BBall Recruiting & The Battle of DC

Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball80

Yesterday we learned that Jamelle McMillan is not going to play basketball at NC State. SFN shared some thoughts and analysis in this entry that we hope that you didn’t miss.

Something that we tried to politely dance around was the ‘priority’ that the new NC State staff put on McMillan’s recruitment. We commented that it “never seemed as though Coach Lowe wanted to make the full court press on Jamelle; almost wanting JM to go ahead and commit somewhere else so that we didn’t have to tell him that we didn’t want him.”

In support of that theory, Scout.com shared the following information in one of their reports yesterday:

McMillan said that he had only heard from new N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe once in the past month – a text message since he returned from Las Vegas at the end of July. “I saw Sidney Lowe a couple of times in July, but I haven’t talked to him in a month,â€? McMillan said.

Now the public attention on NC State’s guard recruitment will shift exclusively to Chris Wright. There is no doubt that Sidney Lowe has put the majority of his eggs in Wright’s basket creating a high risk/high reward proposition for the point guard position of the program.

Wright is featured in the following piece on college basketball recruiting in Washington, DC at Sports Illustrated’s new College Basketball Blog. (Link to entry)

The following are couple of additional comments that were made by our readers on theoriginal Jamelle McMillan entry that we felt were worth highlighting:

I don’t know why everyone is getting so worked up over Jamelle going to ASU. Jamelle himself said that he was a solid player but not a program changer and that fans shouldn’t expect him to be or they would be disappointed. The last thing Jamelle would have wanted to do is come into a program where his father is an all-time legend with overblown expectations.

I am sure Sid, Nate, and Jamelle talked about that and all wanted what was best or better for Jamelle. Jamelle is closer in height and skill set to his father when Nate came out of high school—and even the great Jimmy V didn’t take future great Nate then, only after Nate grew into a much oversized pg for the era and major matchup problem.

It is pretty obvious that Sid felt that Degand offered a lot of what Jamelle does, so Sid has chosen to invest all of his energies in higher rated Chris Wright in addition to trying to build relationships with future pg’s in 2008 and beyond while Jamelle gets to go somewhere where he will have an opportunity to shine (hopefully) without the intensity and scrutiny of the sometimes overly rabid NCSU basketball fanbase.

Sid is shooting for the fences, and it is a high risk but potentially high return endeavor. If Sid misses out on the big names in 2007 and 2008, we will be hating basketball life. BUT, honestly, I can’t see that I will hate basketball life any worse than I have watching Herb Sendek send his “almost goodâ€? teams on the floor to build nice records against weak teams early in the year….lose UGLY early season non-conference games against other mediocre teams…look confused as hell at every timeout, press, and end game situation…give us a little hope and then blow it in the most excruciating fashion (the Maryland technical game and/or last second shot games, the Wake Forest home debacles vs Josh Howard once with a foul and then Chris Paul with a last second shot after a nut punch, or the Duke ACCT Final meltdown) OR simply get blown out (UNC last year, Duke in an ACCT Final, etc.)…

I mean, seriously, the 1997 ACCT Final run and the NCAA win over UConn were about all that was enjoyable in a decade’s worth of Herb Sendek ball with a lot of gaps and disappointments in between. So, if Sid wants to shoot for the fences, I’m with him whether he whiffs or not. The only way to evoke real change is to take the chance and accept the risk. We had 6 years of suck under Les, 5 years of suck under Herb, and 5 years of “almost pretty good� under Herb—none of it was all that enjoyable. So, if Sid hits it big, GREAT!! If Sid fails, well, I am not sure I will notice the difference between suck and “almost pretty good� this time around.

Hell, beating Southwest Missouri State or whoever the hell it was back in the 1997 NIT of Herb year 1 was a lot more enjoyable than getting blown out by Texas in the NCAA’s last year in Herb year 10 (especially with Gavin and Courtney on the bench after they brought us back once already). After 10 years you should have more to hang your hat on, so, if we have to blow the program up and start over, so be it—it wasn’t all that to begin with…

“The reason most fans wanted him to come to NCSU was to see his name in the rafters, next to his dads. Outside of the sentimental value, it held for fans, we’re not losing out on a program changing guard.�

That is the reason most Pack fans wanted him here. I wanted him here a lot more when I read that he was a lockdown defender and that he locked down UNC-Ch’s top rated PG. I wanted him here because he was a decent student and he would have added depth.

