Wolfpack recruits dominate Georgia All-State Team

08-09 Basketball Basketball Recruiting147

Tip of the hat to Pack Pride for the following video of NC State commit, Ryan Harrow. Friends of mine in Georgia told me at the end of the season that Ryan Harrow was the best player in the State of Georgia not named Derrick Favors this past season.

Georgia’s All-State Basketball team has been announced and the first team includes three of NC State’s prized recruits over the next two years.

Link to AJC Article

Lorenzo Brown was named Class 5-A Player of the Year!

Class 5-A First team All-State
G: Trae Golden, McEachern, 6-2, Jr.
G: Ryan Harrow, Walton, 6-0, Jr.
C: Richard Howell, Wheeler, 6-8, Sr.
F: Lorenzo Brown, Centennial, 6-5, Sr.
F: Ari Stewart, Wheeler, 6-6, Sr.

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08-09 Basketball Basketball Recruiting

147 Responses to Wolfpack recruits dominate Georgia All-State Team

  1. redfred2 03/30/2009 at 11:31 AM #

    X

  2. Greywolf 03/30/2009 at 11:31 AM #

    Noah
    March 30th, 2009 at 8:57 am
    “If Everett Case coached today, “State fans” would have called for his head for falling off a bit at the end of his cancer ridden life. At least our ability to detect cancer would have been more advanced than in those days.
    Strawman alert.”
    `
    My comment is in response to Gene’s saying that under Everett Case NCSU basketball was irrelevant. What’s with NCSU fans wanting to relegate a Hall of Fame member’s era to irrelevant? Your ignoring that point is the strawman alert needed.
    `
    I suppose you agree with BJD that Herb making the NIT 3 times vs. Lowes 1 time, both with with identical w/l records, I can’t agree that this shows that Sendek was CLEARLY a far better coach than Lowe. I would say that CLEARLY shows some bias for NCSU at the time.
    `
    Risking being chastised for being rambly, My take on what Sidney was or is doing is striving to be relevant in the NCAA, not make the NIT field.
    `
    His 1st year he was clearly playing with the “Princeton” offense players and took that group to the ACCT finals, giving a team that some say would beat us by 30 points a very good game after beating them in the regular season.
    `
    Here’s where it gets tricky. He brought in JJ and began to mix some of the Princeton O players with JJ. The result was a disaster. Who would have known. Not one word of warning from the experts here. Our “Princeton” players were a real problem. An experienced HC might have known how to handle it. Sid didn’t. When he has experience, probably will be handled differently.
    `
    His third season was rocky with the “Princeton” seniors and the up tempo freshmen and all the in between. IMNSHO playing the “Princeton” seniors was the “right” thing to do but not the best thing to do for the ultimate returning of NCSU to relevance. He developed Javi into a fairly good PG with promise, Tracey Smith developed (and the geniouses wanted to know why he wasn’t given playing time before he developed.) Horner developed but IMO will never to more than a back-up. Mays developed. Unless the games with into quadruple OT, there were not enough minutes for every body to get “significant minutes” every game. No matter who got them, Lowe was second-guessed about who didn’t get them by the experts here on SFN.`
    `
    Regarding making it into the NIT, with the growth of the AAU programs, a lot more gooe players are available to schools than ever before. The video at the top of this page has a dunk in it that would have brought down the house in the pros a few years ago. Today high school juniors are doing it.
    `This ain’t the game any of us played. We would do well to recognize that. Our ideas of how long it takes to develop a team might have been workable 5 or 10 years ago.
    `
    If Sid had inherited a group of athletes capable of shooting like todays top high school kids, 4 years would have been a plenty. I’m not convincing any of the closed minds, just like they ain’t convincing me so I’m waiting for the spring football thread before initiating any more comments.

  3. Thinkpack17 03/30/2009 at 11:44 AM #

    Throw all the stones you want at me…but I think Dennis Horner starts at the 4 next year.

  4. Noah 03/30/2009 at 11:46 AM #

    My comment is in response to Gene’s saying that under Everett Case NCSU basketball was irrelevant. What’s with NCSU fans wanting to relegate a Hall of Fame member’s era to irrelevant? Your ignoring that point is the strawman alert needed.

    I believe you are capable of making that point without claiming that State fans of today would push Case out the door.

    A strawman argument is where you create a false situation and then attack it. I’d say that Kay Yow’s last couple of years matched perfectly with your hypothetical and that didn’t happen…thus…the strawman.

    And backing up a few posts, Favors is the guy from Georgia going to Georgia Tech. Cousins is from Alabama and will be going wherever Calipari goes.

