Pack Gets Second Exhibition Win

06-07 Basketball General NCS Basketball53

Sidney Lowe’s second exhibition win was a more comfortable one, with the Pack winning 87-76. Obviously, the best news of the night was that Engin Atsur played (first half only). Gavin Grant was a one-man show again, and Ben McCauley had another solid game. Brandon Costner continued to rebound well despite being rusty offensively. Fells rebounded with a solid shooting night (and Fells must be solid for NC State to have a fighting chance this season). Overall, not too bad.

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.

06-07 Basketball General NCS Basketball

53 Responses to Pack Gets Second Exhibition Win

  1. burnbarn 11/08/2006 at 10:47 AM #

    GG had a very Hodgish type line last night with many trips to the FT line.

  2. packpigskinfan23 11/08/2006 at 10:48 AM #

    does anyone know if Atsur only played the first half due to pain, or perserving him for the real deal?!

    I am sure it is the second…

    highlights looked good on the news… despite the non-existant crowd.

  3. redfred2 11/08/2006 at 10:57 AM #

    That’s good news, especially on Atsur!

    I don’t know exactly why, I’ve never even seen the kid in my life, but I have a feeling about Trevor Ferguson. I read some articles on him back before he even decided to go to Pitt and just got a feeling that he may be a solid role player with athletic ability. A type of unconventional player with a good head, surprising athleticism, who might possibly go off on occasion.

    The article is a few years old now but it sounded like the kid some skills and potential anyway. Maybe his mom wrote it??? I’m hoping my baseless, gut feeling is right anyway.

  4. Rochester 11/08/2006 at 10:59 AM #

    What about our mystery recruits? Isn’t today LOI day? Let’s start snatching some big names away from other schools. How about O.J. Mayo to run the point next year? (Dream big, right?)

  5. redfred2 11/08/2006 at 11:12 AM #

    Don’t forget, FRIDAY NIGHT!!!

    Lee Fowler and the whole Athletics Department are going to show all us WOLFPACK exactly what they’re made of by putting on an absolute extravaganza to welcome these coaches to NC State University.

    On second thought, it might not happen Friday. I’m sure they’re thinking there’s still plenty of time to do it later, after all the excitement dies down.

  6. thebigwood 11/08/2006 at 11:18 AM #

    does anyone have any idea how wofford is supposed to be this year?

  7. smfrank 11/08/2006 at 11:22 AM #

    Engin was in the lockerroom for a good while after halftime – I think he came back to the bench sometime midway through the 2nd half. But he looked like the same old steady & fiesty Engin that he always has been.

    As for the exhibition game – it renewed my faith in our basketball team. Here are some of my thoughts:

    1) Courtney Fells – he got hot! And it was nice to see him get a little swagger. Hit 3 straight 3’s and a nice curl long 2 pointer to start the 2nd half.

    2) Brandon Costner – Is much better on the floor than his statline. His spacing in the zone, had some real nice passes that led to baskets (either assists, or the “hockey assist”). Really dominated the glass against the smaller team, and made some great outlets to fast breaks. He looks similar to a Rudy Gay/Derrick Coleman type of player. But he still looks rusty – missed some 3’s, FT’s and short jumpers that he probably used to normally hit. He definately would have thrived in a Herb Sendeck ran offense, but he’ll still be great wherever he is.

    3) Ballhandling – Gavin looked great, but beyond him & Engin, we will struggle with ball-handling. There were times in the start of the 1st half and end of the 2nd half where every play was a near TO. Nieman & Albritton are hard-nosed players – I would just hate to see them against the in-your-face pressure defense Duke can put on. Hopefully I’m wrong.

    4) This is the bad note – Our Defense is WEAK! If we play against guys that can hit pull-up jumpers or runners, are a little quicker & bigger – we will get dominated! Our perimeter players get beat easily and we have NO help defense. When we do help, we leave shooters wide-open and have a hard time recovering. We did not show the ability to step up our defense. Not to knock on Sidney – but our defense looked like the kind of defense they play in the NBA.

    And a 36-32 rebounding edge over that team is not really impressive when we clearly outsized them on the floor.

    For the most part though, the 11 point win is a little deceiving. For most of the 2nd half we were up by 16-18. St. Aug just made a run in the last 2 minutes with our reserves in. I’m hoping this season brings some surprises.

