lol at this thread

and a big capitalized LOL at our basketball team

and another bold capitalized LOL at Fowler

3/23/2008 4:37:39 PM

pretty much

3/23/2008 4:38:47 PM

Quote :

"while the records, performance in the acc tourney and postseason berth/performances in sendek's and lowe's first seasons were near identical"

Quote :

"lowe's first two seaons were not all that comparable to sendek"

DOES

NOT

COMPUTE

3/23/2008 4:56:08 PM

one coach took his team to their first postseason play in 5 years and then went to the postseason again


another coach took a team that had made five straight tourneys to a 2nd rate tourney and then missed the postseason


those 2 seasons sound dead on

if you were just comparing the 1rst season, i would agree that the overall record and acc tourney performance were very similar, however, under very different circumstances. one team overachieved, the other was either stagnant or underachieved.

3/23/2008 7:00:40 PM

Quote :

"another coach took a team name that had made five straight tourneys to a 2nd rate tourney and then missed the postseason"

only atsur on last year's team saw much of anything in those five straight tourneys (which is not an accomplishment, mind you).

3/23/2008 8:09:42 PM

What about gavin grant??

Gavin was about to take herb to his second sweet 16 but herb took him out so the team could play loser ball!

3/23/2008 8:16:10 PM

yeah i guess grant to.

3/23/2008 8:30:23 PM

mccauley too

fells too

3/23/2008 8:34:16 PM

nah, mccauley and fells got like 2 mpg.

3/23/2008 9:04:26 PM

^Yeah, Fells was in with Grant and Bennerman for all of like 2 minutes in our loss before he got benched.

[Edited on March 23, 2008 at 9:19 PM. Reason : .]

3/23/2008 9:18:54 PM

god, that last game vs. texas still makes me angry

3/23/2008 10:30:39 PM

Quote :

"only atsur on last year's team saw much of anything in those five straight tourneys (which is not an accomplishment, mind you)."

Yeah 5 straight is only a school record for NCSU....

3/24/2008 12:49:24 AM

how many wins in those 5 appearances?

i'd love mediocrity right now, but i'm not going to throw any parades for 5 straight years of it either.

3/24/2008 1:34:36 AM

5 wins....wins in first round every time but once because Richard Midgley hit a 3 out of his ass.

Making the tournament every year is not mediocrity.....making the NIT every year ala Dave Odom is mediocrity IMO.

3/24/2008 1:37:42 AM

Quote :

"Yeah 5 straight is only a school record for NCSU...."

Which is the most misleading statistic ever becuase the other great coaches in NCSU history didn't have the luxury of a 64 team field and at-large bids.

If you want to compare him to Case and Sloan, Herb would have never made the tournament.

3/24/2008 7:50:40 AM

This thread should be locked until next year.

Complaining now isnt going to do any good.

3/24/2008 8:06:08 AM

To be fair to our fans...Sendek was a good coach. He had zero talent to work with and made us into a consistent NCAA team. However, to win in the NCAA, you have to put together winning streaks. Herb could not do this. I cannot remember when we ever won 5 games in a row against quality competition with Herb. Thats what it would have taken to get us to the final four.

IMO, Herb could get us to the NCAA, but he could never, ever, get us to the top....

3/24/2008 8:22:30 AM

welcome to two years ago

[Edited on March 24, 2008 at 8:26 AM. Reason : anyway, some people want immediate averageness instead of long term success]

3/24/2008 8:25:16 AM

rwoody you argue about some dumb ass shit

3/24/2008 8:48:37 AM

well considering you started the argument by disagreeing with someone else

i guess that makes 2 of us!

3/24/2008 7:18:00 PM

I am really rooting for Sid to turn it around. But if he can't and in 2 years we are looking for a new coach I absolutely love Travis Ford of UMass. He's the same guy who played for Pitino at UK and his teams play a lot like he does. Smart, scrappy and always under control.

Sean Miller and Travis Ford are my top two YOUNG coaches at mid-majors right now...

3/25/2008 9:38:03 PM

don't bother telling lee fowler, he doesn't want to hear it.

keep a short list of coaches? that's ridiculous !!

