Rock Bottom. ECU Gets First Victory Against an ACC Team; Lowe’s Honeymoon Over

Where to start. Poor preparation. No defense. No rebounding. Poor coaching in a game that should have never been played.

After compiling a 17-0 historical record over the Pirates, NC State loses the program’s first game in history against East Carolina. Prior to tonight, ECU was 0-57 against ACC opponents. Most ACC opponents weren’t dumb enough to discount their program and put themselves in an un-necessarily risky position to play on the road. Of course, most ACC programs haven’t historical been steered by a man more interested in political gain and avoidance of conflict than what is best for his athletics program.

In games that mean everything to one team and nothing to another, a random guy can get hot (like Hinnant) and strange things can happen.

Now you know why smart Athletics Departments don’t schedule out of conference, in-state games on the road. Lee Fowler may think he knows basketball, but he doesn’t know dick about management or how to steer NC State.

Fowler BETTER have had his lazy ass at the game and not at his lake house or off on some golf excursion.

Coach Sidney Lowe’s honeymoon is over. This team is inexcusably bad.

As Mr. O said in a previous entry:

This team isn’t going to do anything this year until Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley show up. I have no clue what happened to those two guys in the off-season, but they are horrible. Costner in particular because he is certainly getting his opportunities. Airballing free throw? Hardly drawing iron on layups and wide open three point shots? Maybe last year was just a fluke. At this point, he is the next Marcus Melvin in Europe….wow he just turned it over again.

Why the hell do other teams get tons of offensive rebounds against us but we hardly ever get one? Rebounding is positioning and hustle. We are severely lacking in both.

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07-08 Basketball Sidney Lowe

131 Responses to Rock Bottom. ECU Gets First Victory Against an ACC Team; Lowe’s Honeymoon Over

  1. choppack1 12/09/2007 at 1:46 AM #

    xphoenix – I see your point and I pretty much agree w/ you. I’m just saying, that maybe last year we saw the exact same problems. We just excused them away the way some excused the effort against Michigan State due to fatigue.

  2. BJD95 12/09/2007 at 1:48 AM #

    In Johnson’s first game of eligibility, I would start him, Ferguson, Horner, Harris, and Smith. They would stay on the court at least until the first media timeout. Then, put the starters back in and let’s see who plays like they give a shit.

  3. wufpup76 12/09/2007 at 1:50 AM #

    the media just might be about picking us for dead last in the league … ohh … huh? that was last year ??

    seriously, at this point – with this type of “effort” 0 ACC wins is a distinct possibility … do i think that will happen? no … but play like tonight and it’s not improbable … just unreal

    c’mon sid! i love ya! no more nice guy … time to kick some guys out of the locker room they don’t deserve like Izzo did after MSU lost to grand valley state … to get a fire lit under the collective a*ses

  4. tppack12 12/09/2007 at 1:51 AM #

    North Carolina college basketball poll

    1. UNC 6. Wilmington
    2. Duke 7. ECU
    3. Davidson 8. UNCG
    4. Charlotte 9. NC STATE
    5. Wake

    The sad thing is that this could actually, no bullshit, be a reality.

  5. tppack12 12/09/2007 at 1:53 AM #

    I don’t know what the hell just happened with that but UNC to Wake are ranked 1-5.

  6. Wulfpack 12/09/2007 at 2:01 AM #

    Hey Gavin, how many losses is that? 3? In how many games? Shut your freaking mouth.

  7. Astral Rain2 12/09/2007 at 2:03 AM #

    You forgot App St. on that list.

    Hell , maybe High Point will turn it around.

    No excuses tonight. This team is a joke right now, and heat deserves to be on Sid now.

  8. CStanley 12/09/2007 at 2:07 AM #

    BJD95 Says:
    In Johnson’s first game of eligibility, I would start him, Ferguson, Horner, Harris, and Smith. They would stay on the court at least until the first media timeout. Then, put the starters back in and let’s see who plays like they give a shit.

    Agreed. This is when and where you find out who gives a damn and who doesn’t. Start yanking minutes and see who wants to win and who wants to ride their scholly for free tuition.

  9. DixieBoy 12/09/2007 at 2:09 AM #

    Chop me up as another one that THANKFULLY had to go to the work Christmas party tonight! I just got in and saw this shit and WOW! This is an all time low. Davidson, another in-state school is gonna absolutely spank us. We definitely drank the kool-aid too soon on Sid and this team. How sad it is to be 24 years old and the best accomplishment I can remember from my years is a Sweet Sixteen and a Gator Bowl win?! I get absolutely nauseated when people talk about the 83 Championship! That was ages ago and for someone who was born in July of 83, you can’t exactly say you witnessed that! There is no excuse for one of the largest state schools in the Southeast, hell on the east coast to do so poorly in athletics. -Sigh- Back to drinking and dreaming…

  10. LRM 12/09/2007 at 2:31 AM #

    The View from the Cheap Seats: This the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but a whimper (T.S. Eliot).