  8. Trout 11/08/2006 at 11:36 AM #

    Last night, to me, showed the real value that Andrew Brackman would have brought to the team, and how important Engin is. With Engin, we were much more focused and effiecient on offense. Costner was rebounding well, but picked up some really silly fouls. In real games, that is where Brackman would have made a difference. If Costner (or McCauley) have to sit for foul trouble, we are in real trouble sizewise – no replacement there.

    With Brackman, this squad could probably have had a chance to get to 7-9, maybe 8-8 in the ACC. While the team improved last night from last Friday night, I still see so many weak points (ball handling w/o Engin, depth, rebounding) that its hard to see more than 3-5 ACC wins. St Aug didnt have a player over 6-7, and we only won the rebounding war by 4 boards.

    St Aug got into the paint on dribble penetration several times. We will struggle with smaller, quicker guards all year – a team like UVA (Singletary and Reynolds) for example.

    I sat across from Lowe this game instead of behind him. He’s into the game. I like his style, bench wise. Of course, none of that means jack squat unless he eventually wins.

  9. Wulfpack 11/08/2006 at 11:45 AM #

    Thebigwood, Wofford is predicted to be very weak once again. They’re picked to finish 5th in the SoCon’s South Division, ahead of only The Citadel. That’s where the Terriers finished last year at 6-9, 11-18 overall. No striking wins last year. They did lose by only 3 to Notre Dame, by 2 to Clemson and 2 close losses to ECU.

    http://www.soconsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4000&ATCLID=669179

  10. MadWolf92 11/08/2006 at 11:45 AM #

    “Not to knock on Sidney – but our defense looked like the kind of defense they play in the NBA.”

    You mean the kind they play in Detroit where Sidney coached? Awesome!!

  11. smfrank 11/08/2006 at 11:47 AM #

    haha – no more like they played at Memphis…

  12. Chief93 11/08/2006 at 12:13 PM #

    ‘Overall, not too bad’ doesn’t provide a very rosy outlook.

    Highlights:
    – It finally stopped raining during the game.

    But seriously:
    – Fells started to hit some jumpers. We’re going to need that to continue if we even hope to reach 10th or 11th.
    – Costner had more rebounds than FGA’s. I don’t know why his shots aren’t falling, but we need them to. We need all the points and boards we can get from him before he fouls out on charges.
    – Our best bet is if Gavin can be the primary point man in the half court. As our only proven, consistent outside shooter Engin needs to be free on the wing. Maybe Sunshine can help with this also, but I’m reserving my excitement since assessments seem to range from Pistol Pete to Jason Sutton.
    – We have some really good players but something about the mix doesn’t feel right and there no bench to back them up. I remain very worried.

  13. packpigskinfan23 11/08/2006 at 12:22 PM #

    ^I remain very optimistic for the future…

    not really worried about this year. As long as I see heart from this team this year, I will be happy with any kind of record. We all know its hard to win games in the ACC no matter what. We only have what, like 7 scholorship players?

  14. packpigskinfan23 11/08/2006 at 12:36 PM #

    I dont think it has been mentioned yet but FSN South has a preview of NCState Basketball on tonight at 7pm

    7:00 PM N.C. State Wolfpack College Hoops Preview ’06-’07

  15. GAWolf 11/08/2006 at 1:11 PM #

    I remember losing “exhibition games” in the past. I’m feeling okay about the future of NC State Basketball.

  16. packbackr04 11/08/2006 at 1:16 PM #

    CHIEF93^^
    We have some really good players but something about the mix doesn’t feel right and there no bench to back them up. I remain very worried.

    YOUR LAST PARAGRAPH IS HOW I HAVE FELT FOR THE LAST 7 OR 8 YEARS SO NOTHING NEW HERE

  17. Woof Wolf 11/08/2006 at 1:21 PM #

    Yes there is something different. Most of us have hopes for improvement next year and beyond.

  18. Great Dane Guy 11/08/2006 at 1:30 PM #

    OK, the radio guys said we were running a “Flex Offense”. Isn’t that what 90% of the rest of college basketball runs? Can someone explain the basics of the flex here? Maybe some nuances to watch for? Thanks. I think this team just needs to adopt a “survive and advance” attitude to the whole season, to each game, and lets see where we end up at the end.

  19. redfred2 11/08/2006 at 1:44 PM #

    “the mix”

    There is no “mix.”

    Sidney is the like the sole beneficiary of an inheritance, excited about taking over the family farm, only to find out that it hasn’t been maintained, the crop isn’t as advertised, and the bill collectors are demanding more than it’s worth. It is what it is. Nothing anyone can do about that now.

