Atsur’s Parting Quote

06-07 Basketball General Quotes of Note75

After four years, we all love and respect Engin Atsur very much. In this entry on the N&O’s Blog, he leaves us with quite a special statement.

It has been great. I’m proud of my university and my team, all my teammates and coaches. I had a great career. I enjoyed it very much. It has been an honor to play for the Wolfpack and N.C. State.

Thanks for the fearless leadership, inspired play, hard work and superior character with which you always represented NC State, Engin. Good luck in all of your future endeavors.

It is definitely worth elevating a one of the comments from our comments section to add a little more to this:

This is a wonderful quote from Engin and a microcosm of his career at NC State. Engin was the model student athelete, and really gave his other teammates something to look up to. He wasn’t the fastest, he wasn’t the most atheletic, but his demeanor made him one of the best leaders/difference makers I’ve ever seen. Engin, I personally wish that you had been able to win a championship on your way out, but thank you so much for all you’ve given to our program. I don’t remember being so sad to see a college career come to an end. Good luck, and I know NC State will always be here for you.

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06-07 Basketball General Quotes of Note

75 Responses to Atsur’s Parting Quote

  1. choppack1 03/21/2007 at 11:33 AM #

    Beo – I don’t know if I’m well-enough versed in the culture of the team to know if it was cultural or not.

    I suspect Sendek was a man who was all about the process. He figures it’s the routine that creates the results – and when you execute your process every time, you get solid results. This “process” oriented approach yielded good results agains teams w/ equal or lessor talent, but ultimately, when it mattered most, all too often the “process” wasn’t enough to get us the results we wanted.

    I think Sidney brought “passion”. The players bought into the passion for some big games early, but they didn’t bring the same passion to our equal or lessor ACC opponents.

    I don’t know who made the adjustments when we got on the plane and went to Tampa. I do know we played w/ passion and we executed. I also know in a first round NIT game where everyone in the world would have accpted a loss and a mediocre effort, our guys played w/ tremondous passion again – and gutted out perhaps, IMHO, our most unlikely victory of the year.

    One thing I hope all of these kids learned is that is how you have to play ALL of the time if you want to win titles.

  2. RickJ 03/21/2007 at 11:49 AM #

    I saw 2 interesting quotes from John Beilein before the game last night:

    “Number one, Engin Atsur has returned. He’s really one of the better point guards in the country, let alone the ACC. The other thing is they’re much more familiar with the style Lowe wants to play.”

    “They have so many different pro sets on offense. When we played them in December they were still figuring out who does what” Beilein said. “They’ve been putting on some clinics since then because they’ve figured out how to use six guys really effectively.”

    No doubt there is some coachspeak here but it is easy to forget just how much of an adjustment our players had to make to a new offensive system. The important point is that they did get better and better as the year progressed. I really think we are the second best offensive team in the league right now.

  3. choppack1 03/21/2007 at 11:51 AM #

    Oh, I’m definitely optimistic about the future under Sid.

  4. westwolf 03/21/2007 at 11:55 AM #

    Beo–nicely said.

  5. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/21/2007 at 11:56 AM #

    Every interview I’ve heard with Engin he demonstrates that he is a great kid with a very bright future. I saw him in a Subway a few months ago and I wanted to thank him for his dedication and hard work but I felt like these guys probably don’t want to be bothered so I didn’t say anything. So I’ll say it now, Engin you are a class act.

  6. 94MEGrad 03/21/2007 at 12:01 PM #

    Thanks Engin.

  7. primacyone 03/21/2007 at 12:03 PM #

    Nice blog post by Tom Suiter at WRAL

    http://www.wral.com/sports/blogpost/1242991/?d_hoopshq=1

  8. beowolf 03/21/2007 at 12:05 PM #

    Nice find, primacy:

    It was a team that learned in a short span how to fight instead of quit, learned what heart is all about and even in losing they gave hope for what could be in store down the road. They made State basketball fun and started the foundation for what Lowe hopes will become an elite program.

