Debbie Yow is watching, waiting

The News & Observer has this article today that comes on the heels of Debbie Yow’s local radio appearance earlier in the week. This link is most definitely a pre-requisite to today’s article as the two entries fit together like hand and glove.

In her first year as N.C. State’s athletic director, she’s focused on supporting and evaluating the team in coach Sidney Lowe’s fifth season, Yow said Friday.

“The only fair thing to say is what I’ve said from the beginning of the year,” Yow said. “The competitive outcomes will be reviewed with Coach Lowe once we finish the season.”

Herein lies the difference between someone who knows what they are doing compared to Lee Fowler.

She says all of the right things without being stupid and/or blindly irrational.

She says all of the right things without committing herself to any future action or inaction.

She supports the current staff until such time that she doesn’t support the current staff.

She supports the program without trying to pick a fight with any fans or anyone who dare have a difference of opinion.

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10-11 Basketball Debbie Yow Sidney Lowe

39 Responses to Debbie Yow is watching, waiting

  1. JeremyH 01/22/2011 at 3:10 PM #

    As I mentioned in the Tyler Lewis thread, *IF* the current coach is relieved of his duties and there is a time gap before the next coach is announced, it is important that the AD stays in close communication with current and incoming players during that time.

  2. choppack1 01/22/2011 at 3:13 PM #

    Oh – so we’re supposed to let Sidney coach these guys into they are juniors?

    You see – he had 3 key starters and several key reserves from last year’s NIT squad. We added a true PG, a highly skilled 2 guard and an athletic 3 or 4 – this team has better basketball talent and more atheticism, BUT THEY ARE A WORSE BASKETBALL TEAM THAN WE SAW LAST YEAR!!

    Now, you can go ahead and think that it’s just because these 3 guys are new. Or maybe, just maybe – it’s because of the same reason that our best ACC record is 6-10 since Lowe has arrived. While he knows the game – there is no evidence whatsoever that he can teach, motivate or prepare a team for an entire season. None, zero, zilch, nada.

    Giving Sidney another season (if we don’t make the NCAA tournament this year) is madness. The only reason you believe in Lowe at all is because you have a soft spot in your heart for him. But just because you were a great PG does not mean you are going to be a good coach. Just because you love your school doesn’t mean that you should coach there.

    Thus far, this season has done nothing but affirm that the poor results of his first 4 seasons were NOT due to lack of talent. The problem is Lowe – not these players.

    The season is not over. They can still pull together and have a special season. If they do, then a case can be made for Lowe to keep his job. However, to say that Lowe deserves another year based on what he’s accomplished thus far – now, that’s truly madness and I hope you’re joking.

  3. JeremyH 01/22/2011 at 3:20 PM #

    ADVENTUROO, from reading your comments I doubt you have watched the games that we have played thus far this season. There has been a clear lack of fundamental basketball play (rebounding, defense, offensive strategy) that has been observed and discussed ad nauseam on this site. If we observed improvement from last year, then I think you may have a case. However, what we have observed is a complete breakdown. We are not just losing games, we are witnessing bad basketball, which results from bad practice habits. Because of this, many games are lost before they begin. This is causing many fans to lose interest.

    One might claim his achilles heel is integrating new players. I don’t think that matters anymore, in year five, because for every year there has been an excuse given for the poor record of that year. Once you add up all these excuses you begin to see there is no foundation being given to these players. This program needs to start moving in the right direction again.

  4. ibelieve 01/22/2011 at 4:34 PM #

    I sure hate to start all over again ,but hope seems a long way from
    here,maybe Sid will finish extremely strong,but we all knew this was his last chance .We played Duke pretty even in the second half ,how
    many times have I said that in the last 4 years SO WHAT!!!
    Winners win and Losers lose/ TIME IS NEARLY UP

  5. swamppack 01/22/2011 at 4:53 PM #

    When it comes to waiting for a brighter day for N.C. State b-ball, you can choose to either take the “let’s face it, this isn’t working ” approach or the “WTNY” approach. Either way we all are heartbroken to see on-court accomplishments so dismal but I am encouraged to not be seeing our players on the police blotter. Is the graduation rate good? Are these young boys becoming well-developed young men as a result of thier experience at State and with coach Lowe? Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see the glory days return, I still remember what it felt like. State playing a major role in ‘tobacco road’ basketball,The Big Four. Man what days those were. And for the record i’m in the “let’s face it” crowd.

  6. 61Packer 01/22/2011 at 11:25 PM #

    ADVENTUROO: NOT giving Sid a chance to develop his team next year would be a miscarriage of justice.

    61Packer: Giving Sid a chance to develop his team next year would be a miscarriage of our basketball program.

  7. JEOH2 01/23/2011 at 1:08 AM #

    btw, I don’t think Friedlander was calling for Lowe to step down mid-season…I actually felt his article was well written and well thought out…

  8. Wolfy__79 01/23/2011 at 2:28 AM #

    i’m not looking forward for yet another coaching hire. i feel confident that if this is the case then the a great move will be made. until then, i’m 100% percent behind sidney lowe. i’ll be at the game at 12.. and cheering hard.

    this team has every oppurtunity to step up and win games right now! regardless of any setbacks this year. there’s still no reason why we aren’t blowing out some of our lesser opponents. and if anyone cannot see the fundamental flaws or our players then please take a closer look. you will see no blockouts repeatedly, lack of movement on offense, and no team defense. i’ve blinded myself to this at times in hopes of some sort of genius.. but who am i kidding! if you can’t get the basics right, you cannot beat the best. it would take a heck of a coach to pick this team up right now and get them back to the basics. but, sidney lowe too has the oppurtunity to do so. another flaw with these kids and many other teams are lazy passes around the perimeter! we haven’t really seen a team that gets after with things like that but we will be on saturday! trust me, it could get really ugly vs unc! they are terrible but can get the basics right, especially against us. i will have a very hard time watching us play for the rest of the season if we do not win all three this week! GO PACK!

  9. Wolfy__79 01/23/2011 at 2:42 AM #

    i had hoped sidney lowe would be our coach for the next page in history but it isn’t working as stated before. i think we’re getting way ahead of ourselves at this point comparing sidney lowe as a coach to arguably one of or the best all time! coach k has always been an authority figure on the floor as a coach. sid has not. his kids also are fundamentally sound, so much now that they were toying with us last week! i don’t see him on the bench, leading.. trying to out do the other team. he’ll squat down and talk with towe but that’s all we get. his approach is that of an assistant!

    adventuroo, you are certainly spot on with javi. he’s not a pg. you’d think after 3+ years with lowe and towe that he would be able to do something but he gets out there and wants to play the 2! that’s pretty obvious.. he’s just not a leader! there is absolutely no reason why there isn’t ANYONE on the bench that could make an attempt at pg, before harrow of course. you get a college freshman, you bust their bubble or it happens on the floor early. not their senior season. as a coach, asst or hc, you build your players up.. through practicing the basics and motiviation!

  10. PackerInRussia 01/23/2011 at 9:44 AM #

    rawolf, how many coaches are there that are the caliber of Coach K? If I were breaking them down into exceptions and norms, I’d put him into the “exception” category. The many other coaches who start off poorly and never develop into good coaches would fit into the “norm” category. I have a hard time putting Sid in the Coach K category simply based on the overall record in the first five years. Looking at the record that sautz put up, that overall record seems to be the result of the first three years’ record being worse than Sid’s. Looking at years 4-5, though, Coach K clearly had the better record by far. I’m sure it was the success of those two years that led the leadership to keep him around. You’re right, it would have been dumb of them to fire him after year 5: after two years of finishing 3rd and 4th in the ACC, .500 and above ACC record, 23 and 24 wins and two second round appearances in the NCAAT. Sid did not do this last year and it’d take a big turn around to do that this year. So, already Sid is not following the pattern set by Coach K. If I were a betting man, I’d put my money on Sid NOT turning out to be Coach K II.
    If every AD used the logic that Coach X’s bad record (and bad coaching) should be overlooked because they may be the next Coach K, no one would get fired ever. Fortunately, that AD doesn’t work NC State anymore.

    By the way, dating back to 1929 (first year in the Souther Conference) Duke basketball has never had a coach go more than 4 years with a losing conference record. So, if we are going to follow their example…
    (http://www.dukeupdate.com/yearbyyear.html)

  11. coach13 01/23/2011 at 9:49 AM #

    Fundamentals of blocking out and defense have NOT BEEN TAUGHT, as it is evident in the So’s, Jr’s and Sr’s. Boxing out and defense have gradually become MORE of an issue since Sid’s players have taken the helm. I was never a BIG Dennis Horner fan but OBVIOUSLY he brought more defensive effort than I realized. Fundamental defense and boxing out is something Sid never had o teach at the NBA level. And now he is JUST realizing he has to teach it at the college level. Too late. Anyway, short of an ACC tournament win and Elite 8, Sid is gone for better or worse. Wish he would have worked out but he didn’t. I don’t need another year to see that and I don’t think Yow does either.

  12. coach13 01/23/2011 at 9:52 AM #

    I mean, did he think these kids just knew how to play defense and box out already?

    “What, you mean I gotta show’em how to play defense?…and box out???”.

    Maybe he just thought he was gonna outscore everybody to the point defense was irrelevent?

  13. JeremyH 01/23/2011 at 12:28 PM #

    coach13, we were screaming about this crap last year. and he made no adjustments. poor. grade: F

  14. mak4dpak 01/23/2011 at 3:44 PM #

    I vote for a miscarriage of justice. YES! Good thing we played at home, after blowing a 17 point lead, against a Miami team that is as bad as we are. Way to go Sid. Another fine coaching performance. Clemson, and the smurfs on the road our next 2 game. Sounds like 2 more losses for the team.

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