Vitale: Lowe Returns to NC State

General NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe71

Chris Wright visited Raleigh this weekend for the NC State-App State football game — a sport and piece of the student experience that Georgetown cannot offer. By most accounts, the visit went great and a lot of Wolfpackers had the chance to see Wright at the game on Saturday night.

Before Wright got to Raleigh on Friday, State received some good news in his recruitment when Wake Forest appeared to have fallen out of the running for his services. (This is why you should always go back and review old entries if you don’t visit for a few days!)

By most accounts, the Wolfpack is still very much in the mix for two of the top high school post players in America – (F) Tracy Smith and (C) JJ Hickson. By choosing not to aggressively pursue Jamelle McMillan, Coach Lowe and NC State have obviously chosen to put all of the Wolfpack’s “point guard eggs” in Wright’s basket. The potential addition of Wright to State’s existing class (see Johnny Thomas) would be a huge boon for Coach Lowe’s recruiting and the momentum of the program.

In other basketball news today, ESPN’s Dick Vitale has penned a great piece about Coach Lowe’s return to Raleigh. (Link). The timing of the piece coming off of Chris Wright’s visit and just before other visits in the coming weeks couldn’t have been better!

The following are some excerpts from Vitale’s piece:

Sidney Lowe is getting ready to start his career as a college coach. He has a great passion and love for his alma mater, N.C. State. He displayed it by representing his university in a classy way as a player. He was the quarterback, the guy who made it happen magically in 1983 when Jimmy V’s Wolfpack stunned the basketball world by beating Phi Slamma Jamma in Albuquerque.

Lowe created opportunities for his teammates as a leader on the court. He was very cerebral, had a great mindset of the game and the team concept. Lowe has had no problem adjusting to his new challenge.

He has formulated an outstanding staff with about 100 years of basketball experience. Larry Harris remains from the Herb Sendek era and he brings a wealth of knowledge and familiarity with the NC State program. This will be his 22nd season as a collegiate assistant coach.

Monte Towe was a vital part of the Wolfpack history and he gained experience as the head coach in New Orleans. Remember how Towe teamed with David Thompson to lead NC State to the national championship in 1974. He also played two seasons in the ABA under Larry Brown, a very good coach in his own right!

Peter Strickland played at DeMatha and was the head coach at Coastal Carolina for seven seasons. Quentin Jackson was a starter on NC State’s 1987 ACC tournament championship squad. He’ll contribute as director of basketball operations.

Lowe was smart to put together a group that can provide all sorts of basketball information. They will be familiar with the NCAA rules.

The new head coach said he is excited and thrilled to represent his university. He has a love affair with the alumni. The staff is working hard to bring in new players and recruiting has gone well.

I can tell you that Mr. Lowe is a class act. When I mentioned to him the President’s Club with the Jimmy V Foundation, which entails a five-year commitment, Lowe gladly accepted a role. My friends, he cares about people.

Lowe helped N.C. State win the championship under Jimmy V. He also played for a Hall of Famer at DeMatha in Morgan Wooten. I spoke to people in the NBA and they said Lowe had a great basketball mind. His record in the pros was very misleading because of a lack of personnel.

One key to NC State in the upcoming season is the status of Andrew Brackman. Lowe feels he will be an NBA first-rounder. The coach also realizes he throws a 97-MPH fastball and a lot of major league people are interested in him as well.

After all the waiting and chasing, N.C. State athletic director Lee Fowler appears to have hit a home run. He has a guy with tremendous enthusiasm and energy. Lowe has received rave reviews as he has been accepted by the fans down in Raleigh. In time he will get players and his NBA experience will help him as he teaches future stars.

There certainly was confidence in Lowe as he received a six-year contract. N.C. State did well by getting a guy who will be a positive force. Lowe is a flat-out winner. Just look at his success as a player and understand he will do it as a college coach as well.

About StateFans

'StateFansNation' is the shared profile used by any/all of the dozen or so authors that contribute to the blog. You may not always agree with us, but you will have little doubt about where we stand on most issues. Please follow us on Twitter and FaceBook

General NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe

71 Responses to Vitale: Lowe Returns to NC State

  1. redfred2 09/07/2006 at 2:24 PM #

    gopack

    “but do it with such class. Sorry redfred. Hope you are not offended by this overused word.”