    That’s what I was talking about.

  9. PapaJohn 03/21/2007 at 12:48 PM #

    Great article by Tom Suiter – he said it really well, especially for a guy outside the “lunatic fringe” 🙂

    Also, if you haven’t looked at it, check out TNSU’s link about “Second-Half Javi”. Maybe Sid found us a gem???

  10. redfred2 03/21/2007 at 1:04 PM #

    “I’ve seen too many seasons that seem to announce to the world, “We’re back” or “We’re here” for me to smugly assume next begins a run of titles. I don’t think you’re asking me either to be satisfied w/ a victory or two over our rivals and an NIT final 8 appearance or a first round or second round NCAA exit.”

    Let’s see, how do I put this?…YES I AM.

    “I want titles, until I see them, I ain’t moving past “fairly satisfied” into “GREAT”. Now, if you want me to rank this stuff, I guess the last time I was this happy w/ a basketball season was when we went to the NCAA in 2002.”

    That’s easy, everybody wants to win, trophies, titles, and the glory and prestige and all of that stuff, but there only one winner when all is said and done. This was a single BB season where, for reasons way too many to list, anyone could say that those things weren’t anywhere close to being attainable in the beginning, but we fought through and played hard, came close and made them somewhat attainable in the end.

    I hope Sidney Lowe isn’t telling the players that it’s only winning a title constitutes a having a great season, because they sure as hell just had one.

  11. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/21/2007 at 1:09 PM #

    I think Larry Hunter was the reason Herbie had what little success at State that he had. Before Hunter the offense sucked and after Hunter the offense sucked. When the coaching searched seemed to be going no where and names like Phil Ford where being mentioned I was surprised Hunter’s name was never in the mix. I was a Whitt guy from about 2001 on but Hunter would of been logical if all else failed. I think he has about 20 NCAA tournament trips as a head coach.

  12. SaccoV 03/21/2007 at 1:40 PM #

    Engin was a class player and class student. I believe that his impact upon this program is everlasting, given the situation he was in here. You know iyou have to be tough to travel thousands of miles from home to play ball and get an education. We’ll miss you, 14.

  13. bTHEredterror 03/21/2007 at 1:42 PM #

    All in all, this was a good season, with some special moments. I’m proud of Engin, he is certainly one of the classiest kids to don the red and white, and I hope he has a long career overseas.

    TNCSU thanks. Sounds like Javi is a true PG. A tough city kid making late layups, assists, and late game free throws. Sid may have found a diamond. His development and impact will likely mirror the teams success next year.

    I wish next season started next week! While I’m optimistic based on the results this season, especially under duresse, next season will tell us more about Sid. He can obviously coach from the bench, but he will still have a young team, in the backcourt especially. We will be appreciably more experienced and tougher, and should have the bodies to run what Sid wants. But now when the expectations are higher, and resources greater, how will Sid manage the program? I think quite well, next year could be even more special.

    Good point Beo, looks like Sid has slayed the “grendel” of passivity with his passion and grit. Good posts all.

  14. TNCSU 03/21/2007 at 2:17 PM #

    It will be interesting to see the battle for PG between Degand, Javi, and possibly Johnson. My bet goes with “Second-half Javi”, but we’ll have to see…Man, I can’t wait. When does the schedule for next year come out?? 🙂

  15. Rick 03/21/2007 at 2:35 PM #

    I like the fact we will have lineup options from big to quick to ballhandling.

    From what I have read Degand is a speedster and having just one player like that immediately increases the speed of the entire team.

  16. Dan 03/21/2007 at 2:52 PM #

    To me, the most intriguing positions next year, personell wise, is the 2 and 3.

    Fells, Grant, Ferguson, Horner, Johnny Thomas, and maybe Marques Johnson and, if Hickson and McCauley are on the court, Brandon Costner.

    That’s 7 guys. Two spots.

    The one security blanket we may have to our PG problem is that, with our depth, we dont have to play half court basketball. We can run, run, run.

