What’s wrong with this statement from this week’s Sporting News?
Best bet to pull an upset: NC State. Julius Hodge can do it all-and he’ll do whatever he can to extend his college career as long as possible. Charlotte is vulnerable after losing three straight games.
If you have been a Wolfpacker for most of your life and are over the age of 28, then you immediately recognize that it is unacceptable (or embarassing) that NC State is in a position to an “UPSET” over UNC-Charlotte…but, if you are younger and stomached the 49ers 17-point drubbing of State in the ESA five years ago, then you have rarely experienced a basketball season where NC State has been as successful as our historically, less-decorated colleagues down Interstate-85.
I don’t know very much about this year’s Charlotte 49ers. I do know that there is not a single player on the 49er roster that was deemed good enough to be recruited by NC State and Herb Sendek. Then again, this is the same Herb Sendek that told Josh Howard’s high school coach that Josh wasn’t good enough for a scholarship at NC State but that Howard could walk-on. That would be the same Josh Howard that won the ACC’s Most Outstanding Player award prior to embarking on his NBA career.
I know that this perspective on the difference between State and Charlotte’s talent and resources to recruit talent makes no difference to some. It didn’t make any difference 5 years ago when the situation was exactly the same when they crushed us…so it won’t make any difference now.
I DO think that it makes a difference…so, this time around I am going to predict that the greater pool of talent from the greater conference wins out and the Pack “pulls the upset” over the mighty Charlotte 49ers.