    I wasn’t mentioned in the same sentence as the dreaded one, but I was only one word and and a period away from it. My stock must be rising.

  2. Wolfpack4ever 09/07/2006 at 3:16 PM #

    I get the feeling that there is NOTHING LF could do that wouldn’t get a negative spin from some of us. I hate it when my first wife used words like, “Everytime,” “Always,” or “Never” to describe her reaction to what she considered to be my ill-advised behavior. I think that many of the “Everytime,” “Always,” or “Never” labels are being applied to LF. I’m looking behind the words at the commitment to excellence expressed by these frustrations. In that spirit I plod on.

    Maybe too much has gone on with LF but I invite you to consider what it must have been like for LF by the time you and I got to him with our “suggestions” as to how he should do his job. And if any of the approaches were anything like I read here, we should feel fortunate that physical violence did not occur. (Just kidding about the p. v.)

    I can just hear how well the people on this list would have responded to someone such as their inlaws (with a vested interest in how their daugter was treated) called with advice on how to conduct their marriage. I would listen to my owm parents opinion of how to do my job, run my life, etc. I’d be better off, but so what.

    I just can’t get into chastizing HS or LF for not wanting to here from the righteously indignant. (I think of the comments about the game management here vs. some other anlyses I have read to speculate on how ridiculous those suggestions might have been,

    You know what? Fowler got a damn fine coach in Sidney Lowe and all we know is what we surmise from the media and internet blogs. Like a good poker player, I doubt LF tipped all his cards and I’ll bet some pump fakes occurred in the process also. We really don’t know the whole story. We are like a man looking at the face of a watch, watching the hands go round and making up a likely story about what goes on inside the case. No one one this blog will ever hear LF tell the real story because he couldn’t trust us as far as I could throw Tank Tyler.

  3. Wolfpack4ever 09/07/2006 at 3:24 PM #

    that post is full of typos. Please be kind enough to fill in the blanks and excuse the misspelled words. It got sent by accident before I could spell check it or proof read it.

  4. class of 74 09/07/2006 at 4:03 PM #

    LF’s job is not fund raising! Nobody gives money to NCSU athletics due to whomever the AD might be. That’s Bobby Purcell’s job. LF’s job is to manage the athletic department personnel and finances. Things like setting and monitoring goals for the individual athletic programs.

    Financially I think he is running a decent department, not great but acceptable. It’s in the other areas he is lacking IMHO. Just look at where we stand program wide in athletics compared to our peers in the ACC! That’s where being a nice guy just is not enough, you have to be a manager. I think Lee prefers to be seen as the coaches friend instead of as their manager. Sometimes being an AD or a manager is not an easy job and you have to be demanding. By all accounts Lee is more of a don’t rock the boat, try to be everybody’s friend kind of guy.

  5. redfred2 09/07/2006 at 5:54 PM #

    Wolfpack4ever

    Whe’re circuling here. To compare my thoughts to yours on the LF topic, I think my wife is beautiful, you, on the other hand, may not.

    side note: But don’t try anything either way, or I’ll knock you out.

    “(Just kidding about the p. v.)”

    What you see as success for NC State is not my picture at all. If the academics levels were higher than most others in the ACC, and/or young kids were improving and moving to the next level in their chosen sport (talking basketball here) then I wouldn’t have a problem with either LF or HS. It just isn’t case on either level.

    If a man’s personal characteristics make him a better basketball coach then think about the one so many are so quick to pass judgement on. Kid upon kid under Jim Valvano’s tutelage have gone on to prosper at another level and solely in the area that Valvano was responsible for while he was at NCSU. The coaching search and the recent hires by their own alma mater put a blarring spot light on that fact. I did not see happen under the duo of LF and Mr “Class Act” HS. Let’s bring out the balancing scale, where has all of this recent praise worthy properness taken us?

    No where. And out of control in the opposite direction at times.

