Official: Chris Wright to Georgetown & No Hoops for Brackman

06-07 Basketball Basketball Recruiting General115

Couple quick afternoon notes.

* Andrew Brackman wasn’t at media day, and his name wasn’t on the roster.

* Chris Wright changed his mind on Monday and picked Georgetown. He has a PC this afternoon and made his pick official.

* Don’t miss some of our related conversation in this entry from earlier today.

A couple of editorial comments:

* We say “No Means Go” and encourage NC State to continue to pursue Chris Wright until he actually signs his letter of intent with Georgetown in the signing period. Any kid that can be so wishy-washy on his decision can’t be totally committed to anywhere. (For the record, after informing NC State of his intentions to run witht he Pack, Wright informed the coaches late last night that he had changed his mind at the last minute).

* We will do our best not to be total assholes to the ignoramouses that talked so much shit about SFN on other message boards since we first told you about Brackman in July (Link) and then updated you twice in September (Link #1; Link #2)

We will have more on both topics later.

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06-07 Basketball Basketball Recruiting General

115 Responses to Official: Chris Wright to Georgetown & No Hoops for Brackman

  1. Rick 10/11/2006 at 9:24 AM #

    I am dissapointed he chose GT but think our program is stil better off. Go get em Sid.

  2. Par Shooter 10/11/2006 at 9:39 AM #

    I’m afraid that the Lowe era to date has been mostly a flop. I think there were 5 critical tasks to be completed before the start of his first season.

    1st, hire a great staff to complement Sid’s strengths and cover his weaknesses – check. I was pleased with the staff that he pulled together and hope this will pay dividends at some point in the future (Lord knows it hasn’t yet but it’s still early).

    2nd, convince Simmons and/or Brackman to return. The odds against here were pretty long since both guys had other viable options. However, the bottom line here is that both guys are gone and Sid’s appeals to be loyal to the school and part of something special fell on deaf ears.

    3rd, convince no other players to leave via transfer – check. At least we didn’t lose Grant, Fells or Costner. This should at least allow us to start all scholarship players if everyone is healthy. This is probably Sid’s biggest success to date and shouldn’t be minimalized.

    4th, convince the committed players to enroll. 1 out of 3 isn’t impressive in the least and I was not especially impressed by how the whole process played out. And of the 3, it appers on paper that we retained the least regarded.

    5th, make a BIG splash in recruiting for next year. Getting a (re)commitment from a guy like Wright or Hickson would have gone a long way towards getting the ball rolling. Heck, even getting McMillan would have been big symbolically and he probably would have started early in his career based on our limited backcourt. To me, whiffing on all of the blue chippers has been a horrible omen for our future. I can’t help but feel deja vu with Wright…it feels a lot like Stackhouse.

    In my opinion, Sid’s job gets a lot tougher once we actually start playing games. Right now he can still talk about dreaming, excitement, ’83, all that jazz. Once we start getting our brains beaten in on a regular basis, especially by our most hated rivals, all of the talk of excitement and dreams rings fairly hollow. Come late-November, it’s about winning games. With what we’re putting on the court this year, that’s scary.

  3. Dan 10/11/2006 at 9:47 AM #

    Par Shooter, I posted a list similiar to this the day he was hired.

    However, the big difference was that I said if none of the objectives were met, that it wouldnt be panic time but just meant it was time to take a more long term approach.

    I believe that what we are seeing now is a result of Lee Fowler’s failure to safeguard the program. Any coach that came in with similiar timing and experience to Sid would have the same results. Sid’s hands were tied here. Now he needs time to show he can correct the damage Fowler caused. I think he can do it. Give him until at least the class of ’09 to show he can recruit. If we are still getting all sleepers then you wont find any arguments from me.

    To think though, Fowler could have hired Whitt he day after RB turned us down. Not Sid though. He had to get that paper. I just pray the end game drama doesnt give Amato a heart attack. We cannot let Fowler ruin the football team.

  4. Par Shooter 10/11/2006 at 10:06 AM #

    I agree that it isn’t panic time. Sid hasn’t even conducted his first full practice yet so it is waaaay too early to judge his abilities or project how his tenure will play out. My analysis was aimed at how he is doing so far, and it isn’t very impressive. But he’s going to have lots of opportunities to impress in a much more tangible fashion once the ball is tossed up.

