Tudor: Bigger & Better Things Ahead

General NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe75

We will keep our game entry untouched and wanted to highlight Caulton Tudor’s piece in its own entry this morning.

The Wolfpack, 16-14 overall, has done more than enough to turn Sidney Lowe’s first season as men’s basketball coach into a ringing success.

Although former coach Herb Sendek’s teams won 105 games from 2002 through last season and went to the NCAA Tournament in each of those five seasons, it’s safe to say that the future hasn’t looked brighter for State basketball in a long time.

And with the exception of Atsur, everyone on the Pack roster will be back next season.

State, on the other hand, has plenty of confidence. The Pack’s direction is good, too. Win or lose today, Lowe has elbowed his way into the Triangle neighborhood. His team may not be able to do better than the NIT this season, but bigger and better things lie ahead.

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General NCS Basketball Sidney Lowe

75 Responses to Tudor: Bigger & Better Things Ahead

  1. BoKnowsNCS71 03/09/2007 at 9:52 AM #

    My brother sent me this. Editing out “he who shall not be named”

    “It took Sidney Lowe one season to do what (his predecessor) did only once in 10 seasons — beat Duke and Carolina in the same season.

    State beat Duke 85-80 in overtime and UNC on Feb. 3.
    Lowe’s 2-2 against Duke and UNC. His predecessor went 3-21 vs. Duke and 5-17 vs. UNC.

    The only time (his predecessor) beat both in the same season was 2002-03.

    It’s the first time State beat a ranked UNC and a ranked Duke team in the same season since 1990-91.

    NC State played with one McDonald’s All-American tonight. Duke played with six McDonald’s All-Americans

    SFN: Bo, have you looked at the blog entry that preceeds this one? All of that comes from our previous blog entry

  2. redfred2 03/09/2007 at 10:05 AM #

    In just a single season, Engin Atsur and Sidney Lowe have become one. Astur is the extention and the head coach on the court, just like Sidney was back in his days for Valvano. This small group of players have been allowed to come out of the closet, so to speak, and show us what they are all about as individuals and basketball players.

    Even though I did complain about some habits at the beginning of this season, I have always been an Atsur fan, he’s been as solid as a rock for all of his four years. But it’s never been more evident than it is right now, how much Engin Atsur has meant to the program. Many thanks to Engin, and to coach Lowe for putting the personality back into the program, and allowing it come into clear focus in Engin Atsur’s final season.

  3. RedTerror29 03/09/2007 at 10:15 AM #

    Lowe has officially done the impossible – positive (besides comparing Lowe to a tomato) article in the Charlotte Observer:

    http://www.charlotte.com/129/story/45039.html

    “Yet, as the game winds down, it is your Wolfpack that plays with an almost eerie calm. The only screaming on the bench is done by your jacket.”

  4. branjawn 03/09/2007 at 10:15 AM #

    Getting ready to ride around Ithaca NY flying my NC State car flag!!!!

  5. RedTerror29 03/09/2007 at 10:16 AM #

    Second best quote – “My friends, you do not want to get into a late-game chess match with the Tomato.”

  6. highonlowe 03/09/2007 at 10:24 AM #

    TOM SORENSEN is a hack. I don’t read his columns, much less his opinions

  7. redfred2 03/09/2007 at 10:27 AM #

    “This was only one game and, for Lowe, only one season. Yet, even though he wasn’t close to being N.C. State’s first choice, the early returns indicate he was the right one.”…(THE ONLY ONE AT THIS POINT IN TIME)…”IN MY OPINION Tom Sorensen”/redfred

  8. highonlowe 03/09/2007 at 10:27 AM #

    Caulton, THANK YOU for knowing your ACC basketball! (unlike 95% of the other sports reporters in NC)

  9. GoldenChain 03/09/2007 at 10:47 AM #

    My case for Sid being the anti-Herb:

    1) Sid is polished in dress, image, persona, and he is very articulate and controlled when interviewed yet he can speak up to refs (I always think of Droopy when I think Herb on the sidelines of a game with his pockets pulled out) and be intense but controlled with his players.

    2) In all 6 of our wins against conference opponents we have shot over 50% and actually over 60% in 4
    we had more conference games shooting 60% in one season than Herb’s teams did in 10 years. I am 100% certain that he never had teams that shot over 50% in all conference wins in a season. Low shooting % was characteristic of Herb teams.