    I was willing to de-emphasis athletics somewhat for a while there, but it has just been let slide on all sides. The academic aspect has not in the least benefitted and has suffered also. Can’t brag on that one either.

    What many can’t grasp is that the two compliment one another. But only if administered properly.

  6. Wolfpack4ever 09/07/2006 at 6:50 PM #

    redfred, thanks for the sense of humor and thanks for the civility. I’ll to buy you and SG a beer sometime.

    My mission is complete with regard to HS and LF. I stood up when standing wasn’t the popular thing to do. I tried to highlight some positives — it is next to impossible for someone to have ALL negatives.

    So what’s a girl to do? We’ve got an AD whose record is suspect, certainly by many here on SFN, and yet he hasn’t committed a crime sufficient for the administration to sentence him to the death penalty.

    My problem? I met him, had lunch with him and found him to be humble, honest and sincere. IOW I like him personally. I’m as blind to his faults as some are to his virtues. Likely I will defend him in the future here if the attacks are unfair IMO or unduly nasty.

    My wish is that we get underneath his leadership since he is here and while he is here and see if we can bring the best in him. I wonder what it would do for his job performance? It works for students and athletes, hwy not athletic administrators (and coaches.)

    Now, let’s call the next case. 😉

  7. redfred2 09/07/2006 at 8:08 PM #

    Wolfpack4ever

    Fair enough, I don’t doubt that about LF or HS on a one on one level. I’ve said it all along about HS, there has to be something there that doesn’t come over well at all in public. He did have some pretty decent successes in recruiting young men and developing relationships with HS coaches.

    Harder to separate the personal from performance once you’ve met the man up close and personal. Just a another nice guy trying to do a job. It’s definitely harder to see the personal, from my perspective anyway.

    Agreed, case closed. I don’t how to use emoticons though, you win.

  8. Wolfpack4ever 09/07/2006 at 9:55 PM #

    redfred.

    Type a semi-colon, then a dash and then a parenthesis (the one above the zero on the top line. And your emoticons thing-a-ma-jig must be on. 🙂

  9. vtpackfan 09/08/2006 at 8:21 AM #

    Hey, way at the top I read something about CW wanting/not wanting to pick the Hoyas over us because they have a big man legay, and we have two point guard legends on our bench as head and asst. coach, respectively. Then someone responded that AI went to Georgetown and that should be enough to trump that analogy. I just wanted to add a little bit to that thought, one that amount to a hill of beans when you really think about what CW has in front of him for choices. Here is a great, well rounded kid who does magic in the classroom that resembles the play of great point guards on the hardwood. It is an honor, and a tribute to the establishment of NC State and the work the former coach did to earn the attention CW has given us. It is also a class act how Sid has continued to draw his interest. I love AI’s game, his toughness, and spirit. I have always had a great deal of respect for the way he plays the game, but he came into the Georgetown spotlight after being arrested, and convicted of assault in a bowling alley when he was still a prep at Va Beach. He deserved a second chance, all gods children do, but this is not the way of Chris Wright. My guess is that the is very consumed with school and his future propects to even go bowling at this time.
    As far as LF, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck then he must be (I’m not sure how that translates Shakesperean). No Rick Barnes, no Calamari, then who will definitely take this job. As far a criticizing him for LOI guys, I never cared if we held them to the contracts or not, I just wanted to hear clearly and concisely what they had to do, when, and what we were going to do if things were not consistent with those terms. Every recruit seemed to be getting different answers, some just seemed to walk away and say that an assistant coach at State had told him that he would take care of the paperwork. I want to hear that Davis spoke directly with Lee Fowler that he didn’t want to play for State, or even bother showing up to clear the matter. I am over the episode, and every other water under the bridge matter that came up during this tumultous, sometimes exciting three ring coaches search. This is what I have to go on when I look at our AD and what he has been up to. I just painted my house and if you looked at the end result you might say that I am pretty good at painting. If I told you that a bunch of times I fell off the ladder but managed to hold on to my brush and continued painting the house in free fall would you want to consult me if you needed your house painted. I’m careless and sloppy, but god kept me screwing up the paint job and breaking any bones.