    And I also agree that this is Fowler’s doing more than Sid’s. Sid is trying to make the best of a bad situation that was really created by Fowler. So far, he hasn’t really made much lemonade from the lemons but we’ll see what happens this season.

  5. Dan 10/11/2006 at 10:20 AM #

    “My analysis was aimed at how he is doing so far, and it isn’t very impressive. ”

    I would agree that it hasnt been impressive. However, if a guy starts a marathon after everyone else is halfway done, his race wont be seen as impressive unless he does something remarkable. Word from recruiting gurus is that he is relating well with the recruits. I know that means nothing without results, but give him at least until the class of ’09. I implore people to be patient.

    In the meantime we can learn a lot from how he handles adversity. If they lose games, fine. But if they make teams earn their wins as opposed to turning it over shooting themselves in the foot then that will be something. If they just play sound basketball, they will win more games than is expected. One thing I expect this year is discipline on the court and a greater sense of awareness from guys like Grant and Fells.

  6. thebigwood 10/11/2006 at 10:27 AM #

    man, I have to really feel positive that Lowe kept us in the running for any of these kids. Can you imagine being on the outside looking in at our program? At least from the outside, it looks like a bit of a mess. However, Lowe and co. have seemd to keep these guys thinking about us. That is pretty incredible. I agree Dan, if Lowe is really ‘relating well’ with the recruits, then we only need to give him a few years before some of these premier programs are losing recruits to us. Now we just have to see how well he coaches…

  7. cfpack03 10/11/2006 at 10:42 AM #

    6 off-season months and you say already a flop? WTF? You probably hold your stocks all of 24 hrs before you see it drop a 1/2 pt and sell.
    Sid and staff have been trying to control damage, they certainly haven’t created any. I’m too busy to even get into this right now, but just.. wtf

  8. BJD95 10/11/2006 at 10:43 AM #

    I don’t care if Hickson is “one and done.” We don’t have alternatives for his scholarship that are solid 3/4 star guys who’ll stay 4 years. Our “Plan B” options are more like Plan C or D.

    We need a high profile commitment and an immediate impact player to build program momentum, and the sooner the better. Hickson is really our last chance at that until 2008.

  9. thebigwood 10/11/2006 at 10:45 AM #

    ^ what about Tracy Smith?

  10. Par Shooter 10/11/2006 at 10:49 AM #

    Actually, I said mostly a flop TO DATE. Does that mean he will be a flop? Not in the least, and I agree it is no time to panic. However, this offseason was a critical one in the future of Sid’s program and it hasn’t panned out like anyone would have hoped. It’s just going to make it that much harder for him to get us where we want to be.

  11. redfred2 10/11/2006 at 10:51 AM #

    Danny boy

    You’re starting to sound more and more like a more intelligent, and much more articulate, ME. That’s good for morale around here. I don’t know how it will affect you personally though. Good Luck!

    As far as making other teams earn their wins, I hope that isn’t a stretch and don’t think it will be, but what we have to do is to look within. We need to be watching our players as they progress through the season, irregardless of the scoreboard.

  12. Dan 10/11/2006 at 10:53 AM #

    “However, this offseason was a critical one in the future of Sid’s program and it hasn’t panned out like anyone would have hoped”

    If you mean that as every offseason is critical, I agree. But next offseason and the one after are far more critical to Lowe’s future here. I will admit that I was wrong when I thought Lowe would have a little more success this offseason. But, one, it aint over, and , two, give the guy a break.

  13. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 10/11/2006 at 10:59 AM #

    Why didn’t they fire that piece of crap years ago so we could of done a search on our own terms? You couldn’t of been more ignorant if you didn’t think the Arizona State coach was going to dump NC State the first decent contract that came his way. The problem was no one wanted him so State had to stick out awful year after awful year until a university was so desperate for any name to come they made him an offer. The man that destroyed many a young man’s basketball careers left State and gave us an AD running around the country with no clue what he was doing which has put State in the position they are in now.

    Thank the gods for SLowe, give him time and all will soon be right in the world again.