3/25/2008 9:39:43 PM

i wonder what it fucking takes to fire fowler. when we do another coaching search, that clown needs to be out of the picture.

3/25/2008 9:46:46 PM

interview with lowe for the news and observer:
http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/ncsu/mens_basketball/story/1048800.html
page 1:

Quote :

"It was a trying year for N.C. State basketball coach Sidney Lowe. The Pack finished 15-16 in his second season, closing with nine straight losses. There also were serious issues he had to deal with away from basketball. On Thursday, Lowe talked with staff writer Chip Alexander. Q: What do you think N.C. State fans want from you and the basketball program? A: I think they want a winner. Bottom line, they want a winner. With the tradition and history we’ve had, the national championships, we’ve had runs where we’ve really been good consistently, year in and year out, and I think they want to get back to that point. So that every year they know we’re going to be in the hunt. Whether it’s in the hunt for the ACC championship or in the hunt for the NCAA. Q: Every year is a big year for a coach, but in your mind how big is next year for you given this past season? A: It’s a very important year. They’re all important, but any time you’re coming off of a tough year that next year is important. But I think you still have to keep things in perspective, in terms of where you are and what you’re trying to do. It’s like injury situations. If Farnold [Degand] doesn’t get hurt last year, who knows what we would have done this past year and we wouldn’t be discussing having a tough year. So we have to be healthy. But it’s an important year. It’s important because, you know what, we don’t want to come back and duplicate what we did this year. I know a lot of people were disappointed this year. I know my AD [athletic director Lee Fowler] was disappointed. But I’ll tell you that no one hurt more than I did. Q: You had so much happen in the last year away from basketball [Lowe’s father died and his mother suffered a heart attack. Lowe’s oldest son, Sidney II, still must face felony charges of kidnapping, possessing drugs and armed robbery stemming from a shooting incident last March in Greensboro]. Did that affect any basketball duties, practice time, game preparation, recruiting, your concentration, anything like that last season? A: Not really. Because I’ve always been this way, and I try to tell my players the same thing, that when I have something to do, that’s what I’m focused on. This is my job and this is going to take precedence right now. I never, ever, bring a personal situation to work. Anyone who has been around me will tell you, inside I’m going to be dying but you’re going to get the same smile, get the same hello, the same greeting. I don’t do that. I don’t think it’s right to bring your personal life to work with you and have other people have to adjust to your mood that day. I don’t think that’s right. So, no, it didn’t. When I got away from the office, I dealt with that. But I still watched the same amount of film, had the same meetings, the same everything. I kept it the same. Q: How rough has the year been? Has it almost been too much for you to stand at times? A: It’s been a very rough year. My dad passing, certainly that was very tough on me. But I thought about the good times. My dad lived a long life and was a great father. In the background, not saying too much, but proud and wore his N.C. State hat everywhere he went. Q: A lot of people were concerned about you because of your dad’s death, but also because of your son. ... A: And that means a lot. So many people have come to me and expressed themselves to me and it means a lot. You worry, but that’s when I get away from it. I can’t say [the job] is therapy for me but this is my focus. I have one son there and I have 13 or 14 here. I just came to work and never let it interfere with my work. "

4/25/2008 11:29:39 AM

page 2:

Quote :