Don’t get me wrong, if I had to choose between as basketball players, I’d go after Wright. However, I would consider Wright far from a lock at this point. It would also be nice if this was a sign that Fells, Ferguson and Degand have made Sid feel like all he needs is this one guard.

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Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball

80 Responses to BBall Recruiting & The Battle of DC

  1. packbackr04 08/24/2006 at 11:27 AM #

    wow, rashard Green?? first Bartosz and now this? but lets not jump the gun here, maybe the kid can ball

  2. packbackr04 08/24/2006 at 11:48 AM #

    sounds like he got the verbal

  3. ShootingGuard 08/24/2006 at 12:57 PM #

    “I’m really started to doubt that Sid understands what type of athlete it takes to compete in the ACC.”

    “In Sidney’s day ranking recruits was pretty much a novelty and usually wrong. That has changed. I hope he and his staff understand that.”

    Dan,

    Are you Greg Doyel in disguise??

    Sidney Lowe knows EXACTLY what type of athlete is needed to compete in the ACC…You think Sid has suddenly forgotten how nice it was to pass to a McD AA shooting guard from powerhouse Dematha like Whitt or an all-everything combo forward from talent rich DC like Thurl Bailey??

    As far as “recruiting rankings” go, yes, the “fat guys who don’t play or coach the game rankings” have become more of a real business, but the coaches haven’t changed their methods of assessing talent (although they have to deal with the entourage and the AAU/shoe company jerks more than they did). Norm Sloan saw a dynamite backcourt that had played together for years and spent all of high school being taught by the best high school coach in America, Morgan Wooten—and Sloan signed them plus another outstanding combo forward from just down the road. At a high school basketball tournament, Jim Valvano ran up to those same two backcourt players and told them how great they were. That backcourt went on to become awarded McD AA status and, with that combo forward, they won a national championship in 1983 after spending 1 year coached by Norm Sloan and 3 years coached by Jim Valvano. NEITHER MORGAN WOOTEN, NORM SLOAN, NOR JIM VALVANO ASKED BOB “BOOB” GIBBONS OR THE POOP SHEET OR DAVE TELEP WHAT THE “RECRUITING RANKINGS” FOR THAT GREAT BACKCOURT TANDEM WAS—ALL 3 OF THOSE HALL OF FAME COACHES KNEW TALENT THEMSELVES…

    That said, here’s my post from another blog…

    Guys, SERIOUSLY…

    The team needs BODIES to practice as well as finish games. Lowe came late to the party, but, even though he seems to be getting on some GREAT recruits’ lists, the guy is not stupid—late in the game, you will be very lucky to get 1 of those top rated much less all of them but you STILL need bodies to practice as well as finish games.

    No one in their right mind expects Harris’ kid to light up the world, but he fills a slot in practice and maybe even in the games as we are so damn short on personnel right now. Lew and Degand fill the same kind of slots.

    NONE of these guys were brought in in place of McMillan either—that’s just stupid.

    The rabble rousers that helped escort Herb to the door want a contender, and Lowe is shooting for the fences with the recruits that remain for 2007 and 2008 in hopes of attaining that goal while addressing the fact that you need some bodies for practice and maybe games in the interim.

    It’s a damn shame that all of the Herb lovers are trying to sneakily uphold Herb and his “accomplishments� by pummeling Lowe’s recruiting, etc. before he even gets started. You guys were happy to let Herb have 10 years and counting to actually do something (which he never did)—you could at least give an alum who brought glory to State before a couple years to prove himself…

    I’m fine with Lowe shooting for the fences, and, if he misses, fine. At least he tried to get us back to the mountain top…That long line of great Herb recruits from Anderson to Harrington & Bean to Marshall Williams to Flatt to MOD sure as hell didn’t win anything for us. If we end up missing on the big timers, I won’t feel any worse NOT winning championships with Harris, Lew, and Degand than I did NOT winning championships with all of those great Herb teams!!!!!

