Post UVa Random Basketball Thoughts

06-07 Basketball General Sidney Lowe60

We shared some thoughts in an updated game entry below, but I wanted to chime in with some more specific comments.

Reactive vs System?

After watching Sidney coach I have been very impressed with both his preparation and in game adjustments. During the games, he has made good use of his timeouts, changed defenses effectively and has his team playing hard without fouling (a must for a team with a short bench). His pre game acumen has been displayed by detecting weaknesses in the other team he can use to his advantage. The Michigan game is a great example of this. When scouting the game, Lowe noticed that McCauley had a speed advantage against the Michigan big men. He pulled Big Ben away from the basket, instructed him to drive and McCauley responded by leading the team with 19 points to go with his 8 rebounds.

What has been a refreshing change is the flexibility I see from the NC State bench. In the recent past NCSU has had a “run the system and it will work” mentality that has been frustrating albeit somewhat effective. We tried to force other teams to play how we wanted them to play. And when it worked it worked well. When our shots were falling and we were running the Princeton offense effectively we were a tough team to beat. We forced other teams to play defense for long periods of time and kept them from getting easy baskets. The problems came when we did not shoot well or for some reason the offense was not generating good shots. We did not react well when the plan was not working.

What I see from Lowe is a coach that reacts to game situations almost before they are happening. He calls timeouts before the other team makes a run. He changes defense to disrupt the other team’s chemistry and flow. He runs plays to take advantage of a “hot” player. He reacts to game situations instead of relying on a system that will not work universally.

It is good (even desirable) to have an over-riding offensive philosophy for your team. But you must realize when you need to look at option B.

Gavin Grant

I have seen many people getting down on Grant and am mystified by it.
Grant has been forced to play the toughest position on the court with little to no preparation. Has he been perfect? No. But he has performed very well against Michigan and against the best PG in the ACC (Sean Singletary). This can only make us better when Atsur returns. Also, I think you will be seeing Grant’s name being mentioned on all ACC rosters before the year is over.

End of Game situations

How refreshing is it to see an actual end of game play set up? Hit or miss all you can ask is to get an open look. This is so much better than the “run the offense” end game philosophy we have had in the recent past.

Player improvement

Fells, Costner, McCauley and Nieman have been playing very well despite a lack of playing time last year. This makes you wonder if the players have developed that much or if they should have played more last year. Either way it is great to see the poise and effort they displayed on Sunday.

About Rick

1992 and 2002 graduate from NCSU. Born and raised an NCSU fan. I remember the good ol' days and they weren't in the last 20 years.

06-07 Basketball General Sidney Lowe

60 Responses to Post UVa Random Basketball Thoughts

  1. tooyoungtoremember 12/04/2006 at 12:34 PM #

    Now that you mention it, I remember seeing Fells running around chasing Reynolds all over the place at the end of the game while our other four guys on defense looked like they were staying put.

  2. Gene 12/04/2006 at 1:15 PM #

    NCSU is trying to appeal to the NCAA’s to allow Degand to play this year, but from what I’ve read the NCAA most likely will not grant this. Maybe the appeal got pushed through. Let’s hope so.

  3. packfanstk 12/04/2006 at 1:18 PM #

    Somebody should check the tape on that. I remember on those possessions trying to decide if it was a 1-3-chaser, box-in-1, or if we were still playing man-to-man and Reynolds was just trying extra hard to work free. I got so interested in watching him and Fells I didn’t really scope the whole floor out. It seemed to me it was man-to-man or 1-3. My recollection is that it just didn’t quite look like a box.

  4. Wolf-n-Atl 12/04/2006 at 1:20 PM #

    My only problem with Grant’s play is when he takes a shot right when he comes up the court without making one pass. This happened a couple of times and lead to transition baskets for UVA. This will come with experience. I like having Grant at point, it is similar to when Hodge would play there. He is a tough matchup for guards since he is much taller. Luckily, the faster guards have not taken advantage of their speed on him.

  5. Pack92 12/04/2006 at 1:34 PM #

    Guys, I know this is dangerous ground but anybody else remember a team who had to wait on some players to get healthy in, say, 1983?