"Q: Everyone is asking you if center J. J. Hickson will be back for his sophomore year or keep his name in the NBA draft. What’s your gut feeling? A: My gut? It’s hard because he’s talked at times about the team and the guys and how he’s really enjoyed playing with these guys. When we were in [the gym] doing some things [individually] and I gave him some instructions and said, ‘This is how we need to play the game,’ he said to me, ‘Coach, are we going to play this way next year?’ And I’d say, ‘Yes we are, that’s the plan.’ Then, on the other end, he’ll ask me did I hear anything from the league [NBA]. I think it’s just still up in the air right now. We’ll sit down and find out where he’s going with this, who all is coming out. ... There are players who could have gone last year and stayed in [college] and had great years. Now they’re lottery picks. He’s certainly a lottery pick is he comes out the proper year. Q: So he still has not hired an agent and is keeping his options open? A: Yes. Q: Is is true J.J. will have just one workout for NBA scouts and officials, and that it will be on campus? A: He’s not going to go around [for workouts]. He’s not going to make the circuit. After 15 years in that business, I can say that sometimes by the time they get to you they’re so worn out you can’t see the potential of the player. ... I think when he does the workout, he’s going to move up.” Q: Are there any other players you anticipate leaving the program? A: Well, Brandon [Costner] could possibly graduate and leave. Q: Had he indicated he might leave? A: No. But I know academics are very important to Brandon [a rising redshirt junior] and his parents. I think they thought about him coming to school for three years and graduating. So that’s going to be always there. So that changes our thought process in terms of recruiting. We have to make sure we’ll have enough big guys to replace J. J. and Brandon and then Ben [McCauley] next year.” Q: Do you anticipate Brandon being back? A: I’m going to anticipate him being back, yes. Q: You came in with an NBA background. Is there anything you’ve learned after two years in college basketball that made you realize you need to change as a coach? A: Yes. I’m going to be learning and making adjustments the entire time I’m here but I think I know my players better now. So now it’s putting them in certain situations where they can be more effective. We had to call all the plays this year with [freshman point guard Javi Gonzalez]. Next year, we’re already talking about things to change our style a little bit. I’d rather for them to get up and down and get into the flow of the offense. But the times we tried it this year we’d turn it over and have those 21, 23 turnovers. But, yeah, there are changes I have to make as coach. The X-and-O part I don’t think I need to change, because when we did execute, we did get pretty good shots. But I shouldn’t have to call as many plays this year. It should be more free-flowing and just allow guys to play. Q: Farnold Degand and Johnny Thomas are coming off knee surgeries. How has the rehab gone and will they be back full strength for next year? A: I think Farnold is ahead of Johnny. We certainly need Farnold because he has that thing you can’t teach, that speed. And he was playing pretty well for us when he got hurt. So Farnold, knock on wood, should be ready to go and Johnny will take a little longer. Q: You have two players signed for next year, Julius Mays and C. J. Williams. Will you add any others? "

page 3:

Quote :

"A: If there’s one that makes sense, absolutely. It could be a junior-college transfer. i don’t think there’s a true freshman out there right now. We’ve been looking but I don’t want to fill a spot just to fill it. Q: How important is the recruiting class of 2009? A: The class after this class will be a pretty good class. It’s going to be really important to us. Because now we’ve had that chance to start recruiting guys as they were sophomores or juniors [in high school] as opposed to being behind the 8-ball and trying to go get a guy when he’s a senior. We were fortunate to go get J. J. But we have the opportunity to go after guys when they’re younger and be in the hunt with those top guys. It’s going to be a big class. Q: Are you analyzing everything in the basketball program on the administrative end? A: I think you should do that every year. Certainly when you go through a tough years, it’s magnified. You’re trying to find any little thing you can to say “This can help us.” So it’s looking at everything. Q: Will the staff stay intact? A: Yes. Q: Will the support staff stay intact? A: Yes. Q: You’ve had time to digest and analyze those last nine losses. What caused the losing streak? A: I think there was a confidence factor there that was lacking. Where when things got tough or bad, we really couldn’t muster that confidence to fight back and get back into it and get that game, the way we did early in the year. ... I think we got to a point where maybe guys weren’t comfortable taking over that game or making that play. Sometimes when you get into a spiral like that, you start looking for what’s going to happen. And especially when you’re not shooting the ball well. That was really our biggest thing that hurt us, the shooting. People who made shots for us normally and we needed to make shots weren’t making shots and I think it affected the other aspects of the game. I’m not blaming any individual. As a team we didn’t hit shots. Q: What was going through your mind after losing the ACC Tournament game to Miami and knowing the season was over? A: Empty. I had a tough time, a tough time. Really didn’t want to leave the house. Didn’t want to do much. But then thinking, “What do I have to do? What do I have to do to get this thing right?’ Thinking what kind of players we need, who we’re going to get, and getting the guys here to understand how we have to play. And more than anything now, making sure that I instill that in them. It’s up to me to put that in them and if they can’t get it, then they can’t play. When I think back to when I played the game, if someone wasn’t playing hard or playing the right way, I’d tell Coach V [Jim Valvano], “Get him out of the game.” The most important thing is to win the game. I think today, so many players are thinking so many things. They’ve got so much on their minds. I never knew what guys were doing around the country, what recruits were coming up. We didn’t care about that stuff. All we cared about was our team and winning games. That’s not a blame on these kids. It’s society. They have too much to think about and pressure from the outside with their buddies or family or that nature. There’s a lot of pressure and then me pressuring them and then school. That’s a lot on these young men. But it’s the world they live in. Q: When you played a poor game, there was no Internet or people on message boards complaining about your play. Do you try to keep your players away from that? A: I tell them not to read it. The bad part about it is these young men read it. You can’t keep them off of it. And it’s really not fair. These are young men in school, trying to get an education, playing this game, competing on the highest level in college basketball, and there are people out there saying those things. And they’re young men. They’re going to be affected by that. "