    In fact, if Hickson comes in strong, who are the best 5 guys to put on the floor? I guess those seven guys are going to decide that one during practice next season.

  17. redfred2 03/21/2007 at 2:59 PM #

    Dan

    That is going to be another real test for Sidney Lowe’s coaching abilities in determining which line up works the best together. Good problem to have though.

  18. noah 03/21/2007 at 3:25 PM #

    Marques Johnson is not going to be in the mix at PG. He’s going to be a shooting guard. Johnny Thomas is probably not going to be an immediate contributor. I think he’ll be a role player for a year or two. I don’t see Ferguson being a huge factor.

    I also think Hickson is going to have to work a lot if he wants to be a one-and-done player.

    I see our starting lineup being pretty much the same as this year’s with Degand filling in for Atsur.

    Hickson can fill in at the 4 or 5. I imagine we’ll rotate our wing guys. I don’t see Ferguson as a guy who suddenly is getting 15 or 20 minutes though.

  19. redfred2 03/21/2007 at 3:33 PM #

    noah

    I thought I read where MJ wanted more PT at UT, but that he wanted to be somewhere he could play immediately, at the point guard position.

  20. bTHEredterror 03/21/2007 at 3:43 PM #

    I saw Ferguson as a possible 10 minute man this year, and the staff didn’t trust him too often. I expect he’ll improve, but with more competition in the backcourt, I doubt he’ll see anything but spot duty. I don’t see him as as in over his head though, he could develop inot a three point specialist/zone-buster type, but with a plethora of wing players coming back, and Mays and Williams arrival his junior year, he will have to improve to sniff the floor.

    Having watched Johnny Thomas a couple of times this year, I suspect you’re right Noah, his offense is not polished enough to expect playing time. But he could a fill a stopper role next year if we run into a Frank Young type of player, reminiscent of Ginyard for the Holes last year. Thomas is tenacious on the defensive end.

    The depth is going to be interesting, Sid could go big with Hickson, MCauley, Smith(if he makes it) or Costner. And then turnaround and go small with Costner, Horner, Grant like they did a couple of times last night. Defensively too, think of a solid zone defense with M Johnson and Fells or Grant out top, and the big frontline. Hands will be everywhere. We should be able to press effectively as well if need be.

  21. CedarGroveWolf 03/21/2007 at 3:55 PM #

    “Marques Johnson is not going to be in the mix at PG.”

    based on what?

  22. richdail 03/21/2007 at 10:05 PM #

    Too bad Fergy’s name hardly came up in this conversation. I really had high hopes for him.

    I hope he doesn’t decide to transfer but he just might. I hope that we could become one of those programs where good players (but not ACC caliber players) stay on for four years just because we have a great program and a coach who is fun to play for.

  23. tractor57 03/21/2007 at 10:42 PM #

    Looking at the improvement I saw in Trevor’s last game minutes we may all be surprised at his play next year. A starring role? I don’t think that will happen but there is reason to be optimistic he can be an excellent role player. Sort of early to wipe the slate in my opinion.
    I keep looking at what Lowe and Co. have been able to do with other benchwarmers in the just ended season and I am encouraged.

  24. redfred2 03/22/2007 at 9:22 AM #

    tractor

    Ferguson has a bad case of the yips, like a golfer. He’s been overwhelmed and thinking too hard, instead of just playing his natural game. Coaching can go a long way in that, but it’s up to him to start putting himself out there, not worrying about looking bad or worrying about making any mistakes. I think maybe he can play and be a valuable asset coming in off the bench, but he has got to just left himself go.

    I’ve seen some rare and very brief glimmers, but my assessment is based more on hope, than anything I’ve witnessed from Ferguson thus far.

  25. Packaholic1 03/22/2007 at 6:00 PM #

    Just to successfully compete at the highest level in a foreign country is a great accomplishment. Add attending school and working in a foreign language and it is obvious he is a special young man. I’ll be pulling for Turkey in the World Championships and I hope Engin gets a lot of playing time. Thanks for your hard work and leadership and best of luck.

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