  10. redfred2 09/08/2006 at 9:05 AM #

    vtpackfan

    I have bitten my tongue to avoid talking about Georgetown’s legacy and their most current NBA star, glad you had the b*lls. Sure a variance of the dreaded P offense is there, but what else? From all accounts about the young man’s integrity, him talking to HS to begin with, it seems like a strange veer in a different direction to me. I just can’t see the “fit,” hate that word, or C Wright in a Hoyas uniform.

    I probably shouldn’t have even said that much, I am totally unfamiliar with the workings of GTown University, probably a great place. I just know I have never liked anything about their persona on the basketball court. In football though, that persona is basically non-exsistent, so that should be a big plus for them, with the well rounded collegiate experience and all.

  11. packbackr04 09/08/2006 at 9:34 AM #

    does ANYONE know if we are supposed to hear anything from any of our recruits soon? I saw in a post above that we were hoping to have CW commit before midnight madness… when is that? are any others expected to decide by then? and what is the deal with Green? are we still stringing him along? he is still showing as a verbal commit on scout and rivals.

  12. redfred2 09/08/2006 at 9:57 AM #

    ^vt

    It’s kinda funny, I also used a painting contractor in an analogy a long, long while back before the words Arizona State ever came into play. There is a man in that profession who lives just about a mile from my home. He is one of the nicest human beings you would ever want to meet. The guy is humble, very intelligent and involved in everything in the community coming and going. I would consider his advice on just about any topic. The guy is considered what I, and everyone who meets him, would call a true “class act.” He just happens to paint houses for a living.

    My point to all of that was that the man has personal characteristics that are to be admired and those characteristics helped to get where he is today. But do those characteristics help him to take care of the every day task at hand while painting window trim. Maybe just a little.

    He is admired but he doesn’t get paid just for being a “class act”. He is expected to do his job, do the whole job, and he gets paid to paint homes.

    Can he coach basketball? Hell no. But he doesn’t get paid for that.

  13. Wolfpack4ever 09/08/2006 at 6:02 PM #

    redfred,

    The US Supreme Court has ruled that context is decisive. You seem to have taken the use of word, “class”, in some opf my and other posts and recontextualized it to make some points. I’m not clear what your agenda is or how you got insulted by some use of the word, “class,” but whatever it is, I aplogize for any insult, slight, hurt, indignation, or any perceived injustice that occurs for you.

    But speaking of painting, I enjoyed your and many other posts in another thread having to do with the new paint scheme on our BB floor.

    Can we all let go of that old carrot?

    Adios, mf, yoyo.

  14. redfred2 09/08/2006 at 8:36 PM #

    Wolfpack4ever

    Here we go again…

    It wasn’t just your post with that word, or two words, but a continuous and never ending heaping of those particular words on the former coach. It didn’t matter what, how, why, who won or lost, or by how many points, who was or wasn’t doing their job, NOTHING. It all boiled down to the fact that a lot of people think colorless, tasteless, vanilla = class. Every time those same people were cornered and couldn’t answer a question posed that was obvious and backed up statistical data, eye witness accounts, common sense,…their ultimate come back was….

    Well, I don’t care, “—- ——” is a “CLASS ACT.”

    I guess that was supposed to overide all aspects of anyone’s job performance. Doesn’t seem to work that way anywhere except at NCSU. You have to do your job too. You can’t always cherry pick your competition in the real world.

    By the way I do know the meaning of the word. As it used in this context, and in “—- ——‘s” case, it basically pertains to appearances. Appearances were fine, results weren’t. Sorry, but I never saw it either way.

    We’ll get together in a few years and compare the academic aspects of Sidney Lowe’s players vs Mr Class Act’s, and I’ll bet my house that it is right there on par if not better. His kids will be motivated in every aspect of NC State University. They’ll be taught and know what it actually stands for and grow to love it deeper than any players of the past decade. They’ll play better basketball, do better in class, and become better adults because they have a coach who cares about them, and not just friggin X’s and O’s.

    Later Dude, or
    Tierra Del Feugo, Ahole

  15. redfred2 09/08/2006 at 9:19 PM #

    Wolfpack4ever

    Didn’t explain that last post very well to begin with. But it my estimation the term means “class act” means nothing, on this site anyway. It’s just a term to be throw out when someone can’t come up an intelligent response to a direct question.

