teams to finished ranked in the final AP poll. NC State topped the list finishing 2nd in the nation, while UNC (15th), Wake Forest (18th) and Duke (19th) also made the cut.

NC State went on to represent the ACC in the NCAA tournament and lost to Canisius in the first round of the tourney. To this day, many consider this game to be one of the Top-10 biggest upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament. It also holds a record for the most overtimes in tournament history as well with four. After four extra periods, the Pack fell 79-78.

Jerseys In The Rafters: Sammy Ranzino (1948-51)

Many NC State fans are well versed in the history of the University and it's basketball program. On the other hand, there are also a large number of fans that have never heard all the stories or know all the players who helped build the storied history of NC State. Throughout the off-season we will be highlighting each and every player that had a big enough impact to have their jersey hung in the rafters of the RBC Center. Previously we debuted "Jerseys In The Rafters" with Dick Dickey. Up next: Sammy Ranzino.

Much has been said about the historical pipeline that NC State has developed with the state of Indiana throughout the years. It all began when Indiana native Everett Case came down to Raleigh to coach the Pack. Case started the Indiana recruiting pipeline when he reeled in Dick Dickey in '47 and he solidified his ability to recruit his home-state when he snared Sammy Ranzino one year later.

Sammy Ranzino was 6-2 Forward out of Gary, Indiana. His career at NC State was one for the record books...literally. Ranzino's accolades place him at a table that only a few players in NC State basketball history are fit to sit at. Sammy is one of only 3 players in the history of Wolfpack Basketball to earn All-American honors 3 times (David Thompson and Dick Dickey). He did what even few great players have done, leading his team to four conference championships (Southern Conference) in four years. Sammy's Senior campaign caught the attention of nation, earning consensus All-American honors. The Rochester Royals were impressed with his 20.8 points per game that year and took him with the 8th overall pick in the 1951 NBA draft. Ranzino left NC State as the All-Time leading scorer with 1,967 career points, and this was a record that he would hold onto for 24 years, until David Thompson came along and put up 2,309 in a short three-year span. Ranzino currently ranks as the 4th All-Time leading scorer in Pack history. He was posthumously honored on February 22, 1999, when his jersey was raised to the rafters in what was a memorable night in Reynolds Coliseum.

ACC Time Capsule: NC State's 1955 ACC Championship

In 1955, Everett Case guided the Pack to their second consecutive ACC Championship, and his second consecutive ACC Coach of the Year honor. NC State finished the regular season with a 25-4 overall record and a 12-2 record in conference play. Junior Ronnie Shavlik jumped right in and filled the shoes of Mel Thompson, who graduated the year before, and left a team void of their leader. Shavlik and Molodet, who were the Sophomore studs that forecasted so much hope for the Pack in the previous season, lived up to the hype. Both of them earned All-ACC honors, with Shavlik landing on the All-ACC First Team and Molodet landing on the All-ACC Second Team for the second straight year. As a Junior, Shavlik ranked 5th in the ACC in scoring (22.1ppg) and 2nd in rebounding (18.1rpg). Molodet was the model of consistency, averaging 13.5 points per contest, which was right in line with his production from the previous year (13.8ppg). 

NC State entered the ACC Tournament as the #1 seed, and they played how you would expect a #1 seed to play. The Pack matched up against Clemson in the first round, and NC State handed the Tigers a 25-point beating, winning 101-76. Next up for the Pack was Wake Forest. The Wolfpack again won with ease as they defeated the Demon Deacons 85-70. NC State made it three-for-three, beating the Duke Blue Devils 87-77 in the ACC championship game. Ronnie Shavlik (1st Team), Vic Molodet (2nd Team) and Phil DiNardo (2nd Team) were all selected to the All-Tournament team, with Shavlik claiming the MVP honors. His numbers were worthy of the honor, as he averaged 23.3 points and 18.0 rebounds in tournament play. 

This basketball team was purely dominant and no one will ever no what they might have accomplished. The Pack was held out of the NCAA tournament due to recruiting violations and Duke represented the ACC in their stead. Even though the Pack was held out of the prized tournament, they managed to finish the season ranked 4th in the AP poll.

Jerseys In the Rafters: Dick Dickey (1947-1950)

Many NC State fans are well versed in the history of the University and it's basketball program. On the other hand, there are also a large number of fans that have never heard all the stories or know all the players who helped build the storied history of NC State. Throughout the off-season we will be highlighting each and every player that had a big enough impact to have their jersey hung in the rafters of the RBC Center. Without further ado, we'd like to introduce... "Jerseys in the Rafters."

Let's start off with a few questions for all you NC State Basketball historians out there.




Who was...

- the only 4-time All-Conference selection in NC State history?

-the first NC State Basketball player to be drafted to the NBA?

- the 8th leading scorer in school history?

