Just released on espn...

[link]http://http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=katz_andy&id=2282515[/link]

Duke's not the only good team in the area
Katz
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
click this

When will we all learn to stop knocking teams just because they have lost a few stars?

When will we just pencil in a few teams because they have programs -- not just teams?

After NC State lost do-everything guard Julius Hodge, everyone was somewhat asleep on it in the preseason -- the Wolfpack didn't quite make any of the ESPN/USA Today, AP or ESPN.com top-25 polls. They don't ever seem to get the necessary push in the preseason because they're a bit vanilla. They're not sexy. They play in the shadows of Duke and North Carolina.

And why was the assumption made that the Tar Heels were done for a season just because they lost seven players? Well, it was seven players -- the top seven (Rashad McCants, Sean May, Marvin Williams and Raymond Felton, to name a few). Still, this is North Carolina-Chapel Hill, not North Carolina A&T. The Tar Heels get players.

So, it shouldn't come as a shock that NC State goes to North Carolina on Saturday for an anticipated ACC game. The Wolfpack are ranked No. 12 with a stellar 12-1 record (1-0 in the ACC after a home win over Miami). The Tar Heels are ranked No. 25 at 8-2 as they prepare for their ACC opener.

The Wolfpack are a legit challenger to Duke, along with Boston College and Maryland. Although expecting the Blue Devils to lose more than a game or two in the ACC could be a reach, the Pack are right in the mix to be contenders.

North Carolina might not be in that company, but it's not far behind, sitting with Wake Forest in the next tier.

So, how has NC State not missed a beat after losing Hodge, Mr. Everything in Raleigh?

"They've got experience," said George Washington coach Karl Hobbs, whose previously unbeaten Colonials were sliced up by the methodical Wolfpack last week. "They've got seven guys who can score. No one is bickering about playing time. They've got more balance this year."

That's not a slight against Hodge. He was still the catalyst for this squad, the go-to player when things went awry. It was Hodge who seemed to will the Wolfpack past Connecticut in an NCAA Tournament second-round upset. Hodge averaged 17 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the season -- a well-balanced line.

But the Pack are even more communal without Hodge. The top seven players are all major contributors, with the bigs -- Cedric Simmons, Andrew Brackman and Gavin Grant -- all in tune with the guys on the perimeter (Ilian Evtimov, Engin Atsur, Cameron Bennerman and Tony Bethel).

Simmons, Brackman and Grant are in their second season understanding Sendek's system. Bethel finally is feeling better after battling health issues all of last season. Atsur is coming off another international summer playing ball, and Evtimov is yet another year removed from missing the season with an ACL injury.

But to get an objective read on why the Wolfpack are where they stand heading into this game, we went to a coach who has faced them (and might have to again). As such, he didn't want to reveal his name, but he didn't mind handing out a realistic appraisal of the difference in this squad from last season's.

"Hodge was difficult to prepare for and he could take over games, but they're playing together more than just looking to Hodge to take over a game," he said. "They play the game better as a team.

"I've never been a fan of open post motion for a great team," the coach said of Sendek's style of play, which has some Princeton principles but is hardly a true Princeton offense. "But NC State shoots it so well that they don't rely on that, and they play defense and run and it gives you a changeup. I'm not a fan of that offense, but NC State is pretty darn good with it."

That's an understatement. The Wolfpack have what Princeton would pay for -- five players on the court who can dribble, pass and shoot on most occasions. Atsur is becoming the perfect playmaker for this offense (sporting a better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio).

"NC State can challenge Duke, but the problem is J.J. Redick," the coach said. "He gives them a dimension that NC State doesn't have."

In other words, a difference-maker, someone like Hodge was for the Wolfpack last season. Sorry, that was too easy. Hodge was the player who gave the Wolfpack personality and an edge. They don't have that this season, but to win games, at least to this point, they haven't needed that presence.

The Tar Heels have been inconsistent, but they have lost only twice (vs. Illinois and at USC) to show for their erratic behavior. Tyler Hansbrough has lived up to his hype by grinding out 16 points and seven rebounds inside. David Noel has asserted himself as a leader (13.5 ppg). Reyshawn Terry has taken advantage of more playing time (12.9 ppg), and the rest of the freshmen -- Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green and Bobby Frasor -- are all solid contributors. Even former walk-on Wes Miller is coming in and making shots.

The signature win for the Tar Heels was at Kentucky. They'll need to do something similar in the ACC to ensure they're in the NCAA bid business this March.

"I think they're a top-30 team," said a coach who played them this season but didn't want to give his name in anticipation of scheduling the Tar Heels again. "They're very effective. They're good enough with their talent to beat people they're supposed to beat. They'll lose to those they're not supposed to, as well. The guys they've got coming in will dislodge some of the guys playing now. They'll win a lot of games [though] because they play hard and Roy is a really good coach."

But where will the Tar Heels end up?

"In the [NCAA] Tournament," the coach said. "And maybe surprise a few people and beat someone they're not supposed to."

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com

1/6/2006 2:00:32 PM

this was linked in at least 2 other threads

1/6/2006 2:02:42 PM

it's a nice article and most people wouldn't see it otherwise

1/6/2006 2:05:01 PM

i agree. the topic stays

1/6/2006 2:06:36 PM

Lokken, you are such an ass.