  5. choppack1 03/30/2009 at 12:01 PM #

    Gray – just an fyi. HWSBN and Sid do not have identical ACC records for their first 3 years. Herb won more if you count the ACC tournament (and I do.)

    It is a little unfair since in those 2 years, there was a “play-in” game for HWSBN, but then again, he had to play the regular ACC schools twice a year too.

    I’m hoping that Sid has a much better result than the 6-10 ACC regular season, 1-1 ACC tournament record (and another blown late lead to UMd) and NIT semi-final run.

    The ACC will be mediocre enough for a good coach w/ decent talent to make a run. I believe we’ll have enough talent to compete. Heck, watching the NCAAs it’s obvious to me that we’re not far off – as we played the Heels as good as Oklahoma, Gonazaga and LSU did.

  6. MP 03/30/2009 at 12:26 PM #

    Regarding Calipari, I hope he does go to Kentucky. I look forward to seeing him “prove it” at a b-ball program at that level. Personally, I was not comfortable with NC State being his proving ground in a major conference against major talented rivals. To me it was a lose-lose with him. Either (1) he can’t translate his abilities to CUSA to the big stage, or (2) he can and he gets nabbed by someone like UK later. Considering this would be a coach who has no real commitment to NCSU, why would he stay?

    I’m looking forward to next year. With all of the talk about 09/10 being the year for SL to put up or walk, it’s kind of like entering final exams. You can’t cram your way through a semester of material, so just lay the cards on the table. I think next year could be a pleasant surprise, but I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about just like anyone else on here (whether they act like they do or not).

  7. choppack1 03/30/2009 at 12:35 PM #

    MP – I think he’ll “prove it.” I was very concerned about bringing in Cal 3 years ago because of the problems many of his players had off the court. However, that appears to have improved recently at Memphis.

  8. Dan 03/30/2009 at 1:01 PM #

    What I’m hearing is 6 years for 40 million for Cal at UK. No word on structure yet. If this pans out it changes everything.

    But did anyone notice how much a mid major coach commanded at Alabama? Way more than NC State has ever paid any coach.

    It’s a bold new world.

  9. wolfpackdawg 03/30/2009 at 1:07 PM #

    Noah…I am surprised that TOB would consider Lemon with his baggage?

  10. Dan 03/30/2009 at 1:12 PM #

    Noah, you are probably right about Cousins, but Anthony Grant could really make Cal look bad here. He is making a big push to keep Cousins in the state.

  11. BJD95 03/30/2009 at 1:34 PM #

    Greywolf, you are still creating strawmen. Maybe you weren’t around in Year Two for Lowe, but we documented the myriad problems within the program. Mixing JJ Hickson with “Princeton players” was WAY down the list of problems with that team. Year Two was a wasted year, and that had almost nothing to do with Hickson.

    Four years is all he gets from me to put up or shut up. Underclassmen contribute heavily in college basketball. Recruiting is national. You can turn around a program with one recruiting class. Unless you come into a program on serious probation, there is no reason to give more than four years. None.

    The list of really good coaches that “turned the corner” after Year Four is exceptionally short. Now, there are a handful of “decent” coaches that will qualify (Sendek at NC State being one of them, and I think Mike Brey at Notre Dame) – but we are looking for more than that.

  12. choppack1 03/30/2009 at 1:54 PM #

    BJD – You’re right about Year 2 being a lost year. It should be noted that Lowe’s failure in Year 2 may be utlimately what does him in.

    A good second year would have changed the vibe surrounding this program. Sid would be seen nationally as an “up and comer” and we would have had a much better shot at the blue-chippers we were going after.

    In addition, our guys wouldn’t have to “relearn” how to win games (which is a huge factor but one of those things that is never mentioned.)

  13. chuck 03/30/2009 at 2:33 PM #

    “Relearn” how to win games? Good grief. If you mean that we have poor team defense, no solid one-on-one options on offense, and spotty free throw shooting, I guess I see what you mean. I don’t think it’s much more complicated than that.

  14. wolfmans brother. 03/30/2009 at 3:10 PM #

    Calipari to Kentucky is essentially a done deal. That is how a coaching search is handled. We should be so lucky.

    http://www.kentucky.com/232/story/743635.html

  15. choppack1 03/30/2009 at 3:16 PM #

    chuck – Call it what you want – but we did have those problems the first 2 years. The key difference is that we were in a position to win plenty of games this year (we were probably 2 OOC wins and 3 ACC wins away from at-large bid) – and we didn’t do what we had done for the other 35 minutes to put ourselves in a position to win.

    FWIW, the same thing happened plenty during HWSBN first 4 years – we did a better job at this years 6-10 in his tenure.

  16. chuck 03/30/2009 at 3:50 PM #

    Fair enough, chop, though I think we were also in position to lose some games this year that we ended up winning (the first GT game, the win over Wake, etc.).