If you answered all three questions with "Dick Dickey", you'd be correct. When talking NC State Basketball history, many will throw out names like Thompson, Monroe, Corchiani, but few mention the accolade-laden Dickey. Dick, born in Alexandria, Indiana, was the first real superstar to wear the red and white. Recruited by Everett Case, Dickey was one of the pioneers of the college game and helped put NC State basketball on the map by being named to the National All-American team 3 different times, one of only 3 Wolfpackers to ever accomplish such a feat. The Pack has been to the Final Four on three separate occasions. Most of us are well versed in the previous two Final Fours, however, the trip in 1950 is not as well documented. In 1950, NC State was led by the marvelous scoring and nationally recognized star, Dick Dickey. Although the Pack did not take home the trophy that season, Dickey was named to the 1950 NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team. This capped an extremely successful and extremely consistent career in which he scored 1,644 points and led the Wolfpack to an overall record of 107-82.



After college, Dickey was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets, making him the first player from NC State to ever play in the NBA. He ended up as a journeyman, playing for the Anderson Packers(NBL) before moving on to the Boston Celtics. In 2005, Dickey was inducted into the college basketball hall of fame and also voted one of the top 5 players to ever play at NC State University, and having the privilege of getting his "Jersey in the Rafters."



Dick Dickey passed away in 2006. He was 79.

ACC Time Capsule: NC State's 1954 ACC Championship

One of our goals here at Wolfpack Hoops is to help educate the Wolfpack Nation on the legacy of our basketball program. In fact, when you look back in ACC history you will find that NC State layed the foundation of the ACC basketball tradition. Over the summer we will be covering all of our ACC championships, our honored jerseys in the rafters, and both of our NCAA championships. We have a rich basketball history at NC State and sometimes I think that is forgotten. In this article we will be covering the Pack's 1st ACC championship.

After arriving at NC State in 1946, Everett Case wasted no time, scooping up 5 quick Southern Conference Championships. He was one of the proponets of the formation of the ACC and his extreme success in the Southern Conference helped open people's eyes that a better brand of basketball was needed. The Pack's 1st ACC Championship came in 1954 (which was actually the 1st of a three-peat), with Case at the helm. Not only was this the 1st ACC Championship for the Pack, but it was also the 1st year of the ACC Tournament. Case's '54 squad was led by 1st Team All-ACC Senior Mel Thompson. He had a productive Senior campaign averaging 18.6 points per contest, which ranked him 4th in the ACC. The Pack also had a studded Sophomore class that was headlined by Guard Vic Molodet and Center Ronnie Shavlik. Molodet was a 5'11 guard out of Chicago who entertained the crowds with his ballhandling and flashy style of play. His Sophomore campaign was so impressive that he earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors. Ronnie Shavlik was a 6'8 Center out of Denver and also made noise within the ACC as a Sophomore, ranking 2nd in the ACC in rebounding, pulling down 13.4 boards a game.

The ACC was in its elementary stages and in 1954 they had yet to establish a system where every team played an equal amount of ACC games. The ACC schedule for each team was sporadic to say the least. One team played a mere 5 ACC games and another played 12. The Pack played 8 ACC games going 5-3, ranking them 4th in the league. After going 21-7 during the regular season the Pack didn't finish the regular season ranked, even though they were in and out of the rankings through out the year. They entered the inaugural ACC Tournament as the #4 seed. The Pack might have held a slight advantage with the tournament being held in the sacred Reynolds Colliseum. I think all of us would covet the cost of admission to the '54 ACC tourney. You could buy tickets for the entire tournament for only $10. It must have been a beautiful thing to see the Wolfpack take down each member of the Tobacco Road crew.
39,200 people attended the 1954 ACC tournament. The Pack began their destruction of the Tobacco Road crew by handling #5 seed UNC 52-51 in their Quarterfinals. The Duke Blue Devils were the next victims, falling to the boys in Red & White 79-75 in the Semifinals. The State fans probably had their nerves shot by the end of the tournament, as none of the wins came in an easy manner. NC State went on to claim the ACC Title by defeating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 82-80 in Overtime. Mel Thompson and Ronnie Shavlik were selected to the All-Tournament First Team and Herb Appelbaum was selected to the Second Team.

The ACC Tournament held a lot more weight back then, because the winner was the only team to represent the ACC in the NCAA Tournament. The Pack went on to win two out of their three games, as they represented the ACC in the NCAA Tournament. The Pack was victorious in the opening round of the tourney, defeating George Washington 75-73. After loosing to La Salle in the Second Round 81-88, they went on to defeat Cornell 65-54 in the 3rd place Regional game. The Pack could hold their head high knowing that they lost to the team that went on to win the National Championship in La Salle.

