oh well...if you can't convince them, confuse them....

6/25/2007 3:24:47 PM

http://wral.com/sports/story/1530594/

6/25/2007 3:31:37 PM

hahaha, i just LOVE the UNCommunity College ending....

Quote :

"Lowe, at the start of the news conference, said he would not address any personal questions. His son, Sidney Lowe II, was arrested in Greensboro in the spring and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping. University of North Carolina at Greensboro police said the 21-year-old Lowe II was charged with nine counts, including a felony of aiding and abetting attempted armed robbery in connection with the shooting of a man in a campus dorm "

wait....what?

[Edited on June 25, 2007 at 5:21 PM. Reason : .]

6/25/2007 5:20:30 PM

Quote :

"Kentucky, Florida and UMass will be on future non-conference schedules, Lowe said. He did not detail who the Wolfpack would play this season out of the ACC."

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/index.php?title=lowe_likes_his_options&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

NICE - i like the stiff competition

6/25/2007 5:25:36 PM

this is great all around....big nonconference games mean national media coverage means people all over will know us again

6/25/2007 5:29:39 PM

Quote :

"^did you not get the official wolfpack fan handbook at freshman orientation? the three most important rules of being a 'Pack fan: Rule # 1: Don't jinx the team with expectations Rule # 2: Don't tell everything you know..."

What's rule # 3?

[Edited on June 25, 2007 at 5:41 PM. Reason : ]

6/25/2007 5:41:09 PM

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6938588

#19 in Fox Sports.com preseason poll

its over

6/25/2007 5:48:51 PM

degand as the key addition?

i'd say hickson is the key addition. i realize they are probably saying that PG play will be big in determining how much success we have, but it doesn't have to be degand that makes that happen. i would still say that hickson is the key addition, and then just mention that it's important that PG play is better than it was when atsur was out last season. i'm confident that it will be.

6/25/2007 6:05:35 PM

Quote :

"it's important that PG play is better than it was when atsur was out last season. i'm confident that it will be."

I'm not

Just when I think our PG situation can't get any worse, it always does.

[Edited on June 25, 2007 at 6:12 PM. Reason : 2]

6/25/2007 6:12:06 PM

yea, 19=NIT

6/25/2007 6:41:00 PM

Quote :

"#19 in Fox Sports.com preseason poll its over "

we've been multiple preseason top 25s.

v then i don't get your post.

[Edited on June 25, 2007 at 8:15 PM. Reason : is it b/c you hate fox?]

6/25/2007 8:14:04 PM

yeah I know, I think I'm the one who posted when katz had us in there

give it time young one, in time you will learn that when things start to go good, thats when shit breaks down

[Edited on June 25, 2007 at 8:16 PM. Reason : ]

6/25/2007 8:15:13 PM

Quote :

"Just when I think our PG situation can't get any worse, it always does."

yeah i mean i can understand being concerned, but i don't see any way at all how our PG situation could be worse than it was last year without atsur. think about it. we've got 2 new options at the point right at the start of the season, and a 3rd new option in johnson starting after the fall semester. on top of that, we still have grant and fells, who i'm sure sidney will have continued to work with to improve their ball skills.

gonzalez and degand (especially) should have the handling skills to avoid the numerous turnovers that we had with grant at point. the added depth in itself will help because we can give everyone enough rest or sit them down when they are making mental mistakes.

obviously the PG position is going to be a big question mark as far as what kind of production we get from there goes, but i just can't see how it could possibly be worse than the situation last year w/atsur out. maybe that's just wishful thinking, but i don't think it's unreasonable.

6/25/2007 8:49:26 PM

Quote :

"give it time young one, in time you will learn that when things start to go good, thats when shit breaks down"

i am well aware of this, but things have been looking good for a while now.

v what i'm saying is, you said it like fox sports just gave us the kiss of death, but plenty of people had done it before. quick, be a jackass!

[Edited on June 25, 2007 at 8:57 PM. Reason : jackass]

6/25/2007 8:52:44 PM

Quote :

"i am well aware of this, but things have been looking good for a while now."

and thats the exact kinda shit I'm talking about, somebody clue this guy in I'm not gonna spell it out for him anymore than I already have

6/25/2007 8:54:59 PM

shut the fuck up

6/25/2007 9:16:12 PM

didn't see that the article had already been posted.

[Edited on June 26, 2007 at 8:25 AM. Reason : ]

6/26/2007 8:24:47 AM

All this "no Atsur" stuff is way overstated. I mean, when we didnt have Atsur last year how many PGs did we have to replace him? none. (Oh, sorry fergie....)

This year we have 2 and a half (Johnson wont start until Dec). Atsur was not even 100% at any point last year (slow as molasses) though he shot the ball well and ran Sid's offense effectively. We still had plenty of turnovers with Atsur in the game and we won because we actually had a PG instead of no PG. We won't have to deal with "no PG" again this year. It's on.

6/26/2007 8:50:09 AM

Exactly. Atsur was competent, but he wasn't a world beater. NCSU fans are too used to not having any PG at all. Atsur's strength was minimizing mistakes. The new guys will make more mistakes, but they have advantages in other areas that can make up for it.