    Kinda like responding with a big “Yo.”

  16. Wolfpack4ever 09/08/2006 at 11:34 PM #

    redfred,

    I went back to see if I could find where I had referred to HS or LF as “class acts” as I couldn’t recall doing that. “Couldn’t find it.” What I did find was this:

    “The handling of the recruitment of Jamelle and the eventual signing with Sendek in Arizona was first class. Like it or not it occurred on Fowler’s watch. What we don’t know and never will know is was Sendek’s “relocationâ€? to Arizona State orchestrated in the same high-class manner.”

    My first reference to “first class” was what Shooting Guard had to say about it and referred to something Sidney was involved in. The second was clearly speculation about HS’s leaving.

    I do agree with your assertion that class act� means nothing. I guess my question is then, why do you insist on using it?

  17. redfred2 09/09/2006 at 1:18 AM #

    I’m sorry there Wolfpack4ever, not personal, foul mood I guess. But if the former coach’s name shows up anywhere in the same paragraph with that word, I kinda lose it.

    If you’ve read my post for any amount of time you’ll know that I do not consider the definition, as it used here on this site anyway, to be what NC State needs. Never have. If you don’t know who I pleaded for to be considered as head coach before Lowe was hired, then you haven’t been coming to the site for very long. I’ll try to explain without writing another novel.

    It’s not about developing a theory on offense, the theory is to develop young men in every aspect. I say the recent so called class act was no such thing, only a pale persona that did nothing illegal, but did not devote his efforts to the areas that are most important and beneficial to the university, and most importantly, to the kids he was responsible for.

    I look at young kids just as simple basketball players when they arrive at any university, then watch them grow in that area, and as well as all others, as they go through their college years. There has been a stark contrast around here for too many years now. What I saw during the Valvano years were young kids coming in who were talented as freshmen, but their potential was almost limitless under his guidance. They grew and grew, some of them out of almost nothing, as compared to when they arrived. I can name names but you already know all the ones I’m talking about. Those kids learned basketball and other lessons that helped them go on and do what they love. Many have greatly prospered, just look around, a good number are in some pretty high profile places all over. Yet the man who helped to guide them through their college years has been totally villified in many Wolfpack circles.

    The impact that Jim Valvano had the in lives of those young men has stayed with them, and will stay with them, until they are all gone from the planet.

    The process of guiding, building confidence, and bringing out the best in those young kids, and the impact it had on the end result for those now men, in my simple minded estimation, is the pure definition of a “class act.”

    That’s what a coach, and a university, are for. There’s been no sign of it in Raleigh for way too damn long.

    Therefore my hatred for the word(s), in relation to, and in the context that they have been used around on this site.

    It’s another novel anyway.

    No hard feelings I hope.

  18. Wolfpack4ever 09/10/2006 at 11:43 PM #

    redfred,

    I love your passion for NCSU. No hard feelings at all.

  19. redfred2 09/11/2006 at 11:15 AM #

    wolfpack4ever

    I appreciate that.

    I guess there is just no way to illicit a honest response from a supporter of the former coach, or the still AD, that would be in any slight admission of the fact that the misplaced label of class that they have both been overly praised as having, has not at all benefitted NC State University in the least. That admission would be in sharp contrast to steadfastly holding to thoughts that proper outward appearances for the university are more important than the kids who signed to play while the duo of HS and LF were in place.

    I thought maybe you might the one to step up to the plate. Oh well.

  20. redfred2 09/11/2006 at 11:17 AM #

    ^In a big hurry. Run on sentences, no punctuation, just have to be.

  21. redfred2 09/11/2006 at 1:55 PM #

    My posts may be totally full philosophical BS, but I’ll be damned if I’m not right up there among the best at taking a horse, or a point, and riding it for every bit of life and all the way straight into the ground.

    Yes, I am totally aware.

    Will the healthy self-recognition give me pause to reflect and try to correct this, not so endearing, behavior? In all likelyhood, no.

1 2 3

Leave a Reply