  11. Trip 12/09/2007 at 2:48 AM #

    I really don’t know how to respond to this, I heard the first 2 minutes of the game on the radio when we were taking it to the basket, playing hard, drawing fouls… So I was thinking “Hey… Sid must have done something ! “..

    I turn on the TV to watch the game… I wish I hadn’t. ECU could not miss a 3 point shot if they wanted to, and the type of circus shots they made were sickening… But every time they made one, we never punched back.

    Originally before the game I posted that we needed to fix this and this, and this… screw that list. We need to fix our heart. We need to find that passion for playing; If we find that passion, I can guarantee that the other problems will fix themselves.

    I agree with BJD95. Put all of those other guys in, Fergy might brick every 3 pt shot but atleast he’ll fight for a rebound once in a while.

  12. ncsuftw01 12/09/2007 at 2:53 AM #

    “In Johnson’s first game of eligibility, I would start him, Ferguson, Horner, Harris, and Smith. They would stay on the court at least until the first media timeout. Then, put the starters back in and let’s see who plays like they give a shit.”

    I like this idea

  13. PapaJohn 12/09/2007 at 3:29 AM #

    I thing Chop got it right, Sid’s not consistently getting the team up for these games. This is awful.
    You know ‘K’ is out there screaming and yelling every practice and Duke is intense from the first minute to the last of every game. Sid needs to drink a little of that Kool Aid and tear into these guys. Maybe he’s read the press and thinks we’re good. Clearly we are not and it is worse this year because we clearly have talent and more depth.

    When the talent is there and the in game performance is not, I have to look at the coach.

  14. wbnation 12/09/2007 at 4:11 AM #

    Guards, Guards, Guards

    Its all that needs to be said. College basketball is a guard dominated sport. If your team has good guard play then you will have a chance to win, if your guard play sucks you will lose 90% of the time.

    So that brings us to the Wolfpack. You can throw Costner, McCauley hell most of the team under the bus and Lowe along with it, but I think we would be missing the point. Its not necassarily Javi, or Degands fault, they just aren’t ACC Div 1 guards, at least not at this time. They just aren’t and no bitching is going to change that fact.

    Here is how I see it. The wolfpack is at best a one dimensional team. Its basically down in the blocks basketball. So while I wish I could blame Lowe’s coaching on the loses, I believe, he knows what he has and it ain’t a lot. He basically has to come into every game knowing that there only hope for victory is down low, spread the floor leave a big guy inside one on one and hope he can score. Or if the other team packs it in on him (which is happening more and more now that everyone can see we are one dimensional) then kick it out and hope someone, anyone can hit an outside shot. Unlike last year when Atsur could drive, kick it out to fells, grant or costner and they could shoot an open look or ball fake and take it to the rack. They just don’t have that this year. They didn’t have it last year when Atsur was out. Basically this team is last years team without Atsur. And that team stunk.

    So Sidney has what he has, a small forward who is our best drive penetrate guy, a point guard that if he can’t shoot or penetrate is basically a wasted body on the floor, our most athletic power forward who came in 30 pounds overweight, and a phenom-frosh who is the only one who’s role without a point guard can still get it to the rack. So as long as NC State goes without experienced guard play this team will struggle and struggle mightely. Just watch the teams this year that make a run deep in the tournament(from cinderallas to the big boys)the ones with either senior guards or guard phenoms will make the biggest noise. I just hope that by the end of the year we see some improvement from Degand and Javi, the wolpacks future and Lowes might rest in their hands.

  15. bTHEredterror 12/09/2007 at 4:33 AM #

    This loss is certainly disappointing, but I’m not yet ready to go Chicken Little like some of you guys. Recall last year at home we had to come back to beat these guys. I’m distressed by the poor effort on the boards and on defense, but that can be addressed. I would have hoped a 10 day layoff would make the guys hungry, apparently not.
    But we were poor last year in the early going, and had some head scratchers all year long. It’s basketball so a single early season upset doesn’t end the year, we can recover.

    As far as the PG situation goes, I didn’t see Degand last night, but guys (Costner, Fells) need to hit shots for him to get assists. He’s not turning the ball over, and seems to be improving his shooting from the field.

    And speaking of Eatcrow, enjoy that unholy ass-whooping to Boise St. Best get a double mortgage on the double-wide to pony up for Skipper, too. He’s bound to get a real job soon.

  16. oldflyingfarmer 12/09/2007 at 5:39 AM #

    And I can remember saying, “can’t wait for basketball season.”

  17. Stoner 12/09/2007 at 6:33 AM #

    I’m not yet ready to go Chicken Little like some of you guys.