6/26/2007 9:25:11 AM

BTW, that SI ranking is shit. Duke at #11....hahahahaha.

Anyways, I think people are overstating the point guard situation last year as well. I mean, we'll actually have a true point...a true #1...and a fast one at that. When is the last time we had one of those start?

I think it'll open things up quite a bit for us. The biggest loss in losing Atsur is his shooting, which we are short on, not his distributing ability or lack of turnovers.

6/26/2007 10:51:56 AM

cliff crawford was fast

and atsur was clutch, we will miss him

[Edited on June 26, 2007 at 10:59 AM. Reason : ]

6/26/2007 10:55:50 AM

But he was really a shooting guard, not a true 1.

6/26/2007 10:58:32 AM

cliff crawford couldnt friggin in bound the goddamn ball (against cal)

6/26/2007 10:59:23 AM

n&o is reporting cj is 6'9" already... that's the tallest i've seen him listed anywhere:

Quote :

"In what may be the earliest commitment ever to N.C. State, C.J. Leslie, a 6-foot-9 basketball player who just completed his freshman year at Holly Springs, has committed to the Wolfpack."

...

Quote :

"Leslie stood 6-4 as an eighth-grader at Holly Ridge Middle School. At the start of practice at Holly Springs his freshman year, he was 6-7. He recently was measured at 6-9, and his family doctor says he will grow taller."

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/story/616843.html

6/26/2007 11:03:56 AM

slackerb: BTW, that SI ranking is shit. Duke at #11....hahahahaha.

let's keep that one around because i have a feeling that will be a nice self pwnt this year. duke has a really deep roster and their freshman class is insane. anyone who was at the hoops classic can tell you that.

i'm VERY excited about seeing how hickson fits in with this team. state could be a force this year.

6/26/2007 12:13:08 PM

Quote :

"I mean, we'll actually have a true point...a true #1...and a fast one at that. When is the last time we had one of those start?"

Who on this team is a true point? Degand and Johnson were both projected as combo guards out of HS, and I have serious doubts about Javi's ability to compete at the ACC level. Cliff Crawford was a top-60 rated combo guard out of HS, and it took 4 years before he even looked comfortable at the point. Javi Gonzalez's recruitment sounds a lot like Mike FrO'Donnell's and Dom Mejia's. An "under the radar" spring signing who is better than his 3-star ranking, blah blah blah. I've heard that one before.

Lets be serious. Until we see any of these guys bring the ball up, run the offense and distribute the ball against ACC competition without turning it over half the time, WE DON'T HAVE A POINT GUARD.

This shit sounds like 2003, when we had Mario and a bunch of other freshmen stepping in to start on the defensive line, and people were predicting that we were gonna win the national championship. That defensive line was HORRIBLE, the reason why we lost 5 games that year despite having the best offense in the country. Mario and Johnny Mac went on to become 1st round draft picks, but they were not ready as freshmen.

Moral of the story: don't count your chickens before they hatch.


[Edited on June 26, 2007 at 12:50 PM. Reason : 2]

6/26/2007 12:46:21 PM

I'm not predicting great sucess (national championship, etc.). I'm just saying that I'd wager that these three kids at PG can't be worse than Gavin Grant last year, who BTW set the turnover record for NC State and is near the top for the ACC, all-time.

You simply can't get worse than that.

I know these kids are untested and inexperienced, but at least they are point guards and we have some depth there now.

Anyways, the PG situation is obviously the big ?, but I'm saying that it won't be as big of a deal as being without Atsur last year.

^^ and if Duke ends the year ranked 11th or better in the country, I'll paypal you $5 personally.

[Edited on June 26, 2007 at 1:23 PM. Reason : ]

6/26/2007 1:22:26 PM

In the current state of college basketball, freshman can and will make a difference. It is a completely different situation from football.

6/26/2007 2:11:31 PM

I have expected Degand to be a Cliff Crawford-type player, worst case scenario, which wouldn't be a bad position to be in. Cliff was a great athlete, played excellent defense, and was able to push and distribute the ball. However, I believe Sidney will prove better at developing point guards. Also, that type of player can be better utilized in his style of play, so the upside is much higher. If we can find a solid and a servicable point guard out of the bunch we could be looking at a strong season.

I expect Julius Mays to be the next great Wolfpack point guard, as it seems like Sidney and Monte have found their guy.

6/26/2007 2:14:08 PM

Quote :

"Moral of the story: don't count your chickens before they hatch."

good advice, though we have shown signs of living down the ingrained pessimism since Lowe came to save the day... Until we are more consistent, you're right...

Quote :

"This shit sounds like 2003, "

fball = bball.... nope amato = lowe ... not even close
football is so much more of a team game that it barely matters if you have a few top stars...
having 3 top stars on a basketball team means so much more....

Quote :

"WE DON'T HAVE A POINT GUARD"

Regardless of the body bringing the ball up the court, we now have one of the greatest PGs in NCSU history always running the plays. His name is Sidney...
(from most recent press conference)

Quote :

""I'll probably call most of the plays," Lowe said. "Even with Engin, I called a lot of the plays, since it was our first year together. I'd much rather the point guard call them but I knew the things we put in were new.""