State finished the season with a record of 26-7 and finished the season 10th in the AP poll and 14th in the Coaches Poll. Everett Case's incredible run in the inaugural ACC tourney earned him the Coach of the Year award in the ACC, and this would become one of many in his 18 year career at NC State.

Carolina Killers

As the big game against the Tar Heels looms, we here at Wolfpack Hoops would like to introduce you to the greatest Carolina Killers in NC State Basketball History.

#1 on our list is CC Harrison
In 1998 C.C. Harrison caused Tar Heel Blue Sweater Vests to unravel as he drained 8 Three Pointers in the Dean Dome to lead the Pack to an 86-72 victory.



The #2 Carolina killer is Tom Gugliotta. Googs tied CC for the most Three Point Field Goals made in a game against UNC as he shredded 8 Three's on Carolina in a 99-88 victory in Raleigh in 1992. He also went on to finish that game with 36 points, which happens to also be the most points scored by a player in a game against the Tar Heels. Both of these Pack Legends are two of the best 3-Point shooters in NC State History. Goog's is sixth on the list and C.C. is tenth (3-Point FG's Made).

Our # 3 Ram slayer is Ronnie Shavlik, who happens to be NC State's All-Time leading rebounder. He gained the record for the most rebounds against the Tar Heels, when he sucked down 23 boards in a 79-73 victory in 1956.

Killer #4 is current Portland Trailblazers head coach Nate McMillan. His game against UNC in 1985 was a profitable endeavor as he collected 13 dimes in Reynolds, which was a record against the Heels as well. Nate is seventh on the All-Time Assists list.


Even though this isn't a highlight reel from that particular game, we thought you might enjoy seeing Coach Nate pin the Heels to the backboard in a game in Reynolds in 1986.

.Finally, Carolina Killer #5 is none other than Ishua Benjamin. In the same game that C.C. Harrison had 8 Treys, Ish became a con artist by committing a mass thievery: a record 7 steals against the Heels. Ishua made quite a habit of doing this in his career as he sits at fourth on the All-Time Steals list.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

Set aside around 25 minutes to watch these videos. Pop some popcorn. Crack open a Coke. Kick your feet up. Glory in the past...Dream of the future.

1988: The Pack is led by Monroe and Del Negro down the stretch to lead Jimmy V's Pack past Duke in Cameron (The rest of the crew: Chris Corchiani, Chucky Brown, and Charles Shackleford).



1989: Fire and Ice do it again in Reynolds.



Your boy Fells makes Thomas look like an infant.

Brandon Costner One of NC State's All-Time Leading Scorers?

1. Rodney Monroe 1988-91 2,551
2. David Thompson 1973-75 2,309
3. Julius Hodge 2002-05 2,040
4. Sammy Ranzino 1948-51 1, 967
5. Hawkeye Whitney 1977-80 1,964
6. Kenny Carr 1975-77 1,772
7. Ronnie Shavlik 1954-56 1,761
8. Dick Dickey 1947-50 1,644
9. Anthony Grundy 1999-02 1,641
10. Tommy Burleson 1974-76 1,598
11. Todd Fuller 1993-96 1,585
12. Mel Thompson 1952-54 1,574
13. Van Williford 1968-70 1,543
14. Tom Gugliotta 1989-92 1,536
15. Lorenzo Charles 1982-85 1,535
16. Paul Horvath 1948-51 1,513
17. Thurl Bailey 1980-83 1,495
18. Bobby Speight 1951-53 1,430
19. Chris Corchiani 1988-91 1,425
20. Vic Molodet 1954-56 1,405
21. Clyde Austin 1977-80 1,383
22. Chucky Brown 1986-89 1,357
23. Kenny Inge 1998-01 1,355
24. Gavin Grant 2005-08 1,342
25. Marcus Melvin 2001-04 1,301

These are the Top 25 Leading Scorers in the History of NC State Basketball. It shouldn't go unnoticed that Brandon Costner is on pace to be one of the All-Time leading scorers for the Wolfpack. He currently has 1,094 points. If he were to continue to score 14.6 ppg for the rest of the regular season and 1 ACC game he would finish this year with 1,313 which would move BC into the 25th spot bumping Marcus Melvin out. If Brandon were to come back next year like he alluded to earlier this season, it is feasible that he would finish as one of the Top-10 Wolfpack scorers of All-Time. Give B-Cost his props.

NC State High School McDonald's All-Americans

Let's Take A Trip Down Memory Lane

With the game against Clemson coming up on Saturday, we figure a glance at a few of the past victories against the Tigers can't hurt can it? I mean after a tough loss against Florida, all of Wolfpack Nation could use a morale boost. 1-0 in ACC play would make us quite the happy campers.


1991 NC State vs. Clemson in Reynolds with Fire, Ice, and the Googs.


Engin Atsur, Cam, Mov, and Ced City doing dirty work at Clemson in 2006

NC State's All-Time Statistical Leaders