  4. Dan 08/24/2006 at 1:38 PM #

    First of all, no one mentioned any previous coach when talking about Green. The former coach is IRRELEVANT, and his name should no longer even be brought up unless we are recruiting against him. Who cares what that guy did anymore? Get over it. The future is now. People who liked him shouldnt compare Sid to him, and people who hated him shouldnt blame him for Lowe’s problems. All that matters now is winning.

    The fact remains that if NC State is going to compete in the ACC on a yearly basis, it will have to recruit top 100 talent on a yearly basis. That is just reality. Its one thing to have one sleeper in each class, but in this conference, THEE elite basketball conference in the country, you have to have elite talent. Every team in this conference is loading up on top 100 talent. The following is a summary of how many Scout.com top 100 recruits the other ACC schools have landed for the ’06 and ’07 classes to date:

    UNC: 4 (all ’06 – 3 in top 10)
    GT: 3 (2 ’06 – both top 15)
    Duke: 6 (4 ’06 – all in top 50)
    VT: 3 (2 ’06)
    WF: 3 (all ’06)
    Miami: 2 (1 ’06)
    Maryland 2 (1 ’06)
    FSU 1 (0 in ’06)
    Clemson 1 (0 in ’06)
    BC 2 (0 in ’06)

    The only people who call the rankings a farce are people who cannot recruit the elite talent. That argument is for the losers of the recruiting battles. Its a consolation statement. You will never hear a statement like that from a coach who rakes in top talent.

    This post isnt to blast Sidney for problems of the ’06 class. Or the ’07 class to some degree. However, people need to put down the kool-aid and realize that the ACC is the greatest conference in college basketball where the greatest players come to play. If NC State doesnt put great talent on the floor then we will not be able to consistently compete. Its that simple.

  5. ShootingGuard 08/24/2006 at 2:12 PM #

    ^^^^^

    Dan,

    You act like SIDNEY doesn’t know all of this blah blah blah…

    The “fat guy who never coached or played rankings” are not a farce, but I will gladly take Coach K’s, Roy William’s, Calhoun’s, Izzo’s, or any of those guys’ assessments of talent and team construction over Boob Gibbons, etc. David Noel and Wes Miller have sure seen a lot more success in the ACC and NCAA’s than # 1 Damien Wilkins did…

  6. Dan 08/24/2006 at 2:26 PM #

    I hope he does know this, but “if” Green is brought in that would make 4 scholarships given to players that are nationally unranked at their position. All 3 star players or less. If he knows it, he isnt acting like he knows it.

    Do you want to build a team of David Noel’s and Wes Miller’s? Is that something anyone would be happy with? I hope not.

  7. ShootingGuard 08/24/2006 at 2:43 PM #

    “If he knows it, he isnt acting like he knows it.”

    There’s a big difference between KNOWING it and being able to actually GET that talent, dumbass. You act like Sid is an idiot or something—the mother knows better than you that you don’t win championships with 5 Terry Gannon’s on the floor!! All that blah blah blah is just stating the obvious which Sid well KNOWS—when he advertises for the position of Captain Obvious, please go join the staff.

    While Sidney is running around hastily building his recruiting network and building relationships with kids and their coaches, he still needs BODIES to practice and field a team in games. You act like he doesn’t KNOW he needs the Wrights and Hicksons, etc. He KNOWS, but, unfortunately, he is playing catch up with JT3, Jamie Dixon, Billy Donovan, etc. who have had their networks and relationships in place much longer…

    And, please don’t throw “but what about McMillan?” at me. There’s a lot more to that story than you can apparently understand …

  8. Dan 08/24/2006 at 3:08 PM #

    Dumbass? Captain Obvious? Lol. Resorting to insults, and intelligent ones at that. Nice. Are you sure you arent Gregg Doyle? Your style fits his pretty closely.

    This is the ACC. This is freaking NC State. You dont get credit for trying. You get credit for doing. Dont come to me with “at least he is trying”. So what? So does everyone else. I could try. There is no column in the standings for trying. Win-Loss-Tries? No.

    Are you trying to assert that Sidney Lowe is giving away scholarships to guys who he already thinks are only good for practice? Or are you trying to assert that he can do no better with the scholarship that Green or Thomas or Degand in the ’07 class. Which is it?