    What has NCSU basketball done in the past 20 years to give you confidence we can do better.

    We fell off a cliff and we’re just kidding ourselves that we can climb out of it.

    We’ve stratched our way up a bit in some seasons, but haven’t ever come close to getting over the top and will likely never come close to getting over the top again.

    To get over the top you need the luck to hire a future Hall of Fame coach, which we don’t seem to have.

  18. wolfpackbball 12/09/2007 at 6:46 AM #

    i wake up to the fact that we lost

  19. Avid109 12/09/2007 at 7:04 AM #

    This loss is going to haunt Coach Lowe. If this team doesn’t show some dramatic improvement before the end of the season, we’ll be hearing cries of “Lowe must go!”

  20. Pack92 12/09/2007 at 7:05 AM #

    Little wannabe schools like ezu always scream loud when they pull one off as if one makes a case for their belonging in the athletic elite.

    That being said, we’ve got problems.

  21. basspacker812 12/09/2007 at 7:44 AM #

    I’m tired of the excuses. I tired of losing. I’m tired of getting excited about NCSU athletics season after season, year after year only to again be totally let down. This loss brings back memories of Campbell, I had hoped that we had gotten beyond being a less than average program that loses to teams like Campbell and ECU and probably Davidson. I sat in my seat for the last home football game, watching the seconds count down to another disappointment and hope of some post season play. The scoreboard quickly reminded me at 37-0, another season of hope, heck another game of hope turned into another embarrassment. The loss last night to ECU has broke my back for NCSU athletics. I had hoped to one day in my lifetime see NCSU athletics bring home a National Championship to Raleigh, or atleast contend for one. After last nite, after the last home football game, I am thankful for the NCSU Collegiate Bass Team for atleast giving me something to be proud of. They brought home a National Championship to Raleigh, http://www.boatusangler.com/tournament_results2006.asp

    Anyone want to buy some season basketball tickets? I need a down payment on a boat so I can finally follow a winning team from NCSU.

  22. oljdub 12/09/2007 at 8:19 AM #

    I had the misfotune of being there. That is my first look at my beloved Wolfpack this year. I did see ECU get smoked by Winthrop (My little Girl calls them Win Throw Up). Anyway, I will grant you that ECU came out hyped and Hinnant could not miss and it takes some of that to get a big win. But State acted like they did not watch any tape. Like they had no offensive plan. Early on their strategy was to watch Grant hog the ball and never pass. Late in the 1st, it was “stand around and watch Hickson”. In the second, I think it was “just launch the ball toward the glass, ECU will get the rebound”. Costner shot a frickin airball from the foul line.

    Thanks Syd. You look good in a red blazer, but I have to take my kids out to the car and listen to every ECU student call their friends who got into State and laugh at them because “He man, we just f@ckin’ beat your team in basketball, Ha hah!”

  23. PapaJohn 12/09/2007 at 8:35 AM #

    We beat them by two TD in football, and lose to them in basketball. Neither of those should have happened. What is wrong with the world???

  24. tobaccordshow 12/09/2007 at 9:05 AM #

    “Just watch the teams this year that make a run deep in the tournament(from cinderallas to the big boys)the ones with either senior guards or guard phenoms will make the biggest noise. I just hope that by the end of the year we see some improvement from Degand and Javi, the wolpacks future and Lowes might rest in their hands.”

    Sid should know this better than anyone… if that’s the only reassurance that I see, it’s that he knows how to be a big time college basketball point guard. Our points are still young… maybe there’s still time to coach and guide, but from what I’ve seen, no one has been coached at all.

    “Thanks Syd. You look good in a red blazer, but I have to take my kids out to the car and listen to every ECU student call their friends who got into State and laugh at them because “He man, we just f@ckin’ beat your team in basketball, Ha hah!””

    That’s ashame. The game should’ve never been scheduled in ECU. I will never, for as long as I live, forget nor forgive what happened last night. It’s inexcusable and there must be accountability. I’m cancelling my Wolfpack Club membership until they can prove to me that they’re worth my money. They have to make some senior leadership changes (above head coach) to earn my money back. Wolfpack athletics (not just football and basketball) is rife with disappointment and downright failure. If I hired someone to do a job for me that failed as miserably as the Athletics senior leadership, I would’ve fired them back in 1999.

  25. Jamie 12/09/2007 at 9:39 AM #

    The title of this post is THE problem. How do we know that last night was “rock bottom”? We still have SC State and Western Carolina on our schedule. From the coaching staff, through the players, right on down to us fans, we have entered this basketball season with an arrogance that I would normally associate with the fans in CH. We all (myself and Gavin Grant included) beleived what the press told us, and thought that we were entitled to win, based on who we were. We the fans, the players, and the coaches need to get over our selves, and hope and pray that we can get a win, each and every time out for the remainder of the season. NONE of them are gauranteed.

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