Two games this week…two wins over teams sitting in first place of the ACC!
Sidney Lowe “gets it”. 15 point underdog stuns UNC in Raleigh. What a difference a year – and a coaching change – can make! We had an entry open during the game that has some of our comments about the game.
* After finishing his playing career with two straight wins over Carolina in 1983, Sidney Lowe starts his coaching career by successfully defending NC State’s home court with a win over #3 ranked UNC-Chapel Hill.
* Every media outlet in America has mistakenly misquoted Sidney Lowe’s record against UNC today. I don’t know what our SID has been doing all day, but can SOMEONE please get in touch with ESPN (and other media outlets) and explain to them that Sidney Lowe’s playing days incuded more than just one win vs the Heels? This mistake is everywhere! (Kind of like how Philip Rivers ‘never lost a bowl game’ despite the fact that State lost to Pitt in the Tangerine Bowl). The mistake was even misquoted at halftime of the radio broadcast of tonight’s Maryland-Wake Forest game. Jeez.
* Speaking of media outlets:
(a) This link will take you to a consolidation of stories on the game.
(b) this link will take you to the N&O’s blog that has a host of links related to the game.
(c) This link will take you so a super audio slide-show done by JP Giglio at the N&O.
(d) This link includes 48 great pictures from the N&O.
* Like Jim Valvano used to do, Coach Lowe wore a red blazer for the occassion that he called “special” in his post game radio comments. Special? You mean it isn’t just 1/16th of the conference schedule? You can get a nice view of the attire here.
* In addition to notching the biggest win the ESA/RBC’s history, the Wolfpack have won consecutive games against Top 25 opponents for the first time since 1990-1991 (Georgia Tech, UNC-CH) .
* Carolina is the highest-ranked opponent State has beaten since the Pack’s win over third ranked Wake Forest in the 2005 ACC Tournament. You will remember that as the game that the Demon Deacons played without All-American point guard Chris Paul who was suspended for punching Julius Hodge in the groin in the team’s regular season finale the previous week.
* Additionally, Lowe joins Press Maravich and Les Robinson as NC State coaches since Everett Case who beat Carolina in their first game.
* Coach Lowe is now 2-1 vs Big Four opponents with return games (vs Wake, @ UNC) remaining on the schedule. Another win vs a Big Four team this year would get Coach Lowe three wins vs Big Four opponents in one regular season (in five games). The Wolfpack’s last head coach didn’t win his third regular season game against Big Four competition until his third season despite having six opportunities per year instead of five. This link will take you to an old entry (2005) related to recent performance against the Big Four.
* Many analysts are already talking about the Wolfpack’s win with terms like ‘passion’ and ‘hunger’ and ‘desire’. What a WONDERFUL testimomy to Coach Lowe’s intensity and ability to communicate to his players. It has been more than ten years since anyone has remotely associated a win by Stat to simple motivation and passion. WRAL’s blog says that “The Pack wanted it more”
It was an unbelievable day for Lowe, who was wearing a bright-red blazer. It was a good omen. As much as anyone, he knows how badly N.C. State fans want to beat Carolina, and he delivered in his first game against the Tar Heels.
* The win also saw students take to Hillsborough Street for one of the first times in years. Although the ‘celebration’ pales in comparison to the old days, it is nice to see it happen. Video (and other related items) can be found at WRAL-TV5.
* Loved these quotes not to be ignored.
* This national story from Fox Sports included a better acknoweldgement of the big picture than most national outlets typically get right:
Lowe was hired to win these types of games. He was the point guard on the Jim Valvano-coached Wolfpack team that beat North Carolina twice as a senior in 1982-83 and went on to win an improbable national championship.
In recent seasons N.C. State’s fan base grew increasingly frustrated with consistent losses to rivals Duke and North Carolina under coach Herb Sendek, who went 8-38 against those schools during his 10 seasons before leaving for Arizona State.
“It means (Lowe) is going to be around here for a long time,” Costner said. “You (media) guys can look forward to keep interviewing him, keep talking to him and just see Wolfpack basketball take off again.”
* To the ‘younger set‘ of Wolfpack fans whose memories don’t extend pass 1990, we’d like to say welcome to reality. THIS is what it is supposed to be like.
