Flashback: Fowler BEFORE the Season

General NC State Administration NCS Basketball Quotes of Note19

On December 12, 2005, Lee Fowler took to the radio airwaves (I know…I know….that is a big shock) and made some comments about his thoughts on the 2005-2006 NC State Basketball season.

Since Lee Fowler “knows basketball”, then I think that we should take a quick look at what Fowler thought could be achieved this year, and over the long term with the program.

“I think this team has a chance to really do something special�?

“We think that we can compete with both those programs (UNC & Duke). Even if you can, or come close to it, you are still at Top 10, Top 15 program and that’s what we’re trying to do�?

Look, folks…be happy that he gave you that much that can be measured. This is pretty good for Fowler, whose goals equate to subjectively “being competitive” and “being Top 25”. Now, I’m no rocket scientist…but when I look at these numbers , I can’t help but wonder what the hell anyone could see as “special” or “top 10 / top 15.”

Will Lee Fowler EVER be asked by the media how this season matched-up with his expectations of a “special season”? Will he ever be asked to about another year of this program’s failure to reach potential?

Long term
In that same interview in December, “Coach Fowler” also laid out some long term thoughts for the NC State Basketball program. They didn’t differ from much of what he has said for the last five years. The problem lies in the actual results of the last TWO seasons that indicate NC State is failing to achieve the prominence that Fowler has been predicting for years.

At what point does Fowler shut the hell up, stop predicting success that is nowhere close to be had, and DO SOMETHING other than argue with the world about how right he is (in spite of the facts)?

“It a situation where he can be competitive, and be competitive at the Top 20 level for many years to come�?

I venture to guess that your concept of “being competitive at the Top 20 level for many years” will probably differ wildly from Lee Fowlers. At some point Herb Sendek and NC State should be able to beat teams in the Top 25 as much as we are beaten before we can claim to be “competitive vs the Top 25”.

* In 10 different years, Herb Sendek has never once compiled a winning record against the RPI’s Top 25 in a single season

* Herb Sendek is 18-70 (20%) vs the RPI’s Top 25 at NC State.

* Herb Sendek is 11-30 (26.8%) vs the RPI’s Top 25 in the last five “great years” at NC State.

On January 13, 2001, Charlotte Observer’s Gregg Doyel penned an article “Wolfpack Must Crawl Out of Hole�?. (Does that one sound familiar?) where Lee Fowler proclaimed to the world:

“I’m not saying I don’t care what (outspoken fans) think, but I’ve got a background in basketball, and you hear things about everybody. “The one thing I ask (of) Wolfpack fans is support your coach. Fans want a national championship. The way Herb’s doing things, when we do get there – and I don’t think it’s far away – it will stay there.

^That was FIVE YEARS AGO. I wonder if Lee Fowler STILL believes national prominence is not that far away?

LOL!!

General NC State Administration NCS Basketball Quotes of Note

19 Responses to Flashback: Fowler BEFORE the Season

  1. Rick 03/20/2006 at 11:19 AM #

    “I think this team has a chance to really do something special�

    If by special he means “lay an egg the size of Canada”

    I am convinced LF does not even believe the hogwash he is speaking. I think he is filling time til he gets that SEC job.

  2. class of '74 03/20/2006 at 11:26 AM #

    No matter what we think Lee has insulated himself with that “I played at Vanderbilt and I know basketball” comment. To him we are rubes, fools and knuckle dragging morons that need someone like Lee to help keep us from falling off the path to national prominence. What a complete waste our AD truly is.

  3. Jeff 03/20/2006 at 11:32 AM #

    Tommy Burleson played basketball at NC State for a coach that played for Everett Case. He was the second best player on one of the greatest teams in college basketball history and achieved multiple ACC and National Honors.

    Lee Fowler loses that battle.

  4. VaWolf82 03/20/2006 at 12:07 PM #

    Do you have the interview where he said that State would be better this year (2006) because so many other teams were losing players to the NBA?

  5. Jeff 03/20/2006 at 12:15 PM #

    ^ I never got any of those quotes directly from an interview. That was a defense that Fowler used in private to support Herb prior to last year’s Sweet 16 “run” (defined as 2 wins).

  6. Jim 03/20/2006 at 12:21 PM #

    Check out this Alice-in-Wonderland quote:

    “I hope this year is not judged by our last four losses because we had a very good season,” said Ilian Evtimov, the fourth-year starter who had two points on 1-of-6 shooting. “We should be judged by our good body of work.”

    Wow. I honestly don’t know what to say after reading that. A team full of seniors wins a grand total of 1 postseason game, gets run out of the gym twice by UNC, finishes 4th in the ACC and calls that a “very good” year? What would be an “average” year by those standards?

  7. David 03/20/2006 at 12:22 PM #

    Well, you guys are as good as UNC. You lose in NCAA in same round. Except you Pack people lost to a strong Texas team. Sure, you did not have as strong of ACC run as UNC, but at the end of the day you achieved as expected.

    Now, if you want a coach with a vibrant personality, you don’t have that.

  8. Fletch 03/20/2006 at 12:30 PM #

    Herb Sendek is 18-70 (20%) vs the RPI’s Top 25 at NC State.

    Herb Sendek is 11-30 (26.8%) vs the RPI’s Top 25 in the last five “great years� at NC State.

    Doesn’t that just say it all? Even Lee Can’t say that is competing! I wonder what other coaches of “top 25 programs” winning% are? That would be an interesting comparison