Seriously, Delaware State? Pack Narrowly Avoids Humiliating Upset

10-11 Basketball63

Here’s J.P. Giglio’s writeup. I didn’t watch or listen, just saw the score on the ticker of Boise State vs. Utah, so I don’t have any real analysis.

But…wow. Just wow. This is Year Five of NC State’s version of the Clyde Drexler experiment. Thank God we finally have a real AD. Much like jolly Saint Nick, I’m sure she’s makin’ a list, and checkin’ it twice.

On that note, I’m off to Puerto Rico for Christmas. Perhaps I will see you in the comments of the bowl game thread (fellow SFN authors, please post the game thread in my absence). And Merry Christmas, everyone!

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.

10-11 Basketball

63 Responses to Seriously, Delaware State? Pack Narrowly Avoids Humiliating Upset

  1. Icabod61 12/23/2010 at 10:31 AM #

    post game comment from Wood spoke volumes. something along the lines of “…we probably should have lost…”
    sad, but at least he was honest about it.

  2. TOBtime 12/23/2010 at 11:07 AM #

    Pull the trigger Debbie. Then, we at least have an excuse for getting beat like red-headed step children. It’s called “Interim Coach”. OR, in spite of being NC State maybe we DON”T get beat with an interim coach. We might not be able to pay students to attend games in January if this continues.

  3. wolfpacktexx 12/23/2010 at 11:23 AM #

    72 – 70 against Deleware State??? This is Lowe’s fifth season, Simply Pathetic.

  4. JeremyH 12/23/2010 at 11:41 AM #

    The team and coaching staff have already given up. Although there is no “Jason Garrett” waiting in the wing, would some up-and-coming assistant coach somewhere be willing to come in? This is a disaster and our AD needs to put a plan together to try to salvage the season and keep the talent. What was previously just clear to some is now starkly clear to all–we need a coach to train these kids college basketball.

  5. packof81 12/23/2010 at 11:53 AM #

    We just got a lucky break this time.

    “Even a clock that doesn’t run is right twice a day.”
    — an unknown but astute source

  6. Wisc-Wolf 12/23/2010 at 11:54 AM #

    Took my daughters to the game last night and for once we all agreed as to what we enjoyed the most about the game. The halftime show with the Unicycles. That is some impressive stuff. Our man to man defense is horrible, no help side on the defense and no continuity to the game. It was painful to watch. It is not like Delaware State shot lights out they just played harder, hustled more and wanted to win more. This should have been a thirty point blow out but this team seems to be so Lackadaisical about the game. I think they want to win they are just not sure as to when they should get to that point in the ballgame. It was painful to watch.

  7. packbackr04 12/23/2010 at 11:55 AM #

    i am not in favor of the “interim coach” whoever that person is, we will inevitably win more games with them as coach and then we have a dilemna at seasons end. DY has to led Sid finish out the string. he made his bed, he needs to lay in it, Plus its not like we have to force him to stay, he will gladly keep collecting paychecks for another 3 months.

    DY is making moves. rest assured.

  8. NCSU84 12/23/2010 at 11:59 AM #

    I did not attend the game. But what really caused the game to be this close? Did players miss shots? Not rebound? No defense? Did Sid make any adjustments? Did the players ignore the head coach? Looking for real answers. For those who attended, please chime in.

  9. bradleyb123 12/23/2010 at 12:07 PM #

    From http://www.wralsportsfan.com/college_basketball/story/8818114:

    “Delaware State doesn’t have a player taller than 6-foot-8 on the roster, but is the MEAC’s best 3-point shooting team. The Hornets hit nearly 41 percent of their 3s on 9 of 22 shooting from beyond the arc.”

    This team is short, but they shoot the three very well. They knocked down 41% of their threes. We really dominated them in the paint, which is expected since we’re a much taller team. But we were hitting twos, and they were hitting threes. I don’t necessarily feel so bad now. Our game plan was probably to take a lot of inside shots (two pointers), with Wood hitting the occasional three. But he couldn’t hit any shots until the game winner. If Wood is shooting normal (for him), the game probably isn’t nearly this close.

    We’ll be alright. We beat a hot shooting team last night. I’ll take it. Then we get Tracy back for our next game (hopefully).

    There’s no need to fret just yet.

  10. PackHooligan 12/23/2010 at 12:26 PM #

    ^if only there was some way we could gameplan to defend an inferior team that relies on 3 point shooting . . .

  11. Wisc-Wolf 12/23/2010 at 12:52 PM #

    bradleyb123 I believe you are a little optimistic. I was at the game and they were knocking down wide open threes because we could not stop the penetration. We were outplayed and out hustled. Wood could not hit a shot until the last one which would have helped but after the last three games I am concerned about the passion this team plays with and the willingness to play tough defense. While I am all four being laid back and not getting overly amped up there needs to be some urgency to the game from the start.

  12. bradleyb123 12/23/2010 at 12:59 PM #

    I’m just not willing to be Chicken Little yet. We have our lapses. We had a bad first half against Youngstown State, but we wore them out 46-16 in the second half. That’s on pace for winning by 60, had we done the same in the first half.

    It could be we’re playing down to our opponent too much. Plus, we apparently only played eight guys last night, unless you count the SINGLE minute that Vandenberg played. So I can’t help but wonder if maybe there’s a flu or virus running through some players, and we just don’t know about it (I heard that was the case with the football team against ECU, and we sure played like it…)

    I’m just saying, let’s get Tracy back and see if we still have a problem. And get past these pesky weak opponents that no doubt play inspired when they face an ACC team, whereas we just want to get through the game to the next one.

    I’m not giving Sidney any credit. I’m just saying we won, and let’s see how we finish the season before we fire the man.

  13. Wulfpack 12/23/2010 at 1:06 PM #

    “We’ll be alright.”

    I want some of what you’re smokin’.

  14. pack44fan 12/23/2010 at 1:09 PM #

    There wouldn’t be problem if their performance had been an aberration, not the norm. This stuff has been going on since year 1 and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better.

  15. MP 12/23/2010 at 1:14 PM #

    Yeah Wulfpack, no kidding… We are about 12 timezones from “alright”.

  16. blackdom 12/23/2010 at 1:23 PM #

    bradleyb123 If in fact we are “playing down to our opponent” don’t you think a competent coach or hell person would correct this? Also what right does any team Sid has ever coached have the right to play down to anyone? This was D State they were lucky to win it is a total disgrace!

  17. wolfpack15 12/23/2010 at 1:35 PM #

    I understand that its not the best situation but can we not just go ahead and let Sid go and replace him with a interm coach for the rest of the year. All the coaches that State would want to hire already has jobs at this point in the year. By doing this move it lets everyone across the country know that this job is available and gives these coaches 3 or 4 months to think about the job opportunity at State. That way at the end of the year we arent making drastic coaching hires. You never know, someone we arent expecting may contact State and let them know they are interested. I just think that this next hire is going to be very critical for the Wolfpack future.

  18. leewolf 12/23/2010 at 1:40 PM #

    This team is awful, the coaching is absolutely atrocious or nonexistent. I was at the game…just terrible. We don’t run offensive sets, we don’t play defense, we make costly turnovers all the time. The yells of “move” when we were on offense were audible from the crowd.

    The rest of the season will play out how it will, but it is pretty clear from the past few games that we are nearing the end for SL. Glad that DY is the AD now, I have faith she will make a great hire.

  19. MP 12/23/2010 at 1:45 PM #

    How about this jewel: “get past these pesky weak opponents”…

    What kind of opponent is NC State? We’re obviously not “Pesky Weak” as saying so would do a disservice to teams that play with any effort. “Apathetic Clueless” sounds like a better descriptor for us.

    “Let’s just get past these apathetic clueless opponents like NC State that do not have any type of game plan, as we just want to play teams that have some concept of competitive basketball.”

  20. fullmoon1 12/23/2010 at 1:49 PM #

    a couple of questions-Why was Wood in the game at the end having not hit a shot all night? The nights Wood has been ‘on” are clearly an anomaly or an accident. He is off more often than not. My second question is why has the pack not improved in any area since the season began? Even a marginal coach with less talent should be able to show improvement at the very least.

  21. Scooter 12/23/2010 at 1:54 PM #

    Are we really making ourselves feel better because they are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the MEAC? If so, let’s end our recollections of 1974 and 1983 and abandon hope for hanging any more banners. If we’re content with a two-point victory over Delaware State with the players we have, we might as well put any thought of this team improving from our minds.

    Sorry, but 4 1/2 years is enough to see whether or not the program is getting better. This period of time is plenty to see the coaching trend. If Maryland can fire Ralph Fridgen for going 8-4 after a 2-10 year, I don’t see the issue with Sidney Lowe. Do it politely, BUT DO IT.

    We’ve got a roster of kids with talent, and if we let the rot continue, we’re going to lose them all. Recruiting is the only momentum this program has. If we keep losing or barely winning games that we should dominate, recruiting is going to go sour as well. Over the last twenty years, I think it’s fair to say that NCSU would win the Golden Dustpan for doing the least with the most. How long do we have to let this go on? We all agreed that the writing was on the wall for Sidney Lowe this season. How much do we have to endure when we know the proper course of action?

  22. Wulfpack 12/23/2010 at 1:55 PM #

    Wisconsin should have beat us by 50.

  23. eas 12/23/2010 at 2:10 PM #

    Javi’s quote sums it up well…..

    We’ve got players,” Gonzalez said. “There’s no excuse. Tracy’s a lot of help but that shouldn’t be happening against Delaware State. It doesn’t matter how many guys we’ve got out.”

    It almost seems like the players are saying “please help, we don’t know what to do” The Amato and Sid project failed…lesson learned. Although I am still partial CTC because of his true passion for the wolfpack. However, he couldn’t get it done and neither can SID. Let him go before the fan base gets divided again.

  24. coach13 12/23/2010 at 4:04 PM #

    The freshmen have no idea how to play at the college level and their coach is not showing them.

    The rest are just starting to look like they have absolutely no talent.

  25. Wufpaq 12/23/2010 at 4:11 PM #

    I have been a Wolfpack fan since the 70’s and have had to endure many ups and downs during those years and it never gets easier – especially this year when we felt young, raw talent would overcome mediocre coaching. The reality is SL (a 5th or 6th choice for coach) had little chance to succeed as a coach. His NBA experience (where he wasn’t successful either) in no way prepared him to coach 18 – 22 year olds. Let’s face it, 18-22 year olds when Sid played are much different that today’s 18-22 year old prima donnas! I’ve never seen Monte or the other assisant coaches say or do anything to help the team. V was a game coach who could change a strategy at half time and secure victory from defeat. Sid appears to have no strategy at anytime. Debbie, display the nads we know you have, make the hard (and correct) decision to release Sid and adhere to the supposition “short term pain for long term gain!” I’m sick of watching a rudderless ship float aimlessly while the “good sailers” perish!

1 2 3

Leave a Reply