A Shitty End to a Shitty Season

08-09 Basketball118

Maryland 74, NC State 69. That’s your final. Don’t let the margin let you believe that NC State played well, smart, or with any enthusiasm or sense of urgency.

Here is Sidney Lowe’s program in a nutshell – the only guy who consistently played hard and as if he had a brain in his head was Julius Mays. The only guy who even looked for his shot in the last 10 minutes. You remember him, don’t you? He’s the guy who hasn’t played in the last 9 or so games. Yep, that’s a program on the rise. Sure. Repeat it until you believe it, if it makes you sleep better.

After racing out to a 21-8 lead, NC State laid down and died. I don’t remember Maryland taking a tough shot the entire second half. Is Maryland a great team with multiple players that can create offense? Fuck no. One decent player and a bunch of stiffs who might do one thing halfway decently.

Still, the Terps did occasionally miss in the second half. And they got the damned rebound every. Single. Time. Is Maryland a big, athletic team with an NBA-caliber frontcourt? Fuck no. They start four guards and one undersized power forward.

This NC State team will not make the NIT. It may make the CBI or College Insider tourney. Who fucking cares. If this “effort” is all they had to give for such a critical ACC tournament for the program…I don’t want to see them play anymore this season.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

08-09 Basketball

118 Responses to A Shitty End to a Shitty Season

  1. Dan 03/12/2009 at 8:36 PM #

    Starting now, each day that passes in which we don’t hire Anthony Grant is one day too many.

    Fuck Lee Fowler. Fuck what that fucker is doing to our once proud athletics department.

  2. tulsapack 03/12/2009 at 8:36 PM #

    Any post blaming any of this on our previous coach is sadly misguided, as, I fear, are any hopes that Sid will turn this around once he has all “his players.” Costner and Fells are talented and versatile enough that they should be good fits in just about any system; the only one who might be expected to struggle in the transition to a more pro-style offense is McCauley, and for all his tribulations at least he looked like he cared once in a while.

    I’m really afraid that Sid’s greatest problem is just that he is an abject motivator–and a big part of that is the uncertainty players have, not knowing if they’re going to play or what role they will have, regardless of prior performance. Maybe we all expected too much after that fiery ACC Tournament run two years ago, but that red jacket is looking more and more like a certain pair of red shoes.

    I’ll watch next year, because I can’t help it. But I’m not expecting much, and that resignation is the worst feeling of all.

  3. WolfEyes 03/12/2009 at 8:39 PM #

    In the last 4-5 games, I have been looking for an upperclassman to “step up” at crunch time. All were MIA. I have a glimmer of hope that Julius Mays showed tonight that he could be that person in the future.

  4. Rochester 03/12/2009 at 8:39 PM #

    We really should have been playing Javi and Mays together most of the season. I’d like to see what Javi could do if he had the option to drive and dish to an outside shooter who could make the 3-ball. Our best lineup this year never played together. Probably would have been Javi, Mays, CJ/Horner, McCauley, Smith.

    How many times was Degand disciplined this year? What the hell is his problem? He’s got to be kind of an idiot to keep getting suspended. Suspensions to him are like traps on the right sideline. He keeps running into them, over and over. Same result every time. Maybe we should free up his scholarship for someone less stupid.

  5. redfred2 03/12/2009 at 8:39 PM #

    X

  6. SaccoV 03/12/2009 at 8:41 PM #

    Tulsapack, what sort of motivation would you prefer? I agree that playing time was a big issue, but couldn’t that be a result of a lack of work ethic or a lack of talent on the part of the players in practice? Maybe none of these players is good enough to sustain a team for a significant amount of time. It’s very obvious as I watch that no one on this team can play defense of any ability. What’s worse in that aspect, was that C.J. Williams looked worst of all defensively (until Fells decided that fighting through a screen against Vasquez was too much for him).

  7. JeremyH 03/12/2009 at 8:46 PM #

    next year we lose a lot of size, but so what? It’s not like Fells or Costner ever used their size on offense or defense. Howell and whoever else we get will log a lot of minutes besides Smith. we lose size, but we gain more scoring ability and quickness, and the quickness we already have will be sophmores (Williams, Mays, Thomas), so should be more reliable and stronger.

    oh whatever, what a disappointing season. not much less disappointing than last year. bottom of the conference will not do.

  8. BladenWolf 03/12/2009 at 8:48 PM #

    To be getting apathetic to the frustration is the most telling thing of all…
    WE need a new AD…bad.

  9. tulsapack 03/12/2009 at 8:48 PM #

    SaccoV–the sort of motivation that TOB is providing: quiet confident competence that doesn’t try to replace leadership with empty symbols, or responsibility with excuses.

  10. wpackman33 03/12/2009 at 8:51 PM #

    Well, of course we’re all steaming a few hours after this loss, and rightfully so. How frustrating it is that knowing good and well this is a big game, it gets us into a post-season tourney (even though its NIT), its the ACC tournament for crying out loud, and its against a punk team that made us look foolish a week ago, and we come out and crap in our britches. What the crap!!!

    This is ALL on Sid. I saw absolutely NO adjustments made against their zone defense. If it weren’t for mays’ shooting, we’d be smoked by 10+. There was absolutely no motivation, no sense of urgency, no nothing, except crappy play.

    I’ll give Sid next year, then he is absolutely without excuse. Make no mistake, his seat is getting hot amongst the wolfpack nation (albeit, Fowler is our AD so it doesn’t really matter).

    Even though we’re losing 3 starters next year, i expect us to have 7+ ACC wins, win an ACCT game and be on the bubble for the Big Dance. Progress needs to be made, and we’re not making it.

  11. SuperStuff 03/12/2009 at 8:56 PM #

    FUDGE!!!

