Pack picked #6 in USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll

12-13 Basketball ACC & Other Coaches Debbie Yow Editor's Picks Mark Gottfried NC State30

How many years did we have to listen to the basketball “experts” tell us we cannot compete with Duke and UNC?

Thank you to Debbie Yow who saw our potential and did something about it.

HMM, I wonder how many apologies we will see?

Full story here

No. 6: North Carolina State. Points: 581. Previous ranking: 20. Outlook: After encouraging run to Sweet 16, Wolfpack expect to be in Atlantic Coast Conference race with return of Fs C.J. Leslie and Richard Howell, G Lorenzo Brown and wing Scott Wood. Freshman G Rodney Purvis should have immediate impact.

Even Dickie V has us at number 5
Dicke V’s Sweet 16 list

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 ACC & Other Coaches Debbie Yow Editor's Picks Mark Gottfried NC State

30 Responses to Pack picked #6 in USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll

  1. charger17 10/17/2012 at 1:38 PM #

    It’s a little thing, I know, but the one thing I’m already looking forward too – always knowing I’ll see “NC State” news and scores across the bottom of my tv screen because we’re RELEVANT!

    I always swell with pride anytime I see NC State in yellow b/c we’ve won. Go PACK!

  2. old13 10/17/2012 at 1:39 PM #

    :>) “The truth will set you free!”

  3. MrPlywood 10/17/2012 at 1:54 PM #

    So far State is competing with Dook and u*NC on the recruiting trail and in opinion polls. Now they need to keep that going and compete on the court. Easier said than done.

  4. nav 10/17/2012 at 1:57 PM #

    Don’t expect any apologies. Especially until we prove something on the court which we haven’t yet.

  5. Hungwolf 10/17/2012 at 2:15 PM #

    What’s the difference in a top 50 recruit and a top 300 recruit? Being ranked in the top 10 and not sitting on the hot seat at Arizona State!

  6. PackMan97 10/17/2012 at 2:46 PM #

    Tue, Nov 27 at Michigan is looking to be a HUGE game.

    I’m really glad that our guys will have some games away from home before traveling to Ann Arbor.

  7. ryebread 10/17/2012 at 3:35 PM #

    As much as I love the exposure, preseason accolades don’t mean anything. I’d much rather finish #6 and with an ACC title.

    Sorry, but I just can’t shake year 2 memories of SL. We were coming off of a late season push (yes, less impressive) with a good recruiting class coming in (yes, less impressive) and had high preseason expectations (yes, lower) and went out and laid an egg. I think this staff is way better than the one we had under Lowe (or HWSNBN or Les), but I’m still cautious.

    Having said that, I watched the Red & White scrimmage the other night and we looked good — really good. The last time I was this impressed with our team at the R&W game was Hodge’s senior year (before it was obvious he’d broken his jump shot).

  8. coach13 10/17/2012 at 4:29 PM #

    I agree the hype doesn’t mean results, but this is what we wanted. What we’ve always wanted. Not to be picked to win it all, but to at least be considered, part of the conversation. I don’t think any of us have an all or nothing attitude with this team. If this team finished top 25 and makes some noise in the ACCT/NCAAT, we can be happy to be “back”. Any championships…well that would be the icing on the cake.

  9. Texpack 10/17/2012 at 4:53 PM #

    When I mentioned that we were #3 in the SI poll last night at home, my son said, “NC State? No way.” I sat quietly while he went from poll to poll on the internet and saw us consistently ranked in the Top 10. I then told him our season would depend on how close to the hype the freshmen were.

  10. ncsslim 10/17/2012 at 5:11 PM #

    1) We haven’t competed yet. Just “picked” to. Let’s hold off on the apology demands until we actually beat them.

    2) Nothing has changed (that I’m aware) with the three guys on the court who wear stripes. They cost us big last year and there’s no reason to assume that will change overnight. I don’t think they give a rat’s ass about prognostications, only the reputations of our two neighboring coaching legends. Which is very similar to the “professionals” in the press who “interview” them. “Verbally blow” might be a more appropriate description.

    Good luck Pack…… make us proud.

  11. SuperStuff 10/17/2012 at 5:17 PM #

    TJ Warren just looks like he could score any time he wants. I’m really looking forward to this season.

  12. Wufpacker 10/17/2012 at 6:02 PM #

    Hype doesn’t win games or hang banners, of course. But it is not without importance. As charger17 pointed out, the exposure we’re getting is a new thing and barring total collapse should keep us more visible in the public eye.

    Thus when Messrs Gott & Lutz, et al, go knocking on doors, recruits and their families won’t be standing there looking at them wondering who dafuq they are.

    Of course, total collapse will change that for the worse, so yeah….let’s kick some tail also.

  13. jamieinkorea 10/17/2012 at 6:37 PM #

    Maybe… Just maybe… Maybe we will finally be able to go to ESPN.com and the videos on the side of the screen will not only be us getting beat by a national powerhouse.