What difference does it make that this may be somewhere else?

I dont understand why you and others try to make people feel stupid for trying to post something positive about our own school that many would enjoy to read.

Must be a Terheel fan.

1/6/2006 2:19:33 PM

Im not an ass.

There are two other threads that not only have the link to it

but have been talking about this article since yesterday anticipating when it would be released.

and its not like they arent right there in the middle of the first page either

1/6/2006 2:41:13 PM

who do you think the coach is. My guess is that its Miami's head coach, considering that we do have the best chance of playing them again. I am guessing the coach talking about UNC is USC's head coach either that or its Andy Katz trying to stir the pot. Its a good article though.

1/6/2006 2:41:34 PM

^^ who cares Lokken ??

you remind me of one of those hall monitors from the 7th grade

1/6/2006 2:44:37 PM

^^It's prolly an out of conference coach since he says they might schedule UNC again. So it could be Floyd for USC. As for talk about NCSU who knows.

[Edited on January 6, 2006 at 2:44 PM. Reason : .]

1/6/2006 2:44:47 PM

^^ noone cares you fuck face, all i did was mention that it was in a couple other threads

you and pussythro are the ones that got all defensive and started bitching

^ not to mention the article says they may schedule us again. Miami HAS to play us again. I wonder who it is.

[Edited on January 6, 2006 at 2:46 PM. Reason : *]

1/6/2006 2:46:05 PM

It's no Haith of Miami. They most definitely play both State and Carolina again this year (twice each).

Eddie Biedenback of UNC-A is likely to be the source of the comments. He's played both schools this year and I'm sure he'd love to be able to keep scheduling top-notch local opponents like these again in the future. It also means Katz only had to talk to one source to get info on both teams, only logical.

1/6/2006 2:47:47 PM

whoa there killer ... defensive ?? didn't you just say the f-bomb... ??

i think you're a little sensitive b/c i just called you a hall monitor

1/6/2006 2:47:50 PM

That doesn't really sound like Biedenbach--it doesn't seem like the comments he made after we played them (not to mention his ties to State).

1/6/2006 2:49:38 PM

Quote :

"But to get an objective read on why the Wolfpack are where they stand heading into this game, we went to a coach who has faced them (and might have to again). "

Miami's coach?

1/6/2006 2:51:15 PM

why would he want his name hidden?

its not that big a deal to say you dont like someones offense, especially if they whooped your ass with it.

1/6/2006 2:51:33 PM

i dont think its pc to say anything remotely negative about another program

1/6/2006 2:57:17 PM

thing is, he said he didn't like the offense in theory, but he said that he does like how NC State does the offense...

it's really not all that negative towards the team, just his opinion of the system

1/6/2006 3:01:36 PM

Quote :

"i dont think its pc to say anything remotely negative about another program"

Especially if you are trying to book non-conference games with them. UNCA makes $50,000-$100,000 per high profile game like these that they schedule (just came across it in an article). He definitely doesn't want to lose these games.

1/6/2006 3:13:39 PM

I guess that article was ok - glad to see they aren't calling our offense "Princeton" anymore

1/6/2006 3:19:27 PM

i agree, attacking someone for posting something positive about our school (regardless of the 2 times its been posted in other threads) is gay

[Edited on January 6, 2006 at 3:24 PM. Reason : j]

1/6/2006 3:24:18 PM

I just wish they had thrown something in there about how we get players too, Chris Wright

1/6/2006 3:27:20 PM

^^ who the fuck attacked? I mentioned it and the women got their panties in a wad.

1/6/2006 3:52:56 PM

LOKKEN, leave this thread NOW

not LATER

NOW

1/6/2006 4:06:05 PM

You are a Rat

[Edited on January 6, 2006 at 4:06 PM. Reason : douchebag]

1/6/2006 4:06:33 PM

His name is Lee H. Rat

1/6/2006 5:13:47 PM

I don't think I have read an article where a coach had to disguise themselves, especially since they didn't say anything negative about the team they discussed. I can see how some people could jump the gun though upon reading the coach's comments on how he initially didn't like the offense. I really think Katz was fair to both State and Carolina in that article though.

1/6/2006 5:27:10 PM

this should be in a main nc state basketball thread because i'm tired of seeing seperate topics for one main sport, all this clutter pisses me off because it takes a couple of seconds to click on a thread and then click the back button on my browser to look at a different one

1/6/2006 5:29:35 PM

stfu.

1/6/2006 5:30:38 PM

I like it!

1/6/2006 5:35:36 PM

anyone else notice that they immediately claim that we play in the shadows of Duke and UNC (true), and then make sure to talk about UNC just as much as NCSU in the article? How bout an article on US, no one else for a change.

1/6/2006 5:45:20 PM

Quote :

"Duke's not the only good team in the area"

this isn't an article about nc state. it's an article about teams in the area. which includes unc

1/6/2006 7:07:13 PM

and they do say that unc is in a lower tier than us. i'll take it, especially since we haven't beaten them yet.

1/6/2006 7:28:38 PM

Why is Ilian not in the bigs? ...

1/6/2006 7:44:31 PM

Yeah, they really should have switched Ev and Gavin in those lists.

1/6/2006 7:45:28 PM