    3) In our 4 wins over ranked opponents we OUTREBOUNDED them. I’m not sure that Herb ever out-rebounded a conference opponent. Weak board play was characteristic of Herb teams.

    4) We’ve split (or better) with the Big 4 for the 1st time in how many years? 1-1 w/Duke, 1-1 w/unx-xh, 2-0 w/Wake Herb sure never did.

    By any measure you have to say that Sid is the anti-Herb and Pack fans love it!

  10. shellnc 03/09/2007 at 10:47 AM #

    I’ve see more progress from players since the beginning of the season, than Herb got in 4 seasons. I actually saw players regress under his regime.

  11. highonlowe 03/09/2007 at 10:55 AM #

    Who the hell is Herb?

  12. coppertop 03/09/2007 at 10:58 AM #

    Corpus christi is going to wonder why there are NCSU flags a flying today… I couldn’t be further removed from college basketball fans!
    At least when I was in the AL/FL area they understood college sports passion…

  13. class of 74 03/09/2007 at 11:07 AM #

    He was an overachiever as a player and that trend continues today. We have not been in such good hands since the late Jimmy V. When he gets a couple of recruiting classes of his own in house look out, the party is just starting.

  14. Dan 03/09/2007 at 11:08 AM #

    I’m anxiously waiting to see how Javi Gonzales and Julius Mays develop under Sidney. I dont think its unreasonable to expect great guard play given our coaching staff, and with competition within the squad I think we are going to see guys like Fells and Grant excel.

    Lowe seems to be just perfect for us so far. He’s everything we loved about Amato wihout the stuff that drove us crazy.

  15. westwolf 03/09/2007 at 11:13 AM #

    I miss the Princeton Offense.

  16. BJD95 03/09/2007 at 11:23 AM #

    For me, the Lowe era is now in full swing (last night put the final stamp on that), and I feel no need to EVER mention Herb Sendek or the Princeton Offense again.

  17. redfred2 03/09/2007 at 11:25 AM #

    “I miss the Princeton Offense.”

    That goes without saying, of course, but sacrifices must be made. We have to be reasonable, we just can’t expect to maintain that level of play forever.

  18. westwolf 03/09/2007 at 11:27 AM #

    Don’t take this wrong…but I really do love SFN.

  19. kool k 03/09/2007 at 11:41 AM #

    “He’s everything we loved about Amato wihout the stuff that drove us crazy”
    That’s beautiful Dan, right on the money!
    Let’s hope Costner keeps pulling a Josh Powell this tourney, but doesn’t pull a Josh Powell after the season…GO PACK!

  20. Rick 03/09/2007 at 11:41 AM #

    The progress these kids have made is impressive.
    IMO that is what will set Lowe apart from other coaches is his ability to improve players.
    Think about this. We run NBA play sets. If you want to prepare yourself for the NBA what type of offense would you want to run? Certainly not the PO.

  21. Jeremy Hyatt 03/09/2007 at 11:42 AM #

    nice statement win for the pack.

    now, what are we going to do about not having a high-IQ European player on our squad for the first time in ages for next year..? (no Evtimov, no Astur… can Bart pass?!)

  22. branjawn 03/09/2007 at 11:48 AM #

    This might be somewhat interesting. I was just reading about the new DST rules. That coupled with a 1pm Champ game on Sunday will result in the least amount of rest time for teams in the ACCT Champ game. It seems like only a few years ago the game started at 4pm, the last pre-NCAAT game. Anyone know why it’s bumped up to 1? And how long has it been like this. What time are other games that day?
    Anyways, to the players bodies, the game will be starting at 12noon Sunday. About 18 hours after the end of the previous game.

  23. primacyone 03/09/2007 at 12:03 PM #

    “now, what are we going to do about not having a high-IQ European player on our squad for the first time in ages for next year..? (no Evtimov, no Astur… can Bart pass?!)”

    They say this guy can pass.
    http://scout.scout.com/a.z?s=178&p=8&c=1&nid=2861514

  24. highstick 03/09/2007 at 12:04 PM #

    I’m glad it’s Tomato and not “T’Amato”! Has Fowler claimed credit yet????

    I can’t say enough about Atsur either. He never really excited me under “he who shall not be named”, but he has proved himself as State’s MVP this year by far!

  25. SixPack 03/09/2007 at 12:06 PM #

    FEAR THE TOMATO !!!!!!

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