North Carolina State University
Wolfpack takes small step forward this season
By Tim Hall Mar 11, 2009
Tim Hall has covered Wolfpack basketball all season long for 99.9 The Fan ESPN Radio.
The end of the 2007-08 N.C. State basketball season left a sour taste in the mouth of the Wolfpack fan base. Concluding the season on a nine-game losing streak might do that.
A season that started with the promise of a McDonald's All-American in J.J. Hickson ended with a record under .500 and no post-season play.
This year's Pack, though without a realistic chance to make the NCAA Tournament, have improved. The losses of two key players should be neutralized by the emergence of two key young ones.
The Point:
The point guard position was in utter dismay at the start of the season. Sidney Lowe couldn't rely on one particular player to grab the reins and take control of the position. It's hard to just pick one player and ride it out with him if that player is turning the ball over with no remorse. Farnold Degand, Javier Gonzalez, and even true freshmen Julius Mays all had their turn in the starting lineup.
It's ironic that the team's current best point guard (Gonzalez) disappeared for a huge stretch of the season. He recorded DNP's in eight games this season. Some of those games he missed due to a laceration to his arm. But even after he became healthy Gonzalez struggled to find the court. He played just 16 minutes total in the team's first seven ACC games.
Then Sidney Lowe brought him back to playing action in the non-conference home game against N.C. Central. Maybe it was the perfect move to bring him back slowly in a pressure free game. But apparently it wasn't just injuries or Gonzalez' ability that kept him out of action for so long. Lowe said two days before the N.C. Central game, "I don't want to get into it but there's other reasons why he's (Gonzalez) not playing."
As it sits now, making Gonzalez the starting point guard was the right call and his play on the court backs that up. He has started the last nine games for the Wolfpack and in that span he is averaging almost 11 points and four assists per game.
The realization is Engin Atsur is not at N.C. State anymore and he's not coming back. Gonzalez is what you have. And if he builds off of games like he had against Boston College (5 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 turnover) it might not be that bad.
Size:
Midway through the ACC season, Lowe decided to add size to his starting lineup, as well as athletic ability. Sophomore Tracy Smith moved to the starting lineup and saw a dramatic increase in his minutes. Smith came off the bench for the first 20 games of the season, and he only logged more than 20 minutes in four of those games. Since joining the starters nine games ago against Virginia Tech, he hasn't played less than 20 minutes, and he hasn't scored less than 12 points in any game.
The move to increase Smith's minutes and his involvement in State's inside-out style of play was smart, and it just might have highlighted the best scoring option for this team in the future. In fact, he already may be the best scoring option this season.
Nobody on the team has scored more points than Smith since he entered the starting lineup. There have even been stretches of games where Smith was the only one that could get points in the post.
X Factor:
What will Costner do? The decision Brandon Costner makes at the end of the season will have huge impact on the personnel of the Wolfpack next season. He is set to graduate in May and he could choose to pass up his final year. He has not had the breakout season we imagined he would with the absence of Hickson. He is leading the team in scoring but he certainly did not emerge as the consistent go-to scoring threat.
Despite averaging a shade more than 13 points per game, he has wilted down the stretch offensively. He did go through the mental lapse as he dealt with the death of his grandfather. Whether an emotional loss is an excuse or not, his play on the court was negatively affected.
Costner would greatly benefit from returning to school for his final year of eligibility. He could become "the guy" for one year. He would be the returning leading scorer and senior leader. For his sake, he needs another shot at college ball to have a better season. That is if he has aspirations to play beyond the college level.
He can go through stretches of dull spots when you wonder if he is even helping the team by being on the floor, and at other times he can really spark the team offensively. Needless to say he will be wanted back with the loss of Ben McCauley and Courtney Fells to graduation.
NIT?:
They are the three letters that everyone around the country usually makes jokes about. But for a program trying to rebuild, it's something.
Nobody on the team wants to settle for the NIT, but a four-day run through the ACC Tournament will be nothing short of a miracle for a team that won six conference games in the regular season.
McCauley knew his club needed to win every game after the loss at Wake Forest.