    I am most impressed by this Wolfpack. The fire is there but also the execution. They are not perfect but enthusiasm and hustle can overcome technical mistakes sometimes. I will bet money we will not be at the bottom of the ACC this year. I could not agree more with some earlier posts addressing the flexibility shown by Sid so far. It has beeen so, so long since anything approaching that has been seen in Wolfpack basketball. How many times last year did a guy look stupid with seconds left on the clock and you knew he had the talent to make a play? Players were scared to death to do anything outside “the system”. From what I’ve seen so far this year, the “system” is to win and whatever needs to change for that happen is what happens.

  6. vtpackfan 12/04/2006 at 1:39 PM #

    When Atsur and Fergueson come back Grant will explode. He will obviously be a contributer on offense going back to a more natural “point forward” position. He will also have an understanding of what the PG has to go through running the offense and will better empathize, thus initially react better to making Astur and the whole offense flow. It’s a great thing to watch. I believe too that by the end of the year Grant will make first team ACC. He is a gifted scorer who is in the midst of coming into his own.
    Fells makes some great moves down on the blocks. I expect to see him posting up smaller guards the rest of the way out.

  7. ShootingGuard 12/04/2006 at 1:39 PM #

    I guess the Sendek comparison’s are inevitable…

    Sendek did a lot of good things for the State program, and, when it was on, Sendek’s version of the PO was great…

    The problem with Sendek’s coaching always was that, when things got tight, Sendek pulled the reins in uncomfortably tight…This was both a season phenomenon and an in-game phenomenon…Over the course of the season and within the course of individual games, Sendek would take the life out of the offense and the players by reining everything in so tight… Players who played outside of those tightening bounds found themselves on the bench…Fans had to suffer through grind it out wins and frustrating losses as a result…

    It’s funny, but, if you watch what Lowe has done at various points in the first 6 games, you will see some elements that Sendek used such as a lot of backdoor cuts on overplaying defenders as well as a deliberate halfcourt style (as was used yesterday vs UVA to keep them from running us into the ground and will likely be used many times this season vs the UNC’s, Maryland’s, GT’s, etc.)…The difference is that, so far, Lowe hasn’t let himself get trapped by any system or any game plan going into any game…Lowe knows that he will be outmanned overall every game, and he is adjusting to whatever match-up advantages he can find at any moment in time to give us a chance to win…

    Herb Sendek was rigid and anal and all about fine details, which is very important and will win you some games as Sendek unquestionably did.

    Bobby Cremmins, in contrast, was all about emotion which translated into some great recruiting and great victories. Cremmins wasn’t detailed and focused enough to keep it going forever (like a Coach K who has the emotional AND detail sides both down), but he did rise up to the peaks that Sendek could not grounded solely on details and control (basketball always was and, going forward especially with the athletes of today, will always be about emotion—the great coaches simply channel that emotion alongside fundamentals to achieve the best results).

    The thing to be cautiously optimistic about Lowe is that you know he has the emotional fires and passions about the game and winning—and he is showing us his detail orientation game-by-game as well as his flexibility in being able to change to what details are important. The future is not guaranteed, but this bodes well for it…

  8. Matt E. 12/04/2006 at 1:41 PM #

    “Now that you mention it, I remember seeing Fells running around chasing Reynolds all over the place at the end of the game while our other four guys on defense looked like they were staying put.”

    That was just the offensive set that UVA was running. They were running JR around screens on the block and had two men up top and they didnt move so it made it look like a box and one.

  9. RAWFS 12/04/2006 at 1:45 PM #

    ^ to boil down your post, Sidney lets players compete and Herb made players worry about doing things perfectly.

    I agree that you cannot be Stoic and win the big games. Will-to-win is huge, especially with young players. Ask USC about that, and why they aren’t playing for the national championship this year.

  10. Rick 12/04/2006 at 1:47 PM #

    “T Fergusion will be available to play on the 20th-21st. Correct?”

    On a radio interview, Tony Haynes said he will be available to play Dec 20th.

  11. Rick 12/04/2006 at 1:48 PM #

    He also said he would be able to contribute 10-12 min a game which struck me as odd.
    Given our lack of depth any decent player would be playing at least 20 min. I hope this was a mis-speak as opposed to teh value of contribution we can expect.