    When Sid took this job, I acknowledged that the ’06 class, and ’07 class to some extent, was compromised through no fault of Sid’s. But the ’08 class is not compromised. That’s his chance to shine. It would be prudent to save as many scholarships as possible for that class. That is what I worry about. The more scholarhsips Sid uses on “sleepers” in the ’07 class, the fewer he has to give impact recruits. The longer it will take to build a competitive roster.

    And as far as competing with guys with established networks, do you realize how long it took those guys to establish those networks? How long they worked in the college game? These jobs aren’t their first in college basketball. Sid doesnt have that kind of time to make this work. Its not fair, but thats the reality of taking a job in the ACC with no college coaching experience. You dont get 10 years (ideally) to build a recruiting network. Everyone knew that coming into this. And the opinion was that Sid would overcome it. I still believe he can and will overcome it. Its for that reason I want him to have the scholarships available to him in 2008. My whole focus has been on the ’08 class, and the great things Sid will do with it. And what I see every time a sleeper recruit signs is one less scholarship available.

  9. ShootingGuard 08/24/2006 at 3:32 PM #

    Dan,

    You’re the one who started the pissing match with the “loser” reference and all that crap as well as implying that Sidney Lowe is ignorant or oblivious to the fact that he needs to recruit and sign top talent…

    As far as your stupid “try” comment goes, obviously you missed the fact that “winners” like Barnes and Calipari and 100 other coaches apparently said,”Hell no, I’m not going to even try…at NC State…” Apparently, they missed your rousing “this is the ACC…this is NC State” speech.

    Make no mistake, Sidney Lowe put his ass on the line to save this program’s face after Lee Fowler and the national media spit all over it, and, as such, he deserves a little more respect than Captain Obvious on the internet implying that he is stupid after he has only been on the job a couple months.

    In the end, YES, it is a zero sum game, and the only thing that matters are championships and wins and losses. I’m not giving Sidney Lowe points for “trying” to be a good recruiter and good coach, DUMBASS, I am simply giving him more than 2 months before I pass judgment, and, after he dove into the snakepit for this program—when no one else would even TRY—I am certainly going to show him more respect than you who question the intelligence and basketball knowledge of a guy Morgan Wooten, Norm Sloan, and Jimmy V all endorsed during their time with him.

    And, oh yeah, you’re not Greg Doyel, you just seem like some of the fans he pointed to during the coaching search disaster (I thought they didn’t exist, but I am starting to wonder). Maybe Rick Barnes didn’t come here because he didn’t want to “try” to work with Lee Foulup AND “try” to deal with Captain Obvious every week on his radio show…

  10. redfred2 08/24/2006 at 9:39 PM #

    “This is the ACC. This is freaking NC State. You dont get credit for trying.”

    Since when? Credit has been coming out of the woodwork, trying hasn’t even been in the picture.

  11. redfred2 08/24/2006 at 9:54 PM #

    “Are you trying to assert that Sidney Lowe is giving away scholarships to guys who he already thinks are only good for practice?”

    Yes, actually he is, or I am anyway. It’s a necessity to have those guys around. Especially when you’re trying to teach the whole team something more than a pre-packaged, microwavable, system that everyone already has the antidote for. I know it’s hard for you guys to comprehend but those same and now “practice players” can actually develop into real gameday players when that theory is applied.

  12. redfred2 08/24/2006 at 10:12 PM #

    Dan

    I’m admittedly hard on you, but when Sidney took the job he had three incoming recruits. What happened? Where those three sold on and coming to play for NC State University, or what? Not hardly.

    Was Simmons gone for sure? Was Brackman’s basketball future in definite limbo? Not really.

    We both agreed months ago that Fowler’s screw ups would plague this program for years to come.

    We were both right. But I think you have to agree that this is much more difficult at this particular point in time, than either of us, or anybody, ever anticipated.

  13. Dan 08/24/2006 at 10:29 PM #

    You guys need to check the emotional outbursts.

    All I am saying is that one or two scholarships to develop a sleeper is one thing. Fine. But four? That is way too many for an ACC school. Way too many.

    Everyone knew what the challenges were going to be in hiring someone with no college experience. But the hire was made because of the belief that Sid could overcome it. It would be nice to have a few scholarships left for 2008 when he actually has a chance to overcome it.