  14. packbackr04 10/11/2006 at 11:05 AM #

    did someone say “walk-ons”.. as i have said before… this if the year of the “RUDY” at NC State… i predict a huge season for a walk on bball player. Like some have said Evans barely got a scholly from chuck, so he is a bit of a cinderalla story. I see an even more of an underdog coming up big for Sid… It will be all over sportscenter like that autistic kid who lit it up on his highschool team. ANd then its, ESPY’s here we come….

    Hes got about 190, and it looks like, yeah it looks lika about an 8 iron. Cinderella story, comin outa nowhere, to win the masters. ITS IN DA HOLE! ITS IN DA HOLE!

  15. noah 10/11/2006 at 11:13 AM #

    “If you mean that as every offseason is critical, I agree. But next offseason and the one after are far more critical to Lowe’s future here.”

    Here’s the problem (and I think we all can agree on this):

    We’re now two recruiting classes behind everyone else. That’s half of our team that isn’t there. This is the same thing that absolutely crippled John Bunting. He took two years to figure out what the hell he was doing on the recruiting trail.

    Finally, he figured it out a couple of years ago and landed a good class. But when attrition hit that class, he had no room for error and it pretty much finished him off.

    Sidney Lowe is going to have to hit a homerun on the NEXT class. He’s gotta get a top-10 class. He needs marquee players at point guard and in the post….guys that can start immediately.

  16. redfred2 10/11/2006 at 11:25 AM #

    Whoa! Hold on there tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc, let’s not start the debate all over again.

    BUT, I do think people are starting to grasp the reality of it all now. There was never any continuity or soul involving the program. It was always going to be a season to season proposition based on the latest and greatest arrivals to come onto the scene. No identity, therefore, nothing and no momentum to carry into this next phase. Basketball in Raleigh, not Wolfpack basketball, was packed up in a tidy little package and shipped out west.

  17. redfred2 10/11/2006 at 11:35 AM #

    noah

    I don’t disagree with your analysis, it’s just that the time frames and damages/improvements involving a BB vs FB, are that one or two down recruiting classes are far less crucial to BB longterm.

  18. BJD95 10/11/2006 at 11:38 AM #

    Tracy Smith keeps this class from being a disaster. He’s not quite the star name that either Wright or Hickson would represent.

    Don’t get me wrong – we really, REALLY need Tracy Smith.

  19. Dan 10/11/2006 at 11:40 AM #

    Noah, when I look at the roster I’m inlcined to agree with you. We will desperately need players in ’08. I’m hoping he has until ’09 for his sake, but I dont know.

    Landing a post player this year will make a difference there. As will just one of the sleepers working out.

    Hey, from media day it sounds like Farnold might still be thinking he could play this year? Any news on this?

  20. noah 10/11/2006 at 11:52 AM #

    I’m not talking about “hot seats” here.

    I’m saying that when he goes out to recruit, he’s got a product he has to sell. Right now, he can talk about how we’re in the NCAA tourney every year (five years = forever and a day to a 17 year old), we’re competing for the ACC title every year (sorta true), top notch facilities (absolutely) and we’re going toe-to-toe with Dook and UNC (pretty much) every year.

    If we suck this year, the storyline is going to be that Lowe didn’t have much to work with. If we suck next year, the storyline is going to be that you have to give Lowe time to get his guy’s in place.

    By the third year, everyone has forgotten about that dry cupboard and the circumstances under which you were hired. Lose in year three and everyone thinks we’ve hired Les Robinson Jr. to run the program.

    It’s a lot like economics…happy thoughts go a long way. It doesn’t really matter if you’ve got a great system of sound principles if no one has faith that the system will ultimately work.

  21. McPete 10/11/2006 at 11:54 AM #

    BJD95,
    what do you know about Hickson’s plans that the rest of us don’t?

    It seems to me like Hickson and T Smith committing would be a major accomplishment for the staff, considering about half of the top 100 ’07 players were already committed when Lowe took over. The staff must have made a good impression with the limited time they had. The fact that Hickson is down to NCSU and UT is very good news in my opinion.

  22. redfred2 10/11/2006 at 12:04 PM #

    Boys, we are basing our analysis on high school kids and their skills levels. It is hard for even me grasp right now, but some of those may not had the best coaching HS, there are sleepers. Whatever they are when they arrive, they will be changing and evolving under this new coach.

