What can you say about NC State that has not already been said. There comes a time when it is just piling on. Seriously. By all accounts, Sidney Lowe is a great guy and I feel for him. There is no disputing the fact that he loves his alma mater. He took the job after the wildly unpopular Herb Sendek left for ASU. What did Sendek do wrong? Sendek took NC State to five consecutive NCAA tournaments in his final five seasons at N.C. State and finished fourth on average in the ACC. It is what Sendek did not do that vilified him in Raleigh. He never won the ACC regular season nor the ACC Tournament. Sendek did not play an exciting brand of basketball. Sendek had a system and it worked. It is a slow system that values the basketball and defense. The antithesis of Roy Williams' run-and-gun tempo. Sendek did win, he did get into the big dance, and he did give you a chance to compete for a ACC title, but that was not enough. Enter Sidney Lowe.
Sidney Lowe took on an almost impossible situation, despite what NC State fans say. It is difficult to compete with UNC and dook, especially on the recruiting trail. There is just too much going against NC State in this A.D.D. society with no appreciation for State's rich basketball history, but Sidney Lowe accepted the challenge. Six years later he is 24-52 in the ACC and the closest NC State has gotten to the NCAA tournament is the championship game of the ACC tournament. Now, Sidney Lowe's head is being called for from every corner of Pack Pride. This was supposed to be the year, but they are mired in unrealized expectations. There is no doubt in my mind that the basketball season is better when everyone on Tobacco Road is a contender, but it has been a long time since that was the case. So as we look to the future with the hope that the overall prowess of the league improves, the question is who replaces him?
NC State would appear to be an attractive job on the surface. Great facilities, great pay, high profile position in a premier basketball conference with the building blocks necessary to be competitive, e.g. Ryan Harrow, Lorenzo Brown, maybe CJ Leslie are all talented freshman. NC State has a nice recruiting class coming in with Tyler Harris and Joseph Uchebo. However, I am certain that it will be a difficult position to fill. With a rabid and unreasonable fan base with unrealistic expectations given the current circumstance, this will remain to be a coaching situation in flux. The revolving door will continue to usher in promise and spit out dejected, broken coaches. NC State will continue to be a weakness for the ACC so long as there is not any continuity in Raleigh.
So by now you must be asking yourself, what about the game tonight? I have one number for you: 131. One hundred thirty-one is NC State's defensive efficiency ranking according to Pomeroy. The only thing NC State does well defensively is guard the three. How does that help them against the Heels? The Heels have won despite anemic three point shooting. So then the question becomes, can NC State out score UNC without playing defense. Not likely. UNC has an offensive efficiency that ranks at fifty-seven despite struggles shooting. More impressively, UNC is fourth in defensive efficiency nationally. Who would have thought? Still, it is a contentious match up due to proximity and the NC State fan base's general hatred for all things Carolina. While the RBC Center will surely be rocking, I was there this summer at the NC Pro-AM when team Tar Heel destroyed team Wolpfack and there again in the Dean Dome when it just appeared to be a continuation of this summer. The psychological damage is done and they have a dejected, broken coach leading the charge. The Tar Heels are favored by five and a half. I would take the over, especially with no Howell. The Heels' interior size and length will be too much for Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown to overcome by themselves (since Tracy Smith and CJ Leslie will struggle to do much offensively).
I am taking the Tar Heels 82-59 and Reggie Bullock bounces back against NC State based on his previous performances against their personnel.
Speaking of the NC Pro-Am. For those of you that don't know, watch this and tell me if you can see better basketball live and in person for free.
Yeah. It is great to live on Tobacco Road for reasons other than the weather and the golf.
There is another potentially interesting game tonight over in Durham. The 24th ranked Temple Owls are visiting Hansbrough Indoor Stadium (HIS) to take on the Blue Devils. I doubt Coach K expected to face a ranked opponent when he scheduled this one. However, the Owls lost their starting center for the season during their last game and they are playing in HIS. The Cameron Crazies will make this a one-sided affair as dook runs away with the victory, so don't get your hopes up for an upset.
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