  14. vtpackfan 08/25/2006 at 10:03 AM #

    Dan’s back. I think he mentioned something about building a team of David Noels and how would you like that? I guess, sure I would. The guy was drafted into the NBA, stayed for four years and was loved by his coachs. Is his point that the game of college basketball needs less of these type of plyers?

  15. Dan 08/25/2006 at 11:52 AM #

    No, my point is that, no matter how good of a guy David Noel is, a roster of 3 star sleepers has no chance of consistently competing for championships in the premier basketball conference in America. No chance.

    The ACC is THE best basketball in the country. You are never going to win it without some of the best talent. Period.

  16. ShootingGuard 08/25/2006 at 12:10 PM #

    ^^^^^

    DUH!!

    Yuh think!?!?

    Scene from Sidney Lowe’s 1st radio show:

    DON SHEA: Dan from Mayberry, you’re on with coach…

    DAN FROM MAYBERRY: Sidney, YOU HAVE TO GET TOP TALENT TO COMPETE IN THE ACC. THE ACC IS THE BEST CONFERENCE IN AMERICA, AND, IF YOU DON’T GET TOP TALENT, YOU WILL NEVER WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS!! Sidney, YOU HAVE GOT TO RECRUIT AND SIGN TOP TALENT!!!!!

    COACH LOWE: Holy cow!! EUREKA!! What have I been thinking all summer?? Hold on a second, let me call Coach Harris and Coach Towe and tell them—they will never believe it!! This changes everything!! Dan, you are BRILLIANT!!

    (One year later, the Wolfpack cuts down the nets at the Final Four, and they owe it all to Dan from Mayberry for sharing his undiscovered pearl of wisdom that you need top talent to win championships…Dan’s third grade YMCA basketball t-shirt is raised to the RBC rafters and placed beside David Thompson’s # 44…)

  17. ShootingGuard 08/25/2006 at 12:31 PM #

    (And he knows money too…)

    Scene from Bloomberg Financial tv channel…

    BLOOMBERG FINANCIAL HOST: Today we have stock market strategist Dan from Mayberry with us…Dan, what is your secret to making money in stocks??

    DAN FROM MAYBERRY: Viewers, YOU HAVE TO BUY STOCKS THAT GO UP. IF YOU DON’T BUY STOCKS THAT GO UP, YOU WON’T MAKE MONEY ON STOCKS. THIS IS AMERICA, AND WE HAVE THE GREATEST CAPITALIST SYSTEM EVER, BUT, IF YOU DON’T BUY STOCKS THAT GO UP, YOU WON’T MAKE MONEY ON STOCKS. Viewers, YOU HAVE TO BUY STOCKS THAT GO UP TO MAKE MONEY IN STOCKS.

    BLOOMBERG FINANCIAL HOST: Holy cow!! Hold the press!! Hold the phones!! Dan, your nugget of wisdom will launch the next great bull market!! Excuse me, I have to go make some trades and buy some stocks that go up so I can make some money in stocks!! Dan, you are BRILLIANT!!

  18. redfred2 08/25/2006 at 5:02 PM #

    ShootingGuard

    That’s pretty brutal, but funny as hell all the same.

    I said in a post on the very day that Sidney Lowe was named as the head coach, that no matter all the convaluted circumstances that landed him here, he would not be given a fair shake by the Sunshine Crowd. That instantly he be expected to exhibit results that compare to their hero HERB. That on one hand his being a former NBA coach would raise some expectations, but on the other, and to an even much greater extent, the fact that he is an alum, will actually be used against him as the only reason he got the job. Meaning that they will question his every move from day one.

    If you notice, Dan didn’t even bother to answer to my comment above, one that he had already fully agreed to on a much earlier thread. Now he has forgotten those factors and is writting off the endless and ever changing circumstances involving the program and Sidney Lowe since then. He is even typing the word championships? I think I spelled that word right. It has been quite a SPELL since I used that word championship, and I know there hasn’t been a single one in Raleigh in a quite a SPELL either way.

    Dan says:

    “3 star sleepers has no chance of consistently competing for championships in the premier basketball conference in America. No chance.”