  12. thekind 03/12/2009 at 8:58 PM #

    Guys and Gals,
    Sid is definitely not the answer. It is painfully obvious that he although he knows the game and played the game the right way in his day, he does not have a clue how to motivate kids to pour their heart and soul with effort.
    I may be tyhe only Pack fan that feels this way, BUT I cannnot take another year of the “BIG LAZY” Costner another year. I tell both of my sons to keep their eyes on costner to learn how NOT to play the game.

    But if fairness to Sid, he is one of us and this not all his fault. I mean the fact is he should never been hired for this job. Let’s face it, he….
    *had no college coaching experience when hired
    * never won in the NBA as a head coach
    *had No experience recruitng
    * had No college degree
    It is not a coincidence that we suck. Instead it is direct result of having the WORST AD in the country.
    Lee Fowler is a joke.

  13. redfred2 03/12/2009 at 8:59 PM #

    X

  14. st8family 03/12/2009 at 9:06 PM #

    I’m afraid the inmates are running the asylum and we don’t have anyone on staff that has a clue.

    Herb couldn’t get it done and he had control of the team and a staff full of coaches that eventually got head gigs.. Sean Miller, Archie Miller, Larry Hunter, Mark Phelps, etc.

    Who on Sid’s staff could get a D-1 head gig? The problem is big and starts with Sid, but it is deeper than that IMHO.

  15. BAC79 03/12/2009 at 9:06 PM #

    This team has enough talent to be better than 10th place. I have said all season that this team is underachieving. If you can build a 13 point lead, you can darn well make adjustments during the game and not have a complete meltdown.

    When a team has no turnovers in a half as Maryland did, it simply means the opposing squad played extremely poor defense.

    Oh what the hell, we need a new AD and a new basketball coach but we’re NCState and will will get neither and slip further into obscurity. Off to the kitchen for another Martini.

    Predator 2 is on the tube at least I can see some Aliens kick Ass.

  16. Rufftown Wolf 03/12/2009 at 9:15 PM #

    Stick a fork in, we’re done. Maybe Scott Wood will be the best kept secret in High School basketball. Maybe with all the good players in the conference leaving we will win more games. Maybe we will not be the door mat of the ACC. Maybe coach K will retire. Maybe we’ll have some calls go our way for a change. Maybe just Maybe Sid will find his point guard. Maybe he found him tonight.. There will be a brighter day for pack fans. Also at least we didn’t lose to Georgia Tech.

  17. WolftownVA81 03/12/2009 at 9:16 PM #

    Maybe he who knows basketball will offer to be an assistant coach and we can get a real AD. He certainly couldn’t do any worse.

  18. TheCOWDOG 03/12/2009 at 9:20 PM #

    ” And put Monte right in front of him. Has anyone EVER seen any emotion from Monte? No. Is he on ludes? ”

    No one in this frickin’ blog knows Monte like I do. If you do, then you ain’t coppin’ and we know each other.

    Aw screw it…I’m tired of all that claim a little “inside’ shit when ya haven’t ever even sniffed a jock at NCAA level. Or maybe you did, I saw a few hanging around.

    I just need to go away like Noah who upon his return feeds disinformation about a freeking 3 point line to ya and gets kudos for his historic knowledge for a time as a 9 year old. When it’s accurate, I’m on board too.

    Oh whoa are we when Costner fades into the sunset. Just what are we going to do without
    the experienced 3 on this club?

  19. BJD95 03/12/2009 at 9:21 PM #

    Fire Lee Fowler now. Hire Charlie Cobb.

    Wait until Billy Gillispie gets run out of Lexington. Fire Sidney Lowe the day after that happens.

    Eventually, hope will return.

  20. frankiepack 03/12/2009 at 9:21 PM #

    It is true ,it does not matter who the coach was before you took over. You got the job it is your TEAM ,don’t wana here about herbs players,herbs fault, it id all excuses lame ass excuses for a lame ass coach.You play who you play it is your job,that is what a coach does!
    He does not know how to sub,who to play ,I question if he knows who is on his f..n bench…………Who the hell said sid was an offensive maven? That is one sorry ass offense a cyo offense ,have we ran an out of bounds play in 3 years?Thank god mays made most of what he put up if he did not it would have been a 25 pt loss.
    Enough is Enough .

  21. theTHRILL 03/12/2009 at 9:27 PM #

    It’ll only be a matter of weeks until people start creating scenarios explaining how we’ll be much improved next season. “Someone” was spotted on campus lifting/shooting/with a serious look on his face, so therefore things are gonna be great. It’s the same crap that goes on every season, and (almost) every season for the past 20 years we’ve been garbage. I’m so sick of it.

  22. BJD95 03/12/2009 at 9:30 PM #

    NC State basketball died on April 11, 2006. That’s when our last hope (John Calipari) said no.

  23. michelletack 03/12/2009 at 9:31 PM #

    Great post, I agree with every word. Heavy sigh.

  24. kyjelly 03/12/2009 at 9:31 PM #

    First you lose by a lot and it is the other coach’s fault, and than you lose by a little and it is the other coach’s players fault,and than you lose again but you lose close so moral victories count cause “He is one of us” and than you lose and it’s 3 more years for you to learn on the job,and than you lose and you have been here for 12 years and nc central just took us off their schedule it was f_ ing up their ooc sos !

  25. wolf pack 03/12/2009 at 9:42 PM #

    agree..we looked abysmal on offense when they went to zone defense….we passed on open friggin three’s..
    -we had nooo absolutely no sense of ugency…down by 4 under three minutes and we dribble the ball around 10 ft. beyond 3 pt. line for 10 seconds..
    wow..my blood pressure goes through the roof watching this lazy team loff around and do nothing…
    pisses me off
    i’m sick of this team
    thanks to ben..you are the man
    i love the younger players

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