The NC State Surprise

Flashback to the spring of 2011 after North Carolina State fired basketball coach Sidney Lowe.

Lowe was Wolfpack in thought, word and deed. He played on Jim Valvano’s national championship team. He bled red and white. But he couldn’t win enough games. Lowe had two meager NIT appearances to show for his efforts.

The NC State basketball program was frankly in a world of hurt. Then things actually became worst. No one wanted the job. A school with a rich basketball tradition including two national championships kept getting turned down like a guy seeking a prom date.

Finally, the Wolfpack found somebody. Mark Gottfried, a former head coach at Alabama, and two-year ESPN commentator accepted the assignment.

Gottfried was a surprising hire and one that didn’t exactly excite the NC State fan base or the college basketball world.

But about 12 months later, the Wolfpack is in the Sweet 16. They were one of the last teams to get into the NCAA field and they have caught fire..

Gottfried has performed magic with mostly Lowe’s players. His rah, rah speeches are getting television time. Apparently they are working. NC State has already sent a No. 6 and No. 3 seed home. The Wolfpack aims for No. 2 Kansas Friday night.

Funny how things work out. Miracles do happen. Ask Gottfried. Ask N.C State.

Here’s a team not satisfied with only being invited to dance. The Wolfpack want to dance all night long.

The Silent Coaching Search

North Carolina State Athletic Director Deb Yow has been true to her word. The silent has been deafening.

Yow has made no public comments about the Wolfpack coaching search since she fired Sidney Lowe about three weeks ago. Yes, there has been speculation, but nothing firm from Yow’s office.

Former NC State Athletic Director Lee Fowler’s basketball coach search was extremely public. Apparently, Lowe was way down on the pecking order as big-named coaches turned down Fowler.

So Yow has done a 360-degree turn in hiring philosophy.

Apparently, Yow did go after Arizona coach Sean Miller. The former Wolfpack assistant said no to Yow according to Miller’s father.

This job may not be as attractive as some people reason. Lowe’s performance lowered the appeal. He led the Pack to zero NCAA tournaments. At least, the guy before, Herb Sendek got NC State to the tourney. Plus, the Pack is in an extremely competitive environment. For my foreign readers, NC State is only about 30 miles from powerhouses Duke and North Carolina.

So maybe Yow is trying to attract a hot, postseason coach. When the tournament is over, we may realize why Yow waited in silence.

NC State fans hope the silence is worth the wait.

Sidney Lowe Done at North Carolina State

As I predicted a couple weeks ago in this space, Sidney Lowe is no longer the basketball coach at North Carolina State. The former Wolfpack guard resigned Tuesday.

Lowe, who was a member of Jim Valvano’s national championship team, couldn’t build the team into a national presence again. He posted a below .500 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and never led NC State to a NCAA tournament appearance in five seasons.

Lowe seemed like a good recruiter, but a poor game coach. His teams didn’t possess good chemistry on floor and lacked passion. Ultimately, that falls back on the coach.

One writer said a problem with Lowe was he didn’t have college coaching experience. He did coach two NBA teams, but this writer noted that wasn’t the same.

Some people think the NC State job is a difficult one with Duke and North Carolina down the road only about 30 miles. But I think in their hearts, Wolfpack fans believe their school can field a winning, national team again. NC State has the tradition (remember David Thompson), it just needs to bring it to the present.

Last year, NC State hired Deb Yow as its new athletic director. She’s noted as a mover-and-shaker in the business. I sense she will comb the college basketball world in search of a successful and good fit coach for NC State.

The Pack should return to the NCAA tournament consistently. Yow needs to make it happen.

North Carolina State's Sidney Lowe in Trouble

Sidney Lowe will probably not return as North Carolina State’s coach next season unless his team performs a miracle.

The Wolfpack could start tonight with a road win over Duke. That would shock the basketball world and the NC State faithful. I would say the chances are between zero and none

Frankly, there are little signs of life in this basketball team and the program under Lowe.

Lowe helped the Wolfpack to a national championship as a player, but as a coach he has never led a championship effort. Lowe’s team is a flat 12-10 this season and only 2-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Lowe’s overall mark is only 83-72 and a very poor 22-50 ACC mark. NC State has never gone to the NCAA tournament under Lowe. The Wolfpack has settled for two National Invitational Tournament (NIT) appearances.

Some experts said NC had a top-10 recruiting class last season. But the results on the floor are about the same. The players seem listless and the coach must take responsibility for it.

NC State was hoping for a Cinderella story, but unfortunately this isn’t working out. Lowe knows it. The fans know it. The administration must know it.

Wolfpack fans want to play for championships. They don’t want to play in the NIT.

Wolfpack a Surprise in ACC Tournament

I hope North Carolina State basketball coach Sidney Lowe slept in that bright red blazer last night. Lowe brings out the blazer for special games and it would be great if he could wear that thing two more times during the ACC Tournament.

North Carolina State seeded No. 11 in the tourney is on a roll. The Wolfpack upset Clemson Thursday night and sidelined Florida State Friday night. This from a team that frankly looked passive in the regular season.

Now it's on to the semifinals this afternoon (Saturday) and a battle with Georgia Tech.

This NC State tournament run could save Lowe's job and put some future hope in the hearts of Wolfpack fans.

Wolfpack fans could use some hope. NC State finished near the bottom of the ACC standings this season but didn't end dead last as predicted. Still, Wolfpack fans were wondering about what was happening with this team and questioned Lowe's leadership.

Even when the Wolfpack win games, it isn't pretty. Last night was a good example. They battled like a heavyweight fighter giving some shots and taking some others.
But NC State prevailed 58-52.

Tracy Smith is normally the Wolfpack star, but this is Scott Wood's tournament. Last night again the three ball was falling for the freshman from Marion, Indiana. Wood connected on 6-of-10 three-point shots. He never attempted a two-point shot.

So besides taking care of Lowe's blazer, I hope Wood iced that right arm and is good-and-ready to fire in those three-pointers this afternoon.

Wolfpack fans hope Lowe's blazer and Wood's shooting continues to form a winning combination.