    Dan, you are right! But if you would allow to slightly reword your statement I think it’s a little more in touch with reality:

    We have actually become pleasantly comfortable watching 3, 4, and 5 star recruits being fall fast sleep right before our eyes, while competing in the premier conference in America. Championships you say? Where? When? Never threatening and never a chance in HELL, not even a sniff!

    Now Dan implys: Forget the past decade. This new coach had damn sure better be thinking about championships right now!!!

  19. vtpackfan 08/25/2006 at 7:05 PM #

    I want to hear Dan from Mayberry get a call thru to “Mad Money” Shootingguard. What I really want is for Sid to get his props and see what this “best conference in the nation” stuff is all about as a head coach. I want him to use his assets (note that consistently having empty schollys is not going to cut it any more) to his and his respected staffs best abilities. I want to see how it all shakes out year after year and I want to hear Sid in his own words ascess how things are going. In short, this is the process that is now going to be firmly entreanched in our minds as we follow (willingly or not) Wolfpack basketball. Process is a word that leaves a bad taste in many of out mouths after witnessing the Herbert “Hoover” Sendek era. He made it all into a process, but with the situation that we’re in we have no choice but to take it one step at a time. My hope is that once done Sid will have gathered enough knowledge from this process to drop the training wheels and see what this NC ST vehicle can do. “Its Grease Lightening!”, well heres to the process anyway, two star recruits, 7′ bean Poles, assistant coachs’ sons and all.

  20. Dan 08/25/2006 at 11:53 PM #

    More insults. Sigh

    The funny thing it appears you all agree with me, but because you dont want to admit you insult instead.

    What happened to “Sid’s NBA experience is going to draw the talent in”?

    Another thing: The next person that brings up the former coach can kiss my @$$. Seriously. Ancient history. That is over. No one can accuse me of being happy with the previous success rate. No one. We moved on to get better. In every aspect. Not worse. Sid has to stand on his own two feet. I dont care what happened last year or 9 years ago. I’ve let it go. I suggest the rest of you do the same. This is Sid’s time and these are Sid’s choices. This is Sid’s team. Simply because the last coach failed to recruit decent talent at crucial positions doesnt mean we should accept that from the current coach. No one is going waste another ten years on waiting. And four or five years waiting for substandard talent to develop is too long.

  21. redfred2 08/26/2006 at 7:32 PM #

    Dan

    Would it be too much to ask that everyone who is second guessing right now and has already unbelievably forgotten all the ridiculous circumstances involved, to just wait and see. We aren’t going to win the conference this year and may not even challenge in the next few years.

    The way I see it is that you guys were more than happy to skip right on down that well worn path with someone who never accomplished any kind of title at all in a decade. That would be 1/7 of the allotted lifetime.

    So exactly what is your big hairy rush about now? Sit back and stew. I’ve been. Only difference is, I observed early on, let him go and gave your guy four years of fair time before I started questioning what he was doing.

    It’s apparent that it’s short attention span theater around here since you can’t see Lowe’s hands tied behind his back and the shape of things aren’t being considered in anything that you say NOW. But come on, can any of you guys please just watch him for ONE game before you criticize about what the guy is trying to do? I will guarantee, no matter the end results when the season is over, we will not be forced to TOLERATE watching a bunch of guys running around in Wolfpack uniforms, who don’t even have a clue or care about what they represent.

    In comparison, Lowe has five years before he even needs to make a dent in anything. I would give him the same whole ten years, but I’m getting old. How about I split it with you.

