Curse Continues – Atsur Hurt (Updated)

06-07 Basketball General69

Rumors are circulating that NC State’s only experienced guard on the 2006-2007 roster, Engin Atsur, has experienced a foot injury and will not play in tonight’s Red/White game (not that many people can see the game).

Some fans on certain message boards have speculated that Atsur could be out for the entire month of November, but (at this point) we hear that the injury is not that significant and Atsur should be available to practice with the team some prior to the season opener on November 17th. SFN will keep you updated with anything that we learn.

If Atsur were to be hurt for the start of the season, NC State could enter the season with only five true healthy scholarship players comprised of one junior, two sophomores and two freshmen because Trevor Ferguson is ineligible until the end of the first semester and Farnold Degand still waiting a final answer from the NCAA.

If Atsur were to miss time during the season, then we would expect Gavin Grant to move to the back court with Courtney Fells. Since the post positions will be manned by Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley, then the hole ultimately existing at the swing forward position may be filled by true freshman, Dennis Horner. Looks like the young man went from #12 on the projected ‘depth chart’ to #5 in just seven short months.

Interestingly, the two freshmen that spurned their written commitments to NC State University – Dan Werner and Larry Davis – would have easily had the opportunity to potentially start in the ACC as true freshmen this year. Wow. I guess such a challenge and opportunity wasn’t in their DNA.

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06-07 Basketball General

69 Responses to Curse Continues – Atsur Hurt (Updated)

  1. SixPack 10/26/2006 at 2:25 PM #

    What about JC players ? Hard to believe there’s not one or two point guards hangin’ around waitin’ for a chance at ACC play !

  2. xphoenix87 10/26/2006 at 3:48 PM #

    went to the game, and though it wasn’t exactly encouraging, there were bright spots. We’ll finish in the bottom 3, but there is some hope for the future. Here are my thoughts from the game.

    Fells looked great. I understand that he wasn’t exactly being guarded by ACC quality defenders, but he still looked great. He made a play in the second half where he posted up Ferguson on the wing and then just quickly spun and elevated over him to swish the shot. He couldn’t miss and just looked really polished. Could lead the team in scoring this year.

    The thing that really impressed me about Gavin was that he didn’t make any of the boneheaded plays I’ve come to expect from Gavin “The Living Turnover” Grant over the past 2 years. He was patient and took what the defense gave him, and his passing looked really sharp. I wouldn’t be surprised if we ran some stuff through him as a point forward.

    Ben McCauley played really well, though a lot of that was probably a product of playing against Lewandowski. However, he looked really confident, and was finishing well with either hand. He made some nice moves on Costner later on too, which adds a bit more credence to his performance. Maybe the most impressive part of his game was the interior passing. He made some great drop-offs to cutters for easy buckets. Just looked really sharp.

    Lewandowski is 50 pounds away from being a viable ACC player. He just got pushed around all game, and was never a defensive presence despite his height. He showed good touch on his midrange jumper, but he couldn’t make anything when a defender was bodying him up.

    Costner looks like a young Rasheed Wallace, right down to the fact that he spends too much time on the perimeter. He was impressive on the glass and on the defensive end (he blocked 3-4 shots), and he showed off his impressive athleticism in the pregame layup lines, but he never really blew me away. I kept expecting him to impress me, but he never really stood out. He had an off night shooting the ball, but you can tell he’s got a good stroke and huge range though. I’m hoping it’s just cause it was a scrimmage that he seemed kind of lazy on the court. He has huge potential, it’s just a matter of him accepting the fact that he can be dominant if he puts the work in.

    Ferguson shoots most of the time he touches the ball, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s fearless, and surprisingly athletic, so I think he’ll contribute a good bit in the second half of the season.

    Horner looked like a really smart player, which is good for a true freshman. He also showed a lot of hustle going for loose balls and rebounds. He’s not the most talented player, but if he develops and puts on some more weight he has a chance to be a solid player. He’s at least a year away, but he’ll have to play cause we’re so thin.

    I’m severely disappointed that Degand has to sit out this year. He’s lightning quick, has a decent shot, good floor vision, and strikes me as a very charismatic player. He’s the perfect fit for an up-tempo system. He made the play of the night when he closed out the first half with a crossover drive as the clock ran down that ended with him scooping a shot up underneath the arms of the post defenders. Wish he could play this year.