4/25/2008 11:31:29 AM

page 4:

Quote :

"I try to tell our guys these are people who just are passionate about our school. They don’t mean any harm but they have to express themselves and this is how they do it. This is how they get it off their chests. So I tell them don’t take it as personal as it may sound, even though it is hard. I tell them, “They love you guys, they want you to do well but they just hurt. They hurt like we hurt and this is their way of expressing it.” You just have to deal with it. Q: Looking to next year, where do you want to see the biggest improvement? A: I think more than anything, from a defensive standpoint I’d like to see us guard a little bit better in our man-to-man defense. The offensive part, you definitely want to be better than we were, but probably more than anything you have to defend people and i’d like to see us take that challenge on. Our defense this year was pretty good for the most part, but there were times where we could be better. Based on this past season, it was the offense. I’d like to see us take care of the ball a little better and shoot a little better. So, defense would be No. 1 and taking care of the basketball, No. 2. I don’t like to turn the ball over and we’re really going to be on that. That’s one thing that can keep you on the bench — turning the ball over. Q: Will you go to a three-guard lineup next year, with Courtney Fells moving to the No. 3 [small forward] spot? A: That’s a possibility. I think if we’re going to play the way I want to play, we need to have more ballhandlers, solid ballhandlers, in the game. Being able to move Courtney over to 3 would give us that. With Trevor [Ferguson] or Julius Mays or C. J. Williams, they could get in here and make plays. Q: So you anticipate Mays and Williams playing a lot as freshmen? A: They’re going to have to. ... Julius and C. J. will make mistakes because they’re freshmen and the game is going to be moving a little faster, but I think their basketball IQ will help them make the adjustment and not make as many mistakes. Q: So much was made of team chemistry last season. Looking back, were there problems with team chemistry? A: I think there were just adjustments that weren’t made the way they need to be. It’s a difficult thing at times for a player to do that. You have new players coming in, a new role, your minutes are down, your minutes are different. I don’t know I’d say “chemistry” in terms of guys not liking each other. It was just the adjustment of playing new roles and then where guys who may have been looked on to do certain things or carry the team at times, now all of a sudden they had someone else to do it. But when that person’s not in there, then you have to do it, and maybe because they were already deferring to someone before, they did not realize “It’s time for me to pick it up.” It was a new role and they were not used to that. Those are the things we’re talking about now for next year — being ready to take over and carry it for that four-minute stretch. "

4/25/2008 11:32:50 AM

Quote :

"Q: When you played a poor game, there was no Internet or people on message boards complaining about your play. Do you try to keep your players away from that? A: I tell them not to read it. The bad part about it is these young men read it. You can’t keep them off of it. And it’s really not fair. These are young men in school, trying to get an education, playing this game, competing on the highest level in college basketball, and there are people out there saying those things. And they’re young men. They’re going to be affected by that. ""

I know I've been guilty of it too, but maybe that will make all of us think twice about trashing one of our own players, especially as a freshman, about poor choices or playing, etc.

4/25/2008 11:57:52 AM

ha^ good one

lots of these guys on here couldn't give a damn about these guys

4/25/2008 12:25:07 PM

Quote :

""Q: When you played a poor game, there was no Internet or people on message boards complaining about your play. Do you try to keep your players away from that? A: I tell them not to read it. The bad part about it is these young men read it. You can’t keep them off of it. And it’s really not fair. These are young men in school, trying to get an education, playing this game, competing on the highest level in college basketball, and there are people out there saying those things. And they’re young men. They’re going to be affected by that. """

The Wolf Web be damned!!!!

4/28/2008 1:26:47 PM

truth

5/1/2008 3:34:17 PM

well no fucking shit they read it.

in fact i sent open letter posts to them telling them NOT TO READ US.

but of course they don't listen.

and you guys continue to make fucking asses out of yourself, you talk about shit you can only speculate about, you have NO positive criticisms whatsoever...

5/1/2008 3:41:31 PM

pwnt

5/2/2008 12:05:56 PM

IM FALLING AWAY

5/8/2008 2:26:30 AM

http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/758804.html

video will not embed. nice 8 minute interview

[Edited on June 2, 2008 at 2:30 PM. Reason : geez]

6/2/2008 2:29:50 PM

Quote :

"Being able to move some guys around a little bit... maybe having Farnold and Javy in the backcourt together, and maybe moving Courtney around to three spot. "

1 - Farnold
2 - Javy
3 - Fells
4 - Smith
5 - McCauley

this season is going to hurt

6/2/2008 3:47:55 PM

can somebody find the Sidney Lowe and the Pips 'Take a Train to Happy Town, Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!' picture

6/2/2008 3:52:13 PM

^^In other words a decent and scrapy starting 5 with nothing on the bench.

Our top subs will be Horner and Ferguson and maybe one of the frosh (Mays most likely).

What is the latest on Johnny Thomas?

6/2/2008 5:55:30 PM

^Lowe said Thomas' surgery recovery is going slowly. He is recovering, but might not be 100% until a ways through the season. I wouldn't get my hopes up for him contributing till the end of the season if anything.

6/3/2008 8:55:34 AM

Quote :

"this season is going to hurt"

yep. hopefully not as bad as last season though...

Quote :

"1 - Farnold 2 - Javy 3 - Fells 4 - Smith 5 - McCauley"

any news on costner? he staying?

6/3/2008 10:04:04 AM

I didn't think we could do much worst than last year

but then I look at next years team

we should have a slightly improved backcourt with more experience (and less marques johnson)

if Costner (assuming he doesn't transfer) and McCauley both return to 2006-2007 season form then we'll have a solid front court too

I doubt either will happen so I predict a >.500 season

6/3/2008 5:38:33 PM

You heard it here first folks. The Dude is calling for a greater than .500 winning percentage next year.

6/3/2008 8:29:40 PM

I think teams have mccauley figured out. He won't be as good as he was that one year.

6/3/2008 8:33:03 PM

so the Pistons just moved their assistant coach to the Head Coach position...the means Sid could've been a head coach in the Association, could you imagine?

6/4/2008 7:12:59 AM

Quote :

"You heard it here first folks. The Dude is calling for a greater than .500 winning percentage next year."

oh shit....I meant <.500 season

got my < and > signs mixed up

6/4/2008 7:28:16 AM

^^ Who is to say he couldn't be a good NBA coach? We have seen the college results. Many great college coaches can't cut it in the NBA and vice versa.

6/4/2008 11:13:53 AM

he was already the head coach of the Timberwolves

6/4/2008 12:26:17 PM

and the Grizzlies
but granted...both teams were expansion teams at the time

6/4/2008 12:33:20 PM

Yeah but those teams were the worst in the NBA talent-wise at the time he got them.

The Pistons would be an entirely different story.

It would be like going from NCSU to UNC.

6/4/2008 12:35:48 PM

http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A259123

6/5/2008 2:04:27 AM

set up 45

6/5/2008 10:43:20 AM