Basketball has taken center-stage a little this week as football is still two weeks away and the ACC released 06-07 Basketball schedules yesterday. (N&O Story, Durham Herald Sun Story)
A few quick hits:
* Did anyone note that Seton Hall was NOT on NC State’s schedule despite previous public statements that indicated that the Wolfpack would travel to the Meadowlands this year?
* How can the ACC protect the season-ended tradition of Duke-Carolina and NOT get State-Wake and Maryland-Virginia right? It’s absurd.
* 4 or 5 games will be shown on ESPNU, which is not on any cable systems in North Carolina. There will be alot of pressure for these systems to add ESPNU. You can avoid this problem by getting a satellite dish.
Earlier in the week we had some conversations surrounding Basketball recruiting and more specifically, Jamelle McMillan. So, today we will take a look at some recent work that the major media outlets have done this summer their look at the 2006-2007 basketball season to a higher level .
ESPN took time for a summer school primer of the ACC. (Link)
On the video provided, Andy Katz says
“At Maryland, Gary Williams is feeling a little bit of heat”
Can you imagine? A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP and ACC CHAMPIONSHIP within the last five years and the fans are putting on a little heat?
OMG! Those must be some horrible fans! Obviously, they don’t know that no other coach would ever want to coach their program after being so mean and ungrateful to their current accomplished coach. Just like Indiana and College of Charleston ran away very successful coaches this year and ended up having to shut down their basketball programs because nobody would come coach for them! (Flashback to IU’s Bad Fans and Flashback to Charleston’s Bad Fans)
Do you think that the coaching fraternity and media will be protective of Gary Williams if Maryland fans ultimately “run him away”? I am willing to doubt that (a) Williams is not a quitter and would never be a big *ussy and run away to another job while whining to anyone that will listen about how unfair his life is and how the mean fans “forced” him to make his own choice to leave, and (b) the coaching fraternity wouldn’t hate to see Williams disappear because he has proven the ability to kick their ass.
Fox Sports gives us a little more detail than ESPN in some of the links that are embedded in this piece.
You can expect some personnel losses in a coaching change, but North Carolina State’s Sidney Lowe, who is taking over for Herb Sendek, has seen that go to extremes.
During that time, Lowe learned that one of his top potential returnees, Cedric Simmons, was entering the NBA draft two years early. Two recruits, Dan Werner and Larry Davis, asked for — and received — releases from the letters-of-intent they had signed under Sendek.
Even if Grant returns, the Wolfpack look to be no better than a middle-of-the-pack team in the ACC. Traditionally, that often gets a team an NCAA bid, but the conference got only four berths in last season’s tournament.
SFN had previously mentioned CollegeHoopsNet.com’s countdown of the Top 144 Basketball teams for 2006-2007. Unfortunately, CHN picks up on the “depletion” story their countdown and log the Wolfpack in at #107. Unfortunately, they are still using the NSC diamond logo that has not been associated with the basketball program in any way in over 16 years and has not been associated with NC State athletics in over six years.
RAWFS commented on the piece and highlight that Andrew Brackman is the wildcard to the season.
If Brackman plays basketball, it will add much-needed depth. That’s not looking likely, but if it happens, there’s no way NC State is a #107 team. In fact, with or without Brackman, the crew that Lowe will bring to the court in his first season at the helm of NCSU basketball could well have them in the top 64 teams on Selection Sunday.