  12. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 12/04/2006 at 2:40 PM #

    When State would be in the midst of one of Sendek’s famous 1/4 of a game long scoring droughts it seems like that would of been a great time to get some other players some QT. I do understand there was little time but when the starting 5 and the 6th man go 3 or 4 minutes without scoring bring in someone else with fresh legs to gain some experience.

  13. choppack1 12/04/2006 at 2:45 PM #

    RAWFS – I’ll put it this way – I think Sendek would have been a great football coach. His attention to detail, his ability to gameplan, etc – would have made him a great gameday coach – especially if you consider that many of the gameday decisions would have been made by OCs and DCs.

    However, basketball is very much a free-flowing game. You need to allow for free-flowing action and improv.

  14. Dan 12/04/2006 at 2:48 PM #

    “OK – this just isn’t fair, whether it was Grundy, Hodge or even Grant, we used our guards plenty of times when there were mismatches – and same thing at 4 and 5 spots.”

    You are right. But this was almost always accomplished in the same manner. With the high post entry pass. This isnt the case now. There are multiple options in order to get to multiple places. The former offered multiple shots, but getting there was a one-trick pony. There is infinitely more creativity in this offense.

    btw, Minnesota just had their coach resign after losing to few bottom half RPI teams. They promptly beat Arizona State.

  15. bTHEredterror 12/04/2006 at 2:51 PM #

    There was a box in 1 looking d in the second half when Virginia was running Fells to death of every other Uva player, I think that had a lot to do with his game on the other end. He did a superb job on Reynolds until about the middle of the second half. Sid did play what looked like a 2-1-2 or a 3-2 for a couple of possessions at the end of the first half and it seemed top throw off the sideline game they were playing at the time.

    Does anyone have an account for all the 1st half airballs? New Arena? Adrenaline? We got some open looks and sent em over the rim 4-5 times.

    At the end of a day, the guys played their hearts out again, and I was glad to see Costner get not one but two shots at the top of the key, run off a pick and pop. I expect he will hit that shot in the near future. Sid and Co. are turning out great and we got some horses comin in next year ya’ll. Things are gonna be quite alright.

  16. burnbarn 12/04/2006 at 2:59 PM #

    Matt E has it right

  17. bTHEredterror 12/04/2006 at 3:08 PM #

    Rick, that is probably stated when taking Atsur into consideration. With Atsur, Grant and Fells at guard, there may only be 10-12 minutes available. Ferguson will then have those 10-12 minutes to justify more PT. I think by ACC toruney time, he will be playing 18-20 minutes because he looks like a scorer and would open up other players. I’ve a feeling he will turn into our secret weapon.

  18. aohinson 12/04/2006 at 3:23 PM #

    Sidney Lowe is the Man.

  19. choppack1 12/04/2006 at 3:24 PM #

    “But this was almost always accomplished in the same manner. With the high post entry pass. This isnt the case now. There are multiple options in order to get to multiple places. The former offered multiple shots, but getting there was a one-trick pony. There is infinitely more creativity in this offense. ”

    I agree 100% – the flex has a lot more options. Like I said, Sid’s used to having to find a good shot in 24 seconds – not a lot of time for watching paint dry!

  20. Rick 12/04/2006 at 3:24 PM #

    ^Could be
    Though I see Grant as the SF and spelling at the PF when Atsur gets back.
    That gives a three man rotation of Fells, Atsur and Ferg.
    But I do not think either Fells or Ferg can play the point so Grant plas point forward when Atsur is out.
    There is no doubt Sidney has his hands full managing this team.

  21. ChuckAllYall 12/04/2006 at 3:45 PM #

    Do you all know if the WVA game Wednesday is showing on the FSN network in Raleigh? I saw on the schedule it says FSN Pittsburgh. Am I correct in assuming we will not be receiving it in N.C.?

  22. xphoenix87 12/04/2006 at 4:02 PM #

    there’s a small mention of of Ben in Andy Katz’s Weekly Watch on ESPN.com

    http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2685629&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab5pos1

  23. PapaJohn 12/04/2006 at 5:02 PM #

    Whoops, I think I confused everyone, including myself during my lunchtime post. It was Fergueson coming available 12/21, not Degand. Perhaps I killed more brain cells than I thought in those legendary Owen door beer blasts.

  24. PapaJohn 12/04/2006 at 5:03 PM #

    ^ And I STILL can’t spell (dorm not door)

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