6/26/2007 2:50:58 PM

Quote :

"I have serious doubts about Javi's ability to compete at the ACC level."

Javi was recruited by Sidney Lowe and Monte Towe. If they had doubts about him playing in the ACC I don't think that they would have invited him to the party

6/27/2007 1:57:33 AM

Blind faith is for homers and idiots.

I'm neither.

Good luck to Javi, but I have my doubts.

6/27/2007 2:33:33 AM

Have you met Javi, have you seen him play? I'm guessing not. And if you are gonna have some superstish, or supernatural dread about Javi then it seems to me that you are the idoit. and even if you have meet Javi then I still put other peoples opinion above yours.

6/27/2007 11:45:09 AM

I've never seen Javi play in person or met the guy, but for some reason I'm excited about what he brings to the Pack in 07-08. Ran the point for the same AAU team as Diaz (Miami) and Dowdell (VT). I'll take it. He could be a spark for us.

6/27/2007 11:47:17 AM

worst case scenario is if 3 point guards happen to be complete busts (about a 5% chance). don't forget how well we played without engin towards the end of the year. with fells running point we beat virginia tech and almost beat unc in the acc championship (engin was very hurt didn't play much)

hell, fergie even gave big minutes at pg in the virginia game.

when you have 5 good players at other positions the pg doesn't have to be THAT good to be effective. If he can make an entry pass he'll be good.



[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 12:10 PM. Reason : we've gotten better at playingwithout a pg.]

6/27/2007 12:07:40 PM

Quote :

"when you have 5 good players at other positions the pg doesn't have to be THAT good to be effective. If he can make an entry pass he'll be good. "

totally disagree....

6/27/2007 12:13:58 PM

Don't expect to see Javi on the court much this year. Count on a heavy, heavy dose of Degand with MJ playing back up. We are in good hands at the PG position, just relax and enjoy what will be a very good year.

6/27/2007 12:21:33 PM

we don't have to have a great point guard to be a good team, we just need one to be a great team

6/27/2007 12:21:53 PM

we really just need someone who can take the ball from the endline past halfcourt and then pass it down to the post

6/27/2007 12:28:59 PM

We need a guy who can chase the quick PG's around the court. Javi, Degand

6/27/2007 12:31:19 PM

Yeah I hope Javi is up to it. He's not very big. Listed at 5-11 165.

Degand sounds like he could end up being a defensive stopper if he put his mind to it.

6/27/2007 12:36:29 PM

ya if we can stay in front of lawson we might beat unc by 20

6/27/2007 12:53:26 PM

Good point, Earl

We will victor


fact

[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 12:56 PM. Reason : 2]

6/27/2007 12:56:03 PM

the only reason i am somewhat stoked about javi is that after already getting johnson and degand, and having cj coming next year, sidney decided that they could still use this guy. meaning sidney saw something in this kid.

i know he's a freshman and could take a while to develop, but when all i hear about this kid is how gritty of a competitor he is, i can't help but think that while he may not start this year, he could put in some serious work to be able to start by the middle to end of the season. i love the type of players that refuse to sit the pine and work to get off of it.

but thats just me being optimistic. hopefully one of the guards pans out. although i've heard johnson was sick in some games at carmichael last year, scoring at will whenever his team went down a couple points. although carmichael is not even close to acc competition, it is still somewhat calming to know that nobody in that gym deserves to be on the same court as him.

6/27/2007 12:59:23 PM

Quote :

"If the NBA allowed high school players to jump directly to the pros, there's a chance Hickson wouldn't be at State. "He has skills right now, that NBA players that I've seen don't have," Lowe said the 6-9 power forward from Marietta, Ga. Hickson impressed Lowe with his footwork and ability to face the basket and shoot but most of all, his attitude. "

6/27/2007 12:59:34 PM

^ that is a awesome quote considering lowe has only mentioned costner and nba in the same sentence before. he calls it like he sees it and wont overhype players. even if some other players on the team have a shot at the nba with some work, he wont bullshit about their current talent levels.

6/27/2007 1:03:41 PM

yea but if somehow sid can hold on to Hickson and Costner for the 08-09 season (and we only lose grant) man alive will that be a great fucking team

6/27/2007 1:11:30 PM

that will be a great team..but think about the recruiting buzz two NBA draft picks after this year would cause. not too bad of a problem to have if it happens.

6/27/2007 1:15:47 PM

I think that there is also an off chance for Fells and McCauley to get to the next level

6/27/2007 1:26:31 PM

I hear Smith is better than Grant anyway, so 08-09 will be addition by subtraction.

mays
degand$
javi?
johsnon?
fells$
smith
costner*$
horner
mccauley?$
hickson*$
-williams
-fergie
-harris

$starters
*all american
-rejects
?normal?all american? reject??

^i'm pretty sure fells and mccauley will be here for 4 years]


[Edited on June 27, 2007 at 1:39 PM. Reason : we could have 3 all americans on our frontline]

6/27/2007 1:33:37 PM