  22. vtpackfan 08/26/2006 at 8:30 PM #

    No one is kissing anyones arse here since no memo was sent out that the last ten years were in a vacuum. The least you could have done is report on how the Sendek time capsule ceremony in your backyard went. Seriously Dan, no insults volleyed. You were the one on this site who broke the news on Green. Yet, instead of being patient and allowing your impulse judgement simmer awhile, giving others the chance to bounce the news off our brains and offering an introductionary ascessment, you pounce. We all have predetermined outlooks to a certain degree, creatures of habit and all, but that doesn’t mena you can’t hold your cards a little while a see how the hand plays. If your hand is such a dandy it will win after passing a turn or two.
    Your right on some points. I was one who thought initially that Sid could take to the (pseudo) Pro recruiting trail and pry some players who would usually be choosing betwen draft day at 18 or one year UConn or UNC. Without revisting the facts of the bed Jethro made for Sid, I agree to a certain degree that this is not imediately the case. If Sid gets these verbals from Thomas and Greene to go along with transfer Degand, and Big “Lew” then one of three things can happen (barring a major coup like getting Wright, Hickson, and Smith). These guys slowly develop behind the half full cupboard Herb (woops, did I mention him) and Uncle Jed left and play at a sub par level for ACC standards and Sid repeats the cycle until none of us can even look at banners in the rafter for fear of feeling old and frail. Or, the same scenerio starts the first two to three years but it is immediately hastened by Sids new understanding of the nuances of the college game. Lastly, Sid shocks the hardwood world by developing Thomas, Greene, Degand and Lew to compliment the upperclassman and wins or atleast competes for an ACC title. The beauty of the third is that u=you would have to beleive that he wouldn’t feel he would to force feed his program a recruit with five stars just to keep his job. He would make the choice based on a variety of reasons and would be backed up by some success. Right now he has praticully nothing, so lets help him out for a little while.

  23. redfred2 08/27/2006 at 12:42 AM #

    Dan, VT

    Like I’ve said before, the real problem now is that NC State basketball has lost it’s identity. The former coach had some decent players coming in for a particular reason, but that was neatly and tidily boxed up and carted off, all on paper and all contained in just a simple playbook. There was no, and is no, feeling whatsoever for what Wolfpack basketball means anymore. PERIOD! If anyone thinks differently or that this program has been handled properly, by any one person involved, I welcome their reply.

    I’ll be honest, if I was a kid out there right now who had been watching from afar over the past years, it would take some kind of miracle presentation to get me to look NC State’s way. Dan, if I were you I would try to look things in more realistic light, we’re just not very desirable due to a wide array of factors at the moment. Give Lowe a full season in the coaches box and see if the interest level doesn’t increase substantially.

    I believe Lowe will eventually get this program headed back in the right direction, but how fast and how far will depend on how well he holds up under the burden of the handicaps he has inherited through no fault of his own. Either way, I’m glad to have someone there who knows and cares about what NC State is and even more once was. Someone who knows that no team in the ACC or anywhere is an insurmountable obstacle. Whether he can start to get us headed there again? That won’t really even begin to take shape until a few years down the road. Especially not until after his first, and this upcoming, basketball season is over.

  24. Luke12321 08/27/2006 at 10:57 AM #

    I think after this year (No matter the record) that our fans will be pumped about N.C State basketball because of the new style of play. What can Wright, Hickson,Smith ect. base a decision on as far as style of plays go? Being a player myself on a high school level in a offensive system that was not fit for me…I always wondered “What if I played for that coach?” Top tier players have nothing to go on right now but possibly the P-Style offense burnt so deep in the memory….it will not go away! (Hope that is not the case) If we sign one of the players above then I will view it as a mircale really. You guys know as well as me, the kids have been getting recruited since the 8th grade or so by the same coaches on a weekly basis! Coach Lowe has only had a few months to target players 1) That he desires 2)Finally Introduce himself 3) Get to actually recruit the kid. He is way behind in the 07 class. Honestly…he is way behind on the 08 class. The way I look at it is..

    06 Class- Horner
    07 Class- Wayyyy behind on!
    08 Class- Playing catch up
    09 Class- Even playing field

    I think we have no choice (Unless his coaching skills was just awful and we could not beat anyone at all) but to give Lowe atleast 6 years before we can really tell what he has been able to establish. It is going to be a long process for everyone…Lowe and fans.

  25. redfred2 08/28/2006 at 8:53 AM #

    Luke

    It’s hard to face the facts but NC State basketball is not really a factor factor right now. The program has had every bit of the life sucked right out of it. It’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless at this point in time. The way I see it, as far as young basketball players go, it definitely will take YEARS to build any real interest back into Wolfpack basketball.

    If Lowe & staff do persuade any of these top flight players to come on board any time soon and under these conditions, then they deserve some MAJOR credit. Right now, just scrapping together a halfway decent practice team is an accomplishment. Way too early and not realistic to fault them for anything at this point.

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