"Pretty much, yeah," McCauley answered. "But I don't see why we can't."
Unfortunately for the Wolfpack it went 1-2 in the final three regular season games with losses at home to Maryland and at Miami. Both games the Wolfpack was in contention to win the game.
A lot can come from an NIT berth. It's the same as making a cheap bowl game in football. You get extra practice time, you can develop the younger players, get on national TV a couple more times, and maybe go to New York City.
Next up for N.C. State is a rematch vs. Maryland in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Thursday at 7 p.m. Maybe the Wolfpack can find some of that magic that helped them make a run in the tournament two years ago. But a copy of that would still leave this team shy of the field of 64.
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Most Recent Comments
RE: Wolfpack takes small step forward this season
Sidney Lowe has been the hottest topic on here this year--for sure. He can coach. He isn't getting the top notch people here yet......But, in due time, I think that he will. AD Fowler probably got a nice deal when he hired him. Look at the many names that simply turned this one down before hiring Sidney. GET OFF OF Sidney.
- Posted by Hokie 94
I think Sidney will succeed. He has been bad for a long time, but most of us already knew he would be getting on-the-job training. The good news for Sid is that he is learning. He used to treat players the way NBA players have to be treated -- by coddling them. Now he's learning to coach like a college coach. This is HIS team, and it's HIS way or the highway! It took him a while, but Sid has demonstrated that he's willing to change when something isn't working.
And he has a darn fine recruiting class coming in next year. If the fans will give him time, he will be OK, I think. Earlier this year I wouldn't have said that. But the man knows his X's and O's.
As for those other coaches turning us down, it wasn't just simple turn-downs. Our idiot AD ran a very PUBLIC campaign to find a coach. Whenever we got close to good coaches, their employers scrambled to give them raises. So they stayed.
In the end, I think we got a good coach. He just needed training. He's getting there.
RE: Wolfpack takes small step forward this season
Sidney Lowe has been the hottest topic on here this year--for sure. He can coach. He isn't getting the top notch people here yet......But, in due time, I think that he will. AD Fowler probably got a nice deal when he hired him. Look at the many names that simply turned this one down before hiring Sidney. GET OFF OF Sidney.
RE: Wolfpack takes small step forward this season
Herb took them to 4 straight NCAA appearance and has proven himself at a non-basketball school again, where did u think SIDNEY would take you? National Title? And he hasn't won on any level as a coach and now State fans or complaining again but for the right reason(not winning)!!! J. Wall want come b/c of State system doesn't fit his style of play and he is a one a done guy.
- Posted by GoTarheels468
Yes, Herb had clearly plateaued at State. He's a good coach, but he wasn't getting it done here, and he wasn't going to get it done here. (Read this blog article:
http://yetanotherncstatesportsblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/kentucky-nc-state-basketball-and-danger.html)
Herb coaches in a weak conference now and his team is overrated. You'll find that out in the dance.
Why are we talking about Herb again? He's gone. We wanted him gone. He wanted to be gone. Everybody's happy now. More power to him. I wish him well.
Now, go Sid. And yes, I think Sid can get it done. It takes more than three years to build something from nothing. And if State had held onto that 20 point second-half lead against Va Tech (I think it's safe to call that a "should have"), we'd have had 7 regular season conference wins. It took Herb Sendek SIX YEARS to accomplish that.
So all you Herb lovers, put THAT in your "herb pipe" and smoke it!
RE: Wolfpack takes small step forward this season
I GET IT ALREADY! You're gonna win the division that you've finished last in for the past 3 seasons. Fine, TBK. I'll count on you guys going from worst to first. Now I just have figure out if I'm gonna bet one wooden nickel or two.
- Posted by cutclifferules
yes, for once, you finally get it!
RE: Wolfpack takes small step forward this season
What are you even doing on this article billygoat? Everyone of your post are spewing with negativity. You haven't brought one legitimate observation to the table and your post help manifest the prototypical tarheel fan that you are. Just can't stand any type of positive media going toward NCSU, I get it. I believe in some circles they call people like that "haters". But please continue I enjoy you making yourself look like a tool for everyones viewing pleasure.
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