Has this season been a disappointment?

12-13 Basketball Editor's Picks General Mark Gottfried73

This basketball season has had a lot of peaks and valleys. We started out the year with a preseason top ten ranking, were predicted to win the ACC and Leslie was the leading candidate for ACC player of the year. All of this hype was generated by the Pack’s amazing Sweet Sixteen run along with the addition of three McDonald’s All Americans. We lost badly to Oklahoma State in the Puerto Rican tournament and then did well in a loss to highly ranked Michigan. We beat both Duke and UNC but lost to Wake. Brown gets hurt and we lose three straight but the injury gives Lewis an opportunity and he performs better than even the most optimistic of us thought he would. Brown returns and we have won 6 of our last 7 games with a chance to finish 4th in the ACC.

So the question becomes were the initial expectations realistic? I thought coming into the season we could be a top ten team but were not there yet. There were a lot of things our team needed to improve on, one of the key being leadership. Johnson and Williams were great leaders and none of the current players seem to have that ability. Howell does a great job of leading by example but none of the other upperclassmen are vocal leaders. Another thing the team lacked was defense. Whether they did not know how or did not think they needed to, they did not play good defense at the beginning of the year. The same can be said for rebounding and playing with constant intensity. Let’s talk about the individual players.

Howell
Is there a player who has improved more than Howell? He reshaped his body, learned how to play defense without fouling and has thrived in the high post offense. Not only does he sport the best beard in college basketball, he also out hustles everyone. He worked his way unto the All ACC first team. He is the best player on the team. He has exceeded my expectations this year.

Wood
Wood is an elite shooter. When he has an open shot he rarely misses (at least at home). The problem is he rarely gets open and he has never developed a pump fake. As an aside, how can you not develop a pump fake? My 8 year old can do a pump fake. Which highlights my biggest problem with Wood, he is essentially the same player now as he was a freshman. He is a great shooter but is lacking in most other areas. I am very glad he is on our team but he has not improved like I thought he would.

Brown
He had a rough start to the year. His shot was not working and he was getting beat on defense. Since his injury he has been very good. His speed on the break and passing ability allow us to get a lot of easy buckets. But he also scores well in the half-court offense and has really picked up his defense. He is now playing how I expected him to play.

Leslie
The question every game is “Will it be Calvin or CJ?” He is so athletically gifted but so lacking in fundamentals it is frustrating. It is not a case of effort. I have rarely seen a lack of effort from him. I think he is actually trying TOO hard. There was an early game in which he was getting double teamed but was able to still score and after the game Leslie said something to the effect of “coach wants me play through the double team”. And since that time he has tried to do that. The thing is, if he would kick the ball back out, it would both ease the double team as well give the guards open shots. He is willing to pass but he only passes to players near the basket. He never looks back out. His footwork is pretty bad as well which leads to way too many travelling calls. I love Calvin and am glad he is a Pack player but he has definitely not lived up to expectations.

Purvis
Rodney has struggled this year. He has hit the three point shot with regularity but has not been able to finish his drives. I cannot figure out why as he is strong and athletic enough to do so and his free throws, well, let’s not talk about his free throws. Rodney has not been as good as I had hoped he would be but I think he is the future leader of this team. He has an infectious smile and has shown the propensity to be the vocal leader we will need.

Warren
“Buckets” has been the most pleasant surprise of this year. I watched him play 5 games in high school and every time I would look at that ugly shot and shake my head, but he would keep scoring and scoring and scoring. Surprisingly that ability continued right into college. He has an innate ability to get to the open spot and score. His has excellent body control which allows him to finish tough shots while rarely getting called for a charge. He has been more than I could have ever hoped.

Lewis
Tyler came into the program with a lot of fanfare but struggled early on adjusting to the size and speed of the college game. When Zo was injured and he took over the team he came alive. He has that heady, “old man” game that drives other players and fans nuts. One play sums it up for me, in the Miami game Reggie Johnson hedged out on a pick at the top of the key. As Johnson turned around to run back to his man, Lewis noticed this and actually used Johnson as a pick to start driving the lane. He will be hated by the rest of the ACC by the time he leaves and that is a huge compliment. His emergence gives us a solid seven man rotation. His current play is about what I expected from him.

Vandenburg
I do not like to beat someone when they are down so I will simply say he has not played as well as I expected. I hope he can improve enough to make some impact his senior year.

This team is now capable of making good runs in both the ACC and the NCAA tournaments. They have made constant improvement throughout the year.Their rebounding and defense, while not earth shattering is good enough and given the potent offense that is all it has to be. Whether they will or not is up to one person, Leslie. This team needs him to play hard and smart in order to win against great teams.

Now back to the original question “Has this season been a disappointment?” I think that answer depends on your expectations for this year. If you bought into the preseason hype you are probably upset. I am not. I have seen consistent and constant team improvement. I have seen a fun team who is a blast to watch. I have seen a team who can still do something special and I think that is about all you can ask for. If two years ago someone told you NCSU would be ranked most of the year, beat both Duke and UNC, get into the NCAA tournament without being on the bubble, have three top ranked recruiting classes including at least four McD’s AAs and have one of the top offenses in the NCAA what would you have said? I know I would be giddy with excitement. I do not believe this is a “peak year”. Miami is having a good year but they are having a once in a lifetime experience. With the talent we have in the pipeline I expect many more years of this type of enjoyment.

About Rick

1992 and 2002 graduate from NCSU. Born and raised an NCSU fan. I remember the good ol' days and they weren't in the last 20 years.

12-13 Basketball Editor's Picks General Mark Gottfried

73 Responses to Has this season been a disappointment?

  1. ILPackfan 03/07/2013 at 1:49 PM #

    I wrote back in October that “Anything less than a 20-win, top-three ACC finish will be considered a disappointment.” Well, since we accomplished half of that and managed to beat both blues at home this season, I’ll at least qualify that it has not been a disappointment, per se. I had 13-5 as my ACC floor this year, and the Pack is two tip-ins away from being 13-4 going into this game. But it is a little frustrating to think that we might finish south of UVA and Miami in the standings this season with the experience we were bringing back from last year.

    As others have said, a lot will depend on the team’s performance in the ACC and NCAA tourneys. I’m rooting for long runs in both.

  2. NCSU84 03/07/2013 at 1:49 PM #

    The season is NOT a disappointment. What is disappointing is who we lost to and how we lost. Our games against MD, Wake, and VA were all winable games. We lost to Wake for crying out loud – the same team that we played last night in, as the N&O stated, a “laugher”. Still scratching my head on that earlier Wake loss and I suppose Miami is doing the same since they also lost to Wake.

  3. blpack 03/07/2013 at 1:49 PM #

    This team has been fun to watch. Had some crazy, unlucky moments too. I think we can make a run next weekend and beyond. Need some luck and good match ups. Would be nice to get to 12 ACC wins. The program is definitely heading in the right direction.

  4. wolfonthehill 03/07/2013 at 1:50 PM #

    1st was too lofty…. 2nd/3rd was quite reasonable. If we indeed finish 5th (behind Virginia), then yes – this season was an unmitigated disappointment on my end.

    This team had everything it needed… and still does have everything it needs…. to be truly special. Could still happen… but hasn’t yet.

  5. Dogbreath 03/07/2013 at 1:52 PM #

    I don’t see any meaningful separation between teams 1-4 in the ACC, so as long as we finish above that delineator the regular season has been as expected. The postseason will be determine whether the season is an actual success or not.

  6. Philodeliakarta 03/07/2013 at 1:58 PM #

    Not a disappointment. Tough losses for sure that could have (coulda, shoulda, woulda) gone the other way, but playing well right now. Hopefully the trend continues in the conference tourney and beyond.

  7. Gene 03/07/2013 at 2:09 PM #

    Not disappointed.

    People thought it was cool that NCSU is back in the mix and picked us to be first. I think the exposure is great.

    I don’t think anyone really figured how our lack of depth would play out, including the coaching staff, who decided to go with a six man rotation, until Lewis got the opportunity to prove himself and now we’re a seven man rotation.

    We’re in year 2 of rebuilding a program that’s been in tatters for 20 years and are way ahead of schedule, in my opinion.

  8. Khan 03/07/2013 at 2:46 PM #

    I’m a little disappointed because we lost a few games we should not have lost, due to lack of focus…not bad luck, lack of talent, or because we were outmatched. We just broke down mentally at the crucial moment.

    Our defense, especially early on was a disappointment. We have enough athletic ability to play defense at least effectively, but it seemed like there was no real commitment to it until recently.

    Vandy has been a disappointment.

    CJ has been an under-achiever this year in many games. I wouldn’t call him lazy, but there have been times when he appeared apathetic and also incapable of learning…not paying attention, making a soft pass instead of a crisp one, goal-tending, traveling, shooting long range jumpers (which is not a strength), continuing to struggle at the free-throw line, etc.

    I would like to have believed that we would finish first in the league, but I did not feel that was realistic. I thought 4th or 5th was about right.

    It seems like this team hasn’t shown tremendous growth over the course of the year and continues to get snake bit by the same things. You could make a case that we’ve improved markedly the last two games. But BC and WF kinda suck, so we’ll see what happens when we play a top tier team again.

    Howell has been the man this year. I wish everyone would play every game with the effort he has shown consistently this year.

    My bottom line is that when we play like we’re capable of, we can play with anyone in the country. But we don’t play that way most of the time — just in spurts here and there — hence the reason for my disappointment.

  9. ncsu1987 03/07/2013 at 3:10 PM #

    I’ve screamed in frustration during some of the WTF games, pretty sure I yelled “please block somebody the f@@@ out” in front of my neighbor’s kid once, came close to throwing my iPad across the room at the end of the Miami game, and on and on….

    But there’s no way in hell this has been a disappointment. My expectations were in line with where we are….hopeful for top 4 in the ACC, into the NCAA tournament w/o Selection Sunday drama. And I’ve enjoyed the hell out of being relevant again. It’s been fun.

    I can’t wait for the ACC and NCAA tourneys. Aside from last year, there have been precious few times I’ve said that in the past 25 years. Based on years of experience, I don’t expect much at all for the tournaments. But the added spice this year is that I hope for more.

  10. tractor57 03/07/2013 at 3:18 PM #

    Wistful for what could have been. A bit disappointed over a few games (especially Ok St) but all in all not to a major extent. Finishing in the top 4 would help greatly to reduce the wistfulness. I break the season down into 4 parts – exhibition (which includes all early games before conference season, conference reg schedule, ACC tourney and NCAA tourney). Granted the ACC tourney doesn’t have the same feel it did in 1974 when only the tournament winner advanced but to me it is still quite important.

  11. PackHooligan 03/07/2013 at 3:23 PM #

    Not disappointing, and I think this team is now being underrated nationally by the sports media, all because State didn’t prove their wild, top 6 team predictions right.

    I would argue that the loss at Wake should not be viewed as surprising, since ACC teams historically lose the second of 2 games in 3 days. What made things worse was Calvin getting into foul trouble so a sick Howell had to play too many minutes. That leaves losses to a good Okie St team, a really good Michigan team, @UMD, @UVA (with Zo going down), @Duke (no Zo), Miami (no Zo, Jabba attack), and @UNC. I don’t see any WTF losses on there.

  12. bill.onthebeach 03/07/2013 at 3:25 PM #

    NO, not yet…

    and unless we finish this season 1-2….
    no way it will be.

    I have enjoyed watching the players ‘grow up’ ….. some more than others….. and watching the coaches ‘coach’…. as much as in any season since ’83.

    The ‘best’ of this season …..may well be yet to come, and long term… next season looks as bright if not brighter.

    Most of us knew rebuilding the program wouldn’t happen overnight, but there should be no debate that we are trending in the right direction at a more than acceptable rate of speed.

  13. drspaceman 03/07/2013 at 3:28 PM #

    assuming we win our last game, the difference between fourth or fifth in the acct is just whether or not UVA loses one of their remaining games.

    UVA’s performance in their last two games doesn’t really change how I feel about this team’s performance.

    I’d say this was a good season for ncsu regardless of their post-season performance. we had some adversity, lost some games during that time, but came out of it stronger with lewis gaining confidence and playing time.

  14. Mike 03/07/2013 at 3:49 PM #

    Anyone disappointed? If you answer yes, I will respond Les Robinson, HWSNBN, and Sidney Lowe. Next!

    I also wrote in the preseason that most likely we would see a minimum of 4 losses in conference. Anyone who expected us to go 16-2 was irrational.

    As for the losses, we lost 1 game at home against #1 Miami, in a game without LO, and a game we lost at the buzzer. Wake has proven a formidable foe in WS – they beat us, Miami, and gave Dook a ride to the last minute. Wake is no pushover in WS. At UVA – check their home record, and a game we would have won with LO. At MD? We never win there, no big deal. At UNX? I hate losing to them but not unexpected, even in a down year for them.

    We are solidly IN the tourney, we scare the heck out of anyone on our schedule, and we are building a foundation for the future.

  15. JeremyH 03/07/2013 at 4:00 PM #

    If we had hoped that this season would be a brand building season, then it is mildly dissappointing but only if the season were to end today. Having built a brand is the result of continued success over a relatively long duration, and having a brand is the best recruiting tool you can have. This is pertinent to losing Randall on the recruiting trail, but that can be mitigated from this point on by getting other recruits to fit our needs. I’m thinking perhaps a 3-4 year player like Joe Harris.

    also:

    “Perhaps Painter’s transfer hurt the team more than folks seem to talk about.”

    This is probably the most repeated sentence of all blog entries this season, because it is true. We were one big, experienced body away from being a stronger defensive team that didn’t run out of gas (at Wake and other places). Sure the team was one player away from being a lot better, but this is better than being 2 or maybe 3 players away from being a lot better, which has been typically the case for State teams. Transfers happen and the “if only” stuff is for dreamers.

    “Wise posters on SFN have stated: “You are what your record says you are”. But I stand by the statement that we are better than our record.”

    Yes, we are exactly our record. We beat Maryland and Miami this year if we shoot better free throws and play adequate interior defense at key moments. But we didn’t win those games because of who we are, and that translates to our record.

    To give these guys a break, they have really bounced back, and we shall see how motivated they are to show people how good they can really be.

  16. Tau837 03/07/2013 at 4:13 PM #

    It’s premature to answer the question. However, we do know several things that suggest the answer will be no.

    We’ve won 22 games; only 2 State teams in the past 24 seasons won more. And there is a very good chance that this team will end up with 25+ wins, which would be more than any team since the 1982-83 championship team.

    We’ve compiled a good record against a strong schedule.

    We have been in all but a few losses until the very end. And we have played toe to toe with multiple top 10 teams (Duke, Miami, Michigan), suggesting that our team is capable of beating any team.

    We beat each of our traditional rivals.

    We have only one “bad” loss, and it has been avenged.

    My expectations were a bit higher than what we have achieved, but I didn’t project Zo to miss three of our toughest games. I also didn’t project TDT to leave the team. Regardless, not meeting high expectations does not equate to “disappointment” in my book.

  17. old13 03/07/2013 at 4:19 PM #

    Q: “Has this season been a disappointment?”

    A: Not yet!

    Pack key to avoid being a disappointment: Keep playing CONSISTENTLY at a high level – ESPECIALLY the D!

    This should carry them far in both the ACCT and the NCAAT. But will they do it! (A CLOSE loss to a Top 10 team along the way will not be a disappointing season – but I would rather win it all!)

    BTW if you missed the women’s game against Clemson this afternoon, you missed a terrific one! Kastanek and Burke showed so much Wolfpack heart down the stretch! Down 44-40 with about 4 minutes to go, they outscored CU 15-1 to finish and win the game!

  18. Blackfish 03/07/2013 at 4:36 PM #

    12/6 now win the tournament, we haven’t been this exiting since Don Johnson had a full time job… I’m personally have not missed any game, and when Dokky and UNX fan have to swallow a little before confidently predicting our defeat I’m not disappointed. Certainly not disappointed when I think our competition has to buckle down the bags and tighten up their sphnyxter when they have to decide who’s a better out us or Dokky, yeah I’m not disappointed I’m Happy as a fat UNX graduate at a buffet.

  19. WV Wolf 03/07/2013 at 4:38 PM #

    Nice job on the player breakdown. Totally agree that a lot of Calvin’s issues came from trying to do too much when Zo was out of the lineup.

    In a vacuum, I’d say so far this season is a slight disappointment. However you can rarely look at things in a vacuum and need to have a little perspective.

    Expectations were probably a little too high, a 1st year coach taking a losing team the previous season to the Sweet 16 is way out in front on the progress scale and is a tall order to keep up with (not that it can’t be done).

    16-1 at home (look for a blog entry soon on this topic). The home crowd left unhappy once all season. That’s not too shabby.

    Compared to the Les Robinson years (or Herb or Sid) or the brutal year my Mountaineers are having or the plague of physical and ugly in college basketball (I’m looking at you UVA), give me this State team that can actually score and is fun to watch any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

    I’ve always felt this team has been building towards March. You want to be playing your best basketball right now and we’ve won 3 in a row and 6 of 7. We’ll see what happens.

  20. tvp1 03/07/2013 at 4:45 PM #

    Not at all in my book.

    I predicted 23-8 (12-6), and with a win Saturday we will hit that exactly.

    And of course March is really what matters.

    Finishing 5th would be a disappointment but not really the team’s fault either. A team with a .667 winning percentage has never come close to missing top 4 in the ACC since the expansion to 12 teams. That’s just bad luck if it happens to us this year.

  21. BJD95 03/07/2013 at 4:47 PM #

    Not in the least. I thought 12-6, with an outside shot at 13-5. Pretty close to the mark.

    I am thrilled with the coaching. Remember this is coming from someone who didn’t like the initial hire, and still wasn’t completely sold last season.

    I think MG and staff have done an amazing job, taking a thin roster with some pretty apparent chemistry issues and/or personality clashes…helping them navigate the burden of expectations and bounce back from mid-season adversity. They have learned how to grind out victories when not firing on all cylinders, and they are having fun and sharing the ball again. I love watching them play.

    We have done enough in the regular season to be poised for possible greatness. All you can do in the regular season is set yourself up with a legitimate chance. Accumulate enough chances over several years…and you’ll end up with something special. Provided you haven’t limited your ceiling with a gimmick system, etc.

    And I think this is a perfect illustration of why I most certainly DO want a playoff in football. I’ve still watched nearly every minute of every ACC game (OK, I may have turned off the end of the Wake and Hole losses, and went to bed at halftime of the Duke loss – my heart can only take so much pissed-offedness). The game threads are quite robust.

    The regular season certainly does have meaning. It’s nice that a rough few weeks didn’t torpedo our hopes completely. More importantly, it is building to a crescendo (sp?). That’s what a great drama of any variety is supposed to do. When your post-season is markedly LESS interesting than your regular season…you are doing it wrong.

  22. ncsu74-83 03/07/2013 at 4:50 PM #

    No way, if Lorenzo does not go down in the UVA game they more than likely win that game along with the Miami game and they are sitting at 13-4 and tied for first in the ACC. In order to have met the preseason ranking everything would need to have fallen into place and injuries are one thing that can screw thing ups When was the last time this program has won 22 games in a season prior to any post season games?

  23. Wufpacker 03/07/2013 at 5:01 PM #

    Despite some frustrating moments on the path to where we are, no I’m not disappointed in the least. Expectations were way too high for a team with a short bench that was going to be relying heavily on mixing in freshmen, regardless of how highly regarded they were.

    Despite that short/young bench and some less than heady play at times by our upperclassmen, we still have 22 wins with a realistic shot at 23 BEFORE any post-season, with double digit conference wins also already in the bag.

    Biggest thing of all? We now seem to have gotten the clue we needed to improve, and seem to be peaking at the right time headed to the post-season, which is where it counts.

    “We just want to be in a position to win. If you’re in a position to win, you have a shot at winning.” -Jim Valvano

    We have improved a great deal recently IMHO, and have put ourselves in a position to win going down the stretch.

    All things considered, what else can we ask for?

  24. tuckerdorm1983 03/07/2013 at 5:13 PM #

    step back and take a breath. Except for a run in the ACC tourney when Lowe was head coach we were the dormat of the ACC. Gott comes in and in one year we are playing the sweet sixteen. I said we do not have a premier big man and that will be a problem when we face a team with one. Howell is just too short and CJ is just not strong enough. Two steps forward and one step back. I would say three steps forward and one back. By God we are a lock for the NCAA Tournament win or lose the ACC tourney. The stock continues to rise at the Wolfpack nation. (even if MR. RANDLE dissed us)

  25. rtpack24 03/07/2013 at 5:15 PM #

    Agree with BJD, Gott has done a super job. We have had our ups and downs but with the surprise loss of Pringles and trying to blend 3 McD AA’s into an established line up is not easy for any coach. I like the fact that Gott defends his players in public. For you folks that think he does not get on their asses enough you need to attend one of his practices. Looks like Brown is getting the bounce back into his step. Hopefully we are poised to make a run. Keep the faith Wofpack Nation.

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