  17. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 03/30/2009 at 4:01 PM #

    Anyone catch Arizona State down by 11 in the second round with 3 or 4 minutes to play and the offense consisted of throwing the ball around the 3 point line for 33 seconds before throwing up a desperation 3 pointer or in one case getting a shot clock violation. I will, with joy, watch Sid struggle than to have to watch a team down by 11 points throw the ball around for 35 seconds. What could be worse? I’m sure half of the State of Arizona were yelling somebody shoot the $!@#()^ ball.

  18. choppack1 03/30/2009 at 4:05 PM #

    “Fair enough, chop, though I think we were also in position to lose some games this year that we ended up winning (the first GT game, the win over Wake, etc.).”

    I’d agree 100%. 4 of our 6 ACC wins could have easily gone the other way.

  19. redfred2 03/30/2009 at 4:19 PM #

    X

  20. Wolfpack_1995 03/30/2009 at 4:20 PM #

    Based off Sean Miller’s committment to Xavier 2017-2018 season I say Lowe gets two more years.

    Miller would be the IDEAL bridge to take over for Lowe if things go south. Again Harris would probably be retained on staff to keep his players from transferring(Brown, Howell, and Harrow.)

    BJD95, I hear you about the four years in terms of put up or shut up but my gut feeling(probably not worth too much) is that Lowe will get six years no matter what.

    People need to remember that Harrow is a 5 star stud and could save Lowe’s job but if we fail to show significant progress after six years(i.e. post season tourneys) then I see no way in hell the big boys keep Sid around. Screw Fowler.

    As I’ve posted before, Someone in the Wolfpack network(i.e. Bobby Purcell) needs to have Miller’s phone # on him at all times. Sid is skating on thin ice and if he cannot produce then Miller should be our #1 man.

  21. wolfpack4evermore 03/30/2009 at 4:29 PM #

    “””Anyone catch Arizona State down by 11 in the second round with 3 or 4 minutes to play and the offense consisted of throwing the ball around the 3 point line for 33 seconds before throwing up a desperation 3 pointer or in one case getting a shot clock violation. I will, with joy, watch Sid struggle than to have to watch a team down by 11 points throw the ball around for 35 seconds. What could be worse? I’m sure half of the State of Arizona were yelling somebody shoot the $!@#()^ ball.”””
    I agree with tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc. I found it a more enjoyable style to watch even as bad as we were. Getting sent home early in 5 NCAA’s with that version of offensive offense is just something that provides argument fodder. We had flatlined at NCAA Bubble. If NCSU is not any better in a couple more years, I will get concerned. It appears that mediocrity is a vast improvement at Arizona State. No matter the coach, NCAA Bubble should never be acceptable for the Wolfpack. If a new coach is the mandate, move Fowler to the sidelines just like with TOB!!!!!

  22. choppack1 03/30/2009 at 4:41 PM #

    red – I’d say that hiring Sendek fit a norm, just as hiring Les and Valvano did.

    And this search started out that way – swinging for the fences – in Fowler’s case, wildly like some inexperienced minor leaguer straight out of high school. Where it broke down was when Fowler decided he was going to completely ignore the route where we choose an individual remotely qualified by any sane AD’s requirements.

    I’ve stated several times that history does demonstrate that you can be successful and struggle your first 3 years. It’s actually the norm rather than the exception.

    Wolfpack_1995 – Not sure why you are so enamored w/ Sean Miller. Don’t get me wrong, he’d be on my interview list, but you need to understand that being HC at Xavier does not have the same set of challenges that being HC at NC State does.

    If you have to make a coaching change, I’d want to bring someone in who has succeeded in similar situations before. In all likelihood this coach would have demonstrated the ability to turn around a program that had previously lost ground. Ideally, this coach will have displaced some traditional powers in the process – because that’s what he’ll have to do here.

  23. redfred2 03/30/2009 at 5:05 PM #

    X

  24. BSIE80 03/30/2009 at 5:06 PM #

    What are the rules for releasing players from LOI.
    I know Wall hasn’t signed one so he can tag along with Calipari if he wants, I am not so sure about the others.

    Anyone know how it works?

    I would think Memphis would have some say in where the guy with a LOI can go.

    Not sure the NCAA wants coaches taking their recruits with them. Also, what about the kentucky guys that have LOI’s. Does Kentucky even have any scholarships left to offer.

    K talked Curry into coming, he will probably get Wall as well.

  25. Wulfpack 03/30/2009 at 5:17 PM #

    Tony Bennett to UVA. Did a sound job turning Washington State around. Princeton principles and excellent defensive coach. I like the hire.

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