    Maybe that will happen.

  14. Packfan28 10/17/2012 at 6:42 PM #

    If nothing else, the visibility we get from high rankings helps with recruiting. I for one don’t think the preseason expectations are overblown. Purvis and Warren are the real deal, Lorenzo Brown is the best point guard in the ACC, and CJ Leslie is the best forward in the ACC. Barring injuries this is going to be a special season.

  15. GoldenChain 10/17/2012 at 8:13 PM #

    Hey Rick, you mean comments like this one Jim Rome made after Herb ‘moved on’?:

    “NCSU will never be at the level of Carolina or Duke in basketball, and unrealistic expectations by the fan base will ultimately cause the new coach to fail…State fans should accept their fate.”
    -Jim Rome 4/3/06

  16. HPWolf 10/17/2012 at 9:09 PM #

    ^^Never did like Jim Rome. He can eat crow. Its hard to believe how far Gott has brought our program in a year and a half. He was smart enough to hire good if not great assistants and he’s not afraid to recruit on a national level for the best recruits he can find. I find great pleasure in knowing that Ol Roy and coach K are losing recruits to Gott and NCSU. Coach K wants Theo Pinson of Wesleyan in High Point really bad. If Gott can secure this junior prospect I bet coach K will have a meltdown. Keep your fingers crossed. Oh, one other thing. I don’t hear much buzz or confidence in Tyler Lewis. I’ve seen this kid play multiple games while at Forsyth Country Day School. The kid can flat out play and he is a true floor general. He can take over a game when he needs to. He may turn out to be the best contributor of the three when you consider that he will be a 4 year player.

  17. BureauOfMines 10/17/2012 at 10:22 PM #

    Hype doesn’t win championships or hang banners but it does help recruit those players who can win. Now we’re getting some of the top recruits. That sure doesn’t hurt our prospects of hanging banners.

  18. 70wolf 10/17/2012 at 10:27 PM #

    It in’t the press that I want an apology from it’s the Herbites , actual NSU graduates who felt we could never be as good as our neighbors and should be satisfied with the mediocre results of Herbie ( the looser) Sendek . As a poud member of the Fowler 50 [remember them ?] I’d like to say I told you so” to the Herbites and tell them that I am awaiting their apologies !

  19. PackerInRussia 10/17/2012 at 10:56 PM #

    ryebread, I hear ya. But, the biggest difference I think is the results from each respective previous season. They didn’t just show potential last year; they actually went out and had a good season. Lowe’s team finished at the bottom of the ACC (but beat UNC), made a good ACCT run, and won a few NIT games. That’s the biggest difference for me and is what gives me confidence in this year’s team. At the same time, I never have liked preseason – or even early season, for that matter – polls. I think they’re pretty meaningless. But, I’d certainly rather be mentioned, than not.

  20. tuckerdorm1983 10/18/2012 at 6:31 AM #

    Lets look at the facts.
    1.return four starters that almost beat Kansas in the sweet 16 of the NCAA.
    2. 3 McDonald’s All Americans coming in with each and every one ready to contribute now and the sky is the limit with them
    3. An all American player and clear lottery pick in the NBA that finally got his game together to dominate games at the end of last year.
    4. A point guard that cannot be stopped and who must be respected at the three point line.
    5.probably the best three point shooter in the country
    6.a rebounder that cannot be stopped under the boards and was coming into his own scoring close to the basket

    Sure, UNC last year was loaded to go all the way and should have except for a word I shall not mention but starts with I and ends with Y.

    There is room for optimism and I am going to be optimistic until otherwise.

  21. Rick 10/18/2012 at 7:19 AM #

    “We haven’t competed yet. Just “picked” to. Let’s hold off on the apology demands until we actually beat them.”

    [cough]sweet 16[/cough]

  22. modobrew 10/18/2012 at 7:22 AM #

    tucker, I agree with just about everything you said except.

    “6.a rebounder that cannot be stopped under the boards and was coming into his own scoring close to the basket”

    The guys wearing stripes could definitely counter this statement. haha Let’s hope that changes this year and they either let us play, or they call the game the same for both sides.

    As I was typing this, RH just picked up his 4th personal…….

  23. tuckerdorm1983 10/18/2012 at 7:26 AM #

    is rabbit ears aka “Carl Hess” still a ref in the ACC???

  24. howlie 10/18/2012 at 7:52 AM #

    What initials do YOUR assigned referees wear on the inside of their shoes?

  25. GotNCState 10/18/2012 at 8:39 AM #

    #6 way too high IMO. We haven’t done anything yet. We made a helluva run to the Sweet16 (& competed well) but were 9-7 in ACC play?

    I love Gottfried’s line – “We’ve never accused you guys of being real smart,” Gottfried said.

    Speaking of the “media guys”.

    Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/18/2418114/wolfpack-basketball-focus-of-acc.html#storylink=cpy

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