http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/ncsu/story/968402.html

Quote :

"Caulton Tudor, Staff Writer Jim Valvano once said there's such a thing as a honeymoon period for ACC basketball coaches. "But," he added, "you understand that part of it when you go to the altar and repeat those vows." Sidney Lowe understood as much when he signed on for the N.C. State job that his famous former coach held for 10 seasons during the 1980s. "I know there'll be good times, but I know there'll be some rough times, too," Lowe said on the day he was introduced as Herb Sendek's successor. Obviously, the rough times are here. Lowe, in just his second season, is in the midst of a pickle that is being compounded by unusually optimistic preseason expectations. Picked to be an ACC contender and a national top-25 team, the Wolfpack instead has developed into the league's primary disappointment and a long shot to stage a fast recovery. Lowe is beginning to hear some hooting from fans, some of whom are questioning the decision to hire a head coach with no college experience. No one is happy, least of all Lowe, his assistants and the Wolfpack players. Had this team been picked to finish seventh or eighth in the conference, its 4-9 league and 15-12 overall record wouldn't be viewed with such disappointment. But it's important to remember that the easiest thing to misplace during turmoil is the sense of reality, and that's precisely what State's most impatient fans have done. The team that Lowe was grooming with Farnold Degand as the starting playmaker through 10 games simply is not the same team that now is having to grind its way, possession by possession, through the conference schedule. It's not a question of whether Degand was a top-line point guard, either. He probably wasn't, and might not be when he fully recovers from knee surgery. But that's not really the central issue. The point is that Lowe had made the commitment to go with Degand and bank on gradual improvement as the season went along. Instead, the coach has had no choice but to make adjustments. Freshman Javier Gonzalez has tried his best, but he simply doesn't have the talent or experience to bring out the best in the rest of the lineup. Sophomore Marques Johnson, a transfer from Tennessee, has struggled have a positive impact, as well. Lowe said the loss of Degand affected the Pack "tremendously." "We had a point guard who was playing pretty good for us and had the ability -- really the only guy who had the ability -- to get by someone and create for other people," Lowe said this week. "That set us back more than anything. Now, trying to do that with two young, inexperienced point guards is a very difficult thing to do. "I'm biased, but when you have really good guard play, you're in every game. I like big men, don't get me wrong. But guards control the ballgame." Bingo. The issue at State isn't court coaching and won't be -- can't be -- for another couple of years. It's about finding the right players for the most important roles. Even with J.J. Hickson inside, State this season is roughly the same team as last season when Engin Atsur wasn't healthy enough to play. The situation with the Wolfpack is a lot more about finding the right playmaker than the perfect coach. Dean Smith, once upon a time, needed Dick Grubar, then Phil Ford, then Jimmy Black, then Derrick Phelps at North Carolina. Mike Krzyzewski needed Bobby Hurley at Duke. Roy Williams had to recreate Raymond Felton, and Gary Williams was one coach without Steve Blake and a national championship coach with him. Valvano was really fortunate. He inherited Sidney Lowe from Norman Sloan and had only to wait for Lowe to mature into one of the best ever. Hmmm. "

2/27/2008 10:25:55 AM

point guard a weakness? get outta here

2/27/2008 10:31:09 AM

Quote :

"has struggled have a positive impact, as well."

2/27/2008 10:34:58 AM

http://wral.com/sports/blogpost/2480669/

worst part is, they didn't offer a scholarship to PG Chris Warren, who wanted to play here. He is now playing very well for ole miss.

[Edited on February 27, 2008 at 10:40 AM. Reason : .]

2/27/2008 10:39:56 AM

^ no fucking way.

2/27/2008 10:40:42 AM

Caulton Tudor is a GENIUS!!!

2/27/2008 10:43:03 AM

Who's trying to kill Lowe?

2/27/2008 10:45:44 AM

thank you captain obvious.

2/27/2008 10:52:24 AM

Tudor will be Sidney's biggest fan unless he starts beating UNC on a regular basis. Tudor was a huge fan of Herb. Just like every UNC fan I knew used to tell me how classy Herb was and how much they liked him.

2/27/2008 11:04:01 AM

2/27/2008 11:12:40 AM

^^ Tudor has always been fair to us across every sport all the time. He might be a "UNC guy" but he knows more basketball than damn near anyone else in the region.

[Edited on February 27, 2008 at 11:58 AM. Reason : x]

2/27/2008 11:58:11 AM

Tudor also predicted Illinois football would go undefeated in '97 and play FSU for the title.

they went fucking WINLESS!! how can you be that wrong?

[Edited on February 27, 2008 at 12:06 PM. Reason : 97, not 99]

2/27/2008 12:05:51 PM

^ the same way NC State was picked to finish 3rd in the ACC this year...shit happens...with that being said, I thought the article was pretty good...made sense and the only thing that will determine whether or not he is right is time....

2/27/2008 12:32:26 PM

i hope john wall can read.

2/27/2008 12:36:16 PM

lowe said on his radio show that nc state is focusing on recruiting 1s 2s and 3s from now on because that's where games are won...

2/27/2008 12:36:56 PM

^^^shit DOES happen, but predicting a team will go undefeated, and they instead go winless is fucking horrible. I've never seen such a shitty prediction from a "professional"

2/27/2008 1:49:48 PM

I never knew abou the Illinois prediction.

That's seriously the greatest thing I've ever heard.

2/27/2008 1:51:49 PM

yeah i hadn't heard that either. that's pretty bad.

2/27/2008 1:52:09 PM

^x8

You think that b/c we haven't beat UNC in anything in 2 decades. He's a UNC homer.

If Sid or TOB ever starts whipping up on UNC then you'll see the real Tudor. There will be recruiting violations and shady deals and academic improprieties in every column.

I've been reading Tudor for 20+ years. He's like that UNC fan who always has a nice word to say about State and their coaches as long as UNC keeps winning.

2/27/2008 2:10:31 PM