  3. choppack1 10/26/2006 at 4:45 PM #

    xphoenix – thanks for the update.

  4. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 10/26/2006 at 5:58 PM #

    I didn’t see the game but it sounds like our offense no longer consist of passing up on 2 or 3 open shots holding the ball for 32 seconds then having a big man drive the lane and make a wild pass as the shot clock is buzzing.

  5. vtpackfan 10/26/2006 at 7:52 PM #

    Without Atsur it really sounds like Sid will be doing two jobs this season, atleast the early part. One, he needs to suit the guys up and play a NCAA and ACC schedule. The second part is instill a system of basketball in his practice sessions that will serve as a foundation to later campaigns. The two seem jobs seem unfairly distinct.
    On one hand he will get more intimate with the college game he left years ago and begin to understand some of the subleties that are know foreign to him. But the roster he has to begin his college coaching career is so thin that he is one flu bug from forfeit. I won’t expect to see any nature of his idea of State basketball games until Atsur is back to nearly 100% (which may not be possible) and Fergy breaks in. Until then its just games being played on playgrounds. From what it sounds here the practices should be the emphasis of all the new found WolfPack excitment. Anyway we can get mole to do some reporting for us?

  6. redfred2 10/26/2006 at 7:53 PM #

    ^xphoenix87

    Thanks! That was a great update with good news within. It will be fun to watch these kids develop, and they will, week to week, game after game. That aspect alone, will more than make up for the depleted roster and lack of depth that Sidney Lowe is saddled with this season. That’s all I’ve been missing and am dying to see anyway.

  7. MatSci94 10/26/2006 at 8:00 PM #

    There was also a nice alley-oop to Fells. Its been a while since I’ve seen us do that. (I’ve lived out of the area for several years though, so maybe I missed some).

  8. xphoenix87 10/26/2006 at 9:15 PM #

    Glad you guys appreciate the report.

    Sadly, for me at least, the Fells alley-oop came on one of the few times when I was looking away from the floor, so I missed it entirely. It did bring the house down though, made me wish Reynolds had the big replay screen. Honestly though, we all knew Fells was wildly athletic, anyone who watched the games he got in at the end of last year knows the guy can elevate and run the floor. What really impressed me was that his game looked really polished, which it was anything but last season. He was hitting long threes off the dribble, he was setting guys up with his pivot, and he didn’t once look panicked with the ball. He showed a scorer’s touch, but it all came in the flow of the offense. All this from a sophmore who barely played last season. His play really blew me away, he looked like the best player on the team. Fells and MacCouley stole the show.

  9. Rochester 10/26/2006 at 10:11 PM #

    Pack Pride is reporting that ’08 PG Julius Mays has verbally committed to the Pack. Anyone know much about him?

    As for this year’s squad, if McCauley takes a step forward, and it sounds like he had a nice showing Wednesday, suddenly our starting lineup doesn’t look so bad, at least when Atsur is back.

  10. bTHEredterror 10/26/2006 at 10:52 PM #

    McCauley was solid on O last year, good pivot moves, good hands, and a decent shooting touch. Defense is where he was a liability, and I doubt he was tested Wednesday. Good to hear Fells improved, it makes sense the younger guys would be more effective early on. They haven’t been exposed to Herb’s system and teaching methods as long (no insult intended, though probably appropriate), so they would be more receptive to the new style of play. I Hope Grant has a breakout year, if he has curtailed his turnover issues he could be a real star. Did any of the Walk-ons show any promise that they might be Wes Miller types?

  11. xphoenix87 10/26/2006 at 11:54 PM #

    The two things that really impressed me about McCauley were his passing and his ability to finish with either hand. He dished off several pretty no look scoop passes inside that lead to easy layups. He made a variety of shots (scoops, hooks, layups) and was making them with either hand, which you rarely see in a big man. Costner actually looked really impressive defensively with a few blocks and some really strong rebounding. Hopefully he can fill some of the void that Ced left there.

    I wasn’t focusing on the walk-ons much, so take my word with a grain of salt, but neither of them really seemed to do that much to me. They both looked better than Lewandowski, but that’s not saying much. Nieman is a guy who might be able to step in and give some hustle minutes and leadership, and maybe knock down the occassional 3, but he’s not going to give you that much. I like Braxton, I talked to him a bit at the ACC tourney 2 years ago, seemed like a great guy, but he’s just not an ACC caliber point guard. He might have to play some as Atsur’s backup, and maybe he’ll surprise me and be a strong player, but I think he’ll struggle.

  12. pakfanistan 10/27/2006 at 1:35 AM #

    I’m worried that McCauley Is gaining some false confidence practicing against Lewandowski. I saw him take several shots that he only got off because Lewandowski is a twig. Against any real opposition he’s going to get stuffed.

    I think Lewandowski showed some promise though. He has good touch and I saw a couple good passes. He seriously needs to add 50# though.

  13. packbackr04 10/27/2006 at 10:50 AM #

    im just now getting over the fact that red called me a dumbass.. ouch red, really, ouch.

    Can we get Lew off of scholarship next year so we can free one up for SId, who is turning out to be a surprisingly good recruiter (i know we havent played any games with his recruits yet) but still, with the situation that Herb and Lee left him, its amazing we have landed any recruits. I wouldnt have been surprised if he had already resigned and was making donuts at krispy kreme right now with the poor shape he inherited the program in.

  14. redfred2 10/27/2006 at 8:36 PM #

    ^04

    I stood up for you, and looked just as foolish, but I wasn’t about to take the ultimate responsibility in the end. That’s just the kinda guy I am.

    I getting mixed messages on Lew, was ?phoenix? who said he had some skills or at least some shooting touch. Is there enough there to hope that the weight room, and plain weight, could make him a defensive presence with his height?

  15. xphoenix87 10/27/2006 at 10:13 PM #

    well, he can hit the foul line jumper pretty well, he was knocking them down very consistently in shootaround, and he made one open look from there in the game. The problem is that he was totally ineffective whenever he was guarded. He tried a few hooks, but they missed pretty badly. It’s not that there isn’t talent there, and you can’t teach 7’3, but he really isn’t ready for ACC play at all. I said he probably needs to put on 50 pounds, and that’s not really an understatment. He’s absolutely rail-thin. I didn’t see tremendous shot-blocking instincts, but it was only one game, and again, he is 7’3, which always counts for something on defense. He could becomes a factor, but I think he’s at least 2 years away from it. Really, lets face it, tall thin white guys don’t exactly have a track record as great basketball players.

  16. vtpackfan 10/28/2006 at 8:49 AM #

    Maybe an Aaron Gray type from Pitt. It took him 2 plus years to add weight and gain the confidence but when he did it came around in a hurry. The good news is that we don’t need him to perform to that level , just be a dependable back up in a few years that can play smart and hit a open jumper. Maybe a sort of center seen on the Bulls back in their hay day.

  17. redfred2 10/28/2006 at 11:22 AM #

    Thanks xphoenix87, but I don’t think the fact that he is white is a factor. I’m white myself, for instance, and I take offense to that kinda talk.

    Seriously though, this kid is probably self conscience walking down the street. Hopefully he’ll work hard and earn his spot on the team. If there any ability to build his confidence and help him realize his potential on the bball court, I like our chances as good as any with the staff in place. He may come around, but he is already of value to the team and filling a void at practices for this upcoming season.

  18. xphoenix87 10/28/2006 at 11:47 PM #

    Hey, I’m a white guy too, but lets be realistic. The track record for 7-foot black guys is a lot better than the track record for 7-foot white guys. Even when they’re both thin guys, would you rather have Manute Bol or Shawn Bradley? Dikembe Mutombo, or Luc Longley? It’s not that he can’t make it, but lets not have high expectations. From what I saw, don’t expect him to be much more than another Adam Simons. Especially with the kind of talent we appear to be bringing in over the next few years, I’d be surprised (pleasantly) if he’s ever much more than a backup.

  19. redfred2 10/30/2006 at 5:09 PM #

    xphoenix87x- Sorry, that was a WEAK attempt at humor on my part. Most people just ignore my posts anyway, you’ll learn.

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