WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Julius Hodge has the uncanny ability to slip his wiry body into places the defense would rather not have him go. Against Michigan State in the first round of the East Regional, Hodge was at his rubbery best. And as a result North Carolina State is going where the Spartans rather they not go: the second round, after a 69-58 come-from-way-behind victory.

	Julius Hodge says games in the NCAAs are "are what I'm all about."

You've heard of slight of hand? Well, the 6-foot-6 freshman swingman is slight of body. At a 177 pounds, if he turned sideways, he'd disappear. After scoring just four first-half points Friday, Hodge found every nook and crevice in the Spartan D and exploited it with lightening drives to the hole. In the first five minutes of the second half, Hodge got two "and ones" off of penetration which ignited a furious 30-10 Wolfpack run.

"This was just fun to me," said Hodge. "These big games are what I'm all about."

Possibly more important to the Wolfpack than his off-balance finishes is the enthusiasm and determination Hodge pumped into his club when all-ACC guard Anthony Grundy pick up his fourth personal.

"He led for us at that point," said Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek. In a five-minute stretch late in the second, Hodge chipped in a fast-break lay up, a free throw, blocked 6-9 Adam Ballinger, found Ilian Evtimov for a trey, changed a Marcus Taylor 3 then force Chris Hill into a backcourt turnover. His spirited play had the Wolfpack bench (including Grundy) practicing their vertical leaps and towel waving skills. At one point a referee asked the entire bench to be seated. (What is that all about? This is the Tournament.) The bench complied which sent the small Wolfpack contingent (about 700 people) behind the bench over the edge, basically turning a neutral site into a home game for the Pack.

For all of Hodge's exploits, his best play of the game won't make the highlights or game reports. With 1:28 to play, up 62-55 and losing some mo, Hodge was pushing it full tilt up the left sideline. It was one-on-two and he probably could have gotten to the hole with the way things were falling for him this day. Instead he pulled it back until he had numbers. Then he didn't like what he saw and called time. When he got to the bench Sendek patted him on the shoulder and cracked his first (and very slight) smile of the afternoon. A freshman had just made a senior play and he knew it.

This is especially big if you know Hodge's game. At 6-6 he handles the ball like he's 5-6 and has more razzle-dazzle than a small circus. And too often then not he isn't shy about showing it when all eyes are on him.

"This is business," said N.C. State sophomore forward Marcus Melvin. "He knows what he's got to do."

Coming out of the time out Sendek drew up a play for Melvin that worked to perfection and put the game out of reach.

The Wolfpack beat Michigan State with simple determination and know how. The same way they beat Maryland in the ACC tournament. They just wanted it more.

State is a team trying to make up for a 10-year tournament drought in two weeks. If the national championship was awarded due to how hungry a program is, put N.C. State at the front of the pack. And watch out for that freshman.

Chris Palmer is a writer at ESPN The Magazine.