    Nothing but positive encouragement is warranted from us fans for this rag tag group of leftovers, no matter how much they struggle getting started.

  20. statered 11/08/2006 at 2:03 PM #

    I think we will be better with Gavin being the primary ball handler and Engin on the wing. Engin is low risk running the pt – but also low reward on offense. One reason we played better in the second half was Gavin’s assists. I like the idea of Engin spotting up for threes off of Gavin’s penetration. When Gavin gets shakey with the ball Engin can spell him.

    Cheif – I can tell you why the mix doesn’t feel right. Our team consists of a bunch of wings and a power forward. And there is no depth. Add to that the fact that only two players have seen significant action in prior years and only one of those guys started consistently. I don’t see how anyone could feel good about that mix.

  21. ShootingGuard 11/08/2006 at 2:46 PM #

    “Nothing but positive encouragement is warranted from us fans for this rag tag group of leftovers, no matter how much they struggle getting started.”

    YEP.

    This is going to be a LONG season due to lack of numbers and lack of experience and a cast of “interchangeable parts” that leave a lot of gaping holes as a traditional college bball lineup.

    However, EVERY ONE of the players should be supported with huge cheers no matter how many turnovers they commit or how many games they lose because these kids chose to stick by State during a dark hour when almost all of them could have transferred or backed out of their commitment. F Davis and F Werner and his oversensitive dad, Dennis Horner deserves the fan support no matter how many minutes he plays or what his stats are—the kid kept his word like a man. The same goes for Grant, Fells, Big Ben, and the rest who could have run from a challenge but chose instead to stick by the Pack—as such, Pack fans owe them the same respect.

    The same should also be said for Sidney Lowe and the staff. Lowe & Co. deserve the support of ALL Pack fans for taking a job that Lee Foulup “convinced” every conceivable potential coach not to take with his keystone cop coaching search. Lowe & Co. will be judged appropriately over the next couple years, but, for the near-term, especially this year, they deserve our undivided and RABID support. Lowe & Co. won’t get through this mess to where we all want to be without EVERYONE pushing through together…

  22. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 11/08/2006 at 2:55 PM #

    I just want the players to have fun this year and those that had been damaged by sendek learn again how to enjoy the game.

  23. Pack Laddie 11/08/2006 at 3:18 PM #

    I saw the team for the first time last night, and here is a brief assessment I posted elsewhere–

    I watched Lowe quite a bit. Very into the game, and talkative, but in a low key kind of way, at least for last night. Interesting that Towe did not participate in the timeout huddles at all. Just wandered around the perimeter. Strickland was the most vocal of the assistants. Lowe turned around and looked down the bench a couple of times, like he was going to sub, but didn’t see much, and turned back around.

    Our first five are decent. Atsur obviously was not at full speed.

    Gavin can play. He made some great passes. My concern is that sometimes he will feel the need to do too much, depending on situation, and who is on the floor with him. If he stays under control, he is a great player.

    Fells can play too. Nice to see him get the jumper working in the second half. Still a little shaky handling, much like Scooter was for awhile. Explosive though.

    McCauley is solid. We were saying it will be interesting to see what he can do against ACC calibre centers. He just has to stay out of foul trouble, which at his position is easier said than done. Good fundamental post moves, albeit maybe a tad slow.

    Costner’s confidence is 0 with his jumper right now. But he did a great job rebounding. Just needs a couple to go down, to get off the schneid.

    Horner is going to have to play. Nice frame, and great release. Needs to get stronger, but I think will be a solid player by the time he is done.

    Neiman doesn’t hurt you. If they can get 5/7 minutes a game out of him, it will be a big help. Can knock it down when he is open.

    a couple of us were concerned by how easily St Aug got into the paint on dribble penetration several times. Cannot let that happen, although I think we will struggle with smaller, quicker guards all year. Just don’t have anybody to really matchup with them.

    It is going to be an interesting year.

  24. Red_Terrors 11/08/2006 at 3:21 PM #

    Amen ShootingGuard…I would love to see the Valvano Dome (aka RBC Center) packed each and every night with rabid Wolfpack fans cheering on our team as loudly as possible…because that is what these players and their coaches deserve! This year may be a wash as far as our record is concerned, but I am extremely excited for the current season and the outlook of our program. GO PACK!!!

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