    Tracy Smith, you have potential that you haven’t even dreamed of yet, and Raleigh NC is now the place to find out all about it.

    Ah, I feel better already.

  23. ShootingGuard 10/11/2006 at 12:10 PM #

    (I am going to refrain from blasting away at the parties involved based on the crap that went on behind the scenes in this recruiting battle…)

    No way around it…Not getting Wright is a HUGE loss…2006-2007 was already going to be a terrible year that Lowe would not be able to sell next summer to recruits (unless he has some MAJOR but unlikely surprises like a win vs Duke)…Wright and Hickson together would have given Lowe an immediate stamp of approval and brought excitement and star power to the 2007-2008 team, even as inexperienced freshmen…

    As it is, Lowe will likely have to go ahead NOW and take Rashad Green for backcourt depth as well as the first and best frontcourt guy he can find for depth upfront (it is not likely to be Hickson, especially with Wright now turning us down, and, unfortunately, the situation with Smith may be too dicey to take a chance with until spring). That would leave 2 scholarships to chase a TOP point guard and a TOP post player to come in and bring the stamp of approval / star power in 2008-2009 that Wright & Hickson could have brought a year earlier (if Smith or McLain or someone else appears out of nowhere in the spring, you might go ahead with the post player then OR save the scholarship for the 2008 guys, whichever looks best at the time…).

    Regardless, we should be better in 2007-2008 compared to 2006-2007 (how could we not be with all those players Herb would not play getting a year of experience?) but still not great. However, Lowe will need the extra bodies to run and, hopefully, pull off some great surprise wins that he can translate into recruits which then can be translated into future wins…

    All is not lost, it has just been made more difficult. There are a lot of IF’s and fine lines and little margin for error going forward…

    The bad: We don’t have a Sean Singletary type to help this rebuilding project move forward quickly, and now we won’t have one in 2008 either (unless Degand is a pleasant surprise, which he still could be with 2 years of training and working out behind him since high school).

    The good: Ask Paul Hewitt, all it takes is one top point guard and one top post man to get you back on the map.

    The bad: Signing a top point guard and top post man is easier said than done.

    We need to get behind Lowe BIG TIME and help him reel in that point guard and post man in 2008. So, if you don’t go to the games, scream like hell, and support Lowe and the guys through a tough year this year, then don’t come on here complaining. Lowe’s recruiting and the players’ performance on the court will be infinitely more difficult with shitty fans or empty seats behind them…Also, there is really not much point in hashing out what Lowe had or didn’t have as a coaching candidate—in the end, he was the ONLY candidate that had any spinnable qualities that said yes to Lee Fowler!! We may end up not loving his recruiting and coaching IN THE END (we’ll see), but, FOR NOW, he was the only guy out there who showed us the love by agreeing verbally and in writing to coming here…Just like in Hoosiers: “[THIS IS YOUR COACH] !! THIS IS YOUR TEAM!!”

    *****Sorry SFN, but a special “shout out” to all of the Herb lovers who are secretly enjoying watching Lowe miss on Wright, etc…GO TO HELL!! Herb is gone, the debate is over…It doesn’t matter whether Herb ran away or was chased away…It doesn’t matter what recruits Herb would have brought in, in 10 years he won zero games of any memorable importance with the overhyped Damien Wilkens and other “great” recruits he brought in anyway…If you give a damn about THE PROGRAM (more important and apart from proving a past agenda or opinion) get behind the Pack legend who had the balls to come in here and try to lift the program out of the shit pile that the media and Lee Fowler drug it through…

  24. redfred2 10/11/2006 at 12:32 PM #

    Shoosting

    Though some will never admit it, the reality of the past decade is just now coming into focus and come to roost in Raleigh.

  25. Wulfpack 10/11/2006 at 12:58 PM #

    I have never really given a darn about following the recruiting wars. I am convinced players are made once they come to campus, not playing against over-matched HS competition. How many “phenoms” have we seen flare out come the first practice of the season. There’s just no way to know how good some of these kids are. On the flip side, there are countless examples of lower profile kids that work their rear end off and have the most success. My only words on all of this is chill out. Sidney will get the guys he needs in time. The best selling point he has is the product on the floor. People will take notice.

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