North Carolina State University
Lowe thinks Wolfpack is headed in the right direction
By Bob Holliday Feb 17, 2009
"This is our team." NC State Coach Sidney Lowe believes his Wolfpack squad is playing its best basketball over the past three weeks. State has won four of six games in that span, scoring at least 75 points each time out.
Lowe began to make changes after State dropped five of its first six in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Concerned about rebounding, Lowe decided to start using a bigger line-up, inserting Tracy Smith along with Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley.
The Wolfpack has also begun playing a faster tempo. "I tell our point guards not to look at me on the bench when they're bringing the ball up the floor," Lowe says. "I tell them if we need to talk, I'll call you." State has played at a quicker pace in February, often scoring before the defense gets set.
Lowe has also changed his player rotation. NC State in December and January often used ten or eleven players-and not always the same ten or eleven. In recent weeks, the Pack has relied extensively on eight players, or at most, nine.
NC State is still an underdog against North Carolina tomorrow night, but figures to be more competitive than the team that lost to the Tar Heels by 17 points at home. Lowe believes tempo will be key. Duke elected to play UNC's running game, and gave up more than 100 points in a 14 point loss. State will not repeat that mistake. "We have to play our game," Lowe said today. "We'll run when it's smart to run, but we want to control the tempo."
Since going to the bigger line-up and shortening the bench, State has done a better job of rebounding and not turning the ball over. Those areas will be critical tomorrow. Rebounds and turnovers are the primary fuel for Carolina's fast break.
Copyright 2012 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Most Recent Comments
RE: Lowe thinks Wolfpack is headed in the right direction
i guess the rivalry they are talking about was back when case coached lol. if i need to go further with the football thing. Heels 11w`s state 5w`s in last 16 games, ok enough on this mess.
I guess you don't really care to include five additional games back, in which case Carolina leads the series by just one game, 11-10.
Looking forward to evening up the last 22 games at 11-11 on November 28th.
GO PACK!!!
RE: Lowe thinks Wolfpack is headed in the right direction
unc sucks---win or lose. Go STATE!
unc fans suck more! Go STATE!
RE: Lowe thinks Wolfpack is headed in the right direction
4tarheels - You hit the nail on the head. I work with UNC graduates everyday. My friends went to State and UNC. We hammer each other year round. All in good fun.
RE: Lowe thinks Wolfpack is headed in the right direction
[edit] NC State coaches
Everett Case: 25-19
Press Maravich: 2-2
Norm Sloan: 13-26
Jim Valvano: 6-18
Les Robinson: 5-7
Herb Sendek: 5-16
Sidney Lowe: 1-5
i guess the rivalry they are talking about was back when case coached lol. if i need to go further with the football thing. Heels 11w`s state 5w`s in last 16 games, ok enough on this mess.
RE: Lowe thinks Wolfpack is headed in the right direction
UNC/State is a rivalry because large alumni bases live in NC and continue to raze each other on daily basis. I can't find any dook alumni to raze because they all flock back to New Jersey after graduation. I'm a UNC fan and alumni and I hate everything to do with dook basketball, but face it, after basketball season is over I don't give a second thought to dook. As for N.C. State, we have to live and work with each other on daily basis and that leads to some good old fashioned rivalry hate.
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