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Anyone remember this? Who’s laughing now, Paola?
Arizona Republic / Paola Boivin
@PaolaBoivin“All job openings on Tobacco Road should be accompanied by a Surgeon General’s warning: Coaching here may be hazardous to your mental health and induce premature departures and rabid expectations.
Really, North Carolina State fans? This is the coach you were so anxious to see leave, the one that has the Arizona State men’s basketball team in most preseason Top 25 polls? If this is your idea of a castoff, well, where should the Sun Devils send the thank-you bouquet?In only two seasons, Herb Sendek has made ASU basketball relevant again. It has opened practice under the watch of a national eye thanks to a 13-win turnaround from seasons 1 to 2 and a sophomore guard, James Harden, who is projected to be an NBA draft lottery pick.
Perspective is a funny thing. ASU athletic director Lisa Love looked at Sendek in 2006 and saw a coach who had run an impeccable program, who was known as one of the sport’s few remaining gentlemen and who had averaged 21 victories and posted consecutive NCAA tournament appearances in his last five seasons with the Wolfpack.
N.C. State fans saw a coach with a losing record against Duke and North Carolina and a demeanor that was a far cry from the Wolfpack’s most recognizable mentor, the late Jim Valvano.
When Sendek took the ASU job, Orlando Wright, the father of then-recruit Chris Wright, now with Georgetown, told reporters Sendek’s treatment by N.C. State fans was the equivalent of “a modern-day lynching.”
None of that matters to Sendek anymore, and he is too polite to speak negatively about the experience. These days, he barely resembles the Sendek that was portrayed in Raleigh.
His conversations aren’t effusive, but they’re thoughtful. He can be open and funny, sometimes when he doesn’t mean to be.
“He’s big on old-school jokes,” said Drake coach Mark Phelps, a longtime Sendek assistant. “They’re the type that would be hilarious back in 1960, but now they’re funny just because he’s telling it.”
People forget Sendek was only 33 when he took the Wolfpack job. More than a decade has passed. He is constantly tweaking and refining.
Those who criticized Sendek for his deliberate offense with the Wolfpack might be surprised to know the Sun Devils will pick up the pace this season.
When Sendek was offered the ASU job, Phelps tried to talk him out of it. N.C. State was coming off a 22-10 season and sported a strong recruiting class. Yet Sendek saw potential in a Tempe program that was often an afterthought in a Pac-10 Conference dominated by its Arizona neighbor just two hours south.
Was he entering another tempest? Maybe not. Sendek already is 2-2 vs. the rival Wildcats and has posted three victories vs. ranked teams. In the previous 11 seasons, ASU had gone 2-28 against ranked teams at home.
One thing he hasn’t changed is his eye for detail.
“When you present an idea to Herb, and you have fought through it from every angle and you give it to him and you’re feeling good that you’ve covered it all, you can be guaranteed he’ll find some holes,” Phelps said. “That’s what makes him great.”
“Put it this way,” Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. “I’ve been in league meetings with Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski, and Herb is the brightest guy in the room.”
Does Sendek, 45, think he’s changed?
“I’d like to think I’m different,” he said, “but without forsaking any last chance of humility, it’s difficult to answer. I’ve done my best to continue to learn.”
ASU fans hope he doesn’t change too much. There was a lot to like at N.C. State.”
For those of us who’ve started to forget specific details of Herb’s time here, our own archives offer probably the best serialized in situ history of the end of the Sendek Era at NC State. Start here:
Sendek: “Complete Body of Work”
It was written by Jeff, one of the best writers this site has ever had, and one if its founders as well. Seriously, I wish I had his insight and sharp wit with a pen…and I am not so bad myself, if I can humblebrag. Jeff is just that damned good as the article shows.
Anyway, I read through several of the articles — the late season flop, the ACCT egg, the departure and the pain of the coaching search.
Thank GOD we have Debbie Yow in charge now. Thank God we have Mark Gottfried. Those days truly were one of the three darkest times in NC State hoops.
In other news, Herb Sendek is supposed to meet with the Arizona State AD today to find out if he still has a job there.
I wonder if Bobby Hurley would make a good replacement. Don’t see Archie going against his brother at Arizona’s rival school, and they can forget Gregg Marshall.
Bama says “money is no object” when it comes to hiring a new coach. I don’t think Marshall would go there, they have little basketball history and football will always be their first, second, third and last loves.
I do worry a bit that Archie Miller could go there.
Re: Cat’s remark: seems like every time someone mentions POTUS’s name the Pundit Class has to pick up on it and use whatever was said to create a “story.” It happened with Bush and it happens with Obama and surely whoever is elected next it will happen to them too. I guess those folks need to sieze upon every moment to drive their “narrative” and to tittilate their audience long enough to keep them listening/reading/watching through the next ads.
I really don’t know why anyone wastes their time with those assclowns and their obsessive-compulsive “everything is politics” drivel.
What I don’t like is that our sophomore point guard is being used by them at the same time he’s preparing to play the biggest game of his career. I’d really like to see our team getting rested and focusing on whoever we play next without the distraction of the Hot Air Brigade.
I’m glad we’re not playing again until Friday. That will allow the team to get some rest and the coaches to set the players’ heads straight after such a huge win. What we really cannot afford from this point on is any kind of letdown.
If you missed the post-game press conferences, here’s a link to the audio.
I really respect the hell out of LeVelle Mouton, and if we were ever to need a coach, it would be a real shame to not give him a look.
PackAthletics 2m2 minutes ago
#WPN … the team is staying in Pittsburgh tonight. But you can welcome them back at Dail tomorrow between 12:30-1 p.m. more details to comeGet out there and welcome back your Wolfpack!
It is not WINNING TIME gentleman.
Farking WINNING TIME.
Keep your cool Pack. Make them foul your best shooters. Do. No. Make. Silly. Mistakes!!!!
LOST this four minute segment by one point. We need to grab it back on the next four. Let’s get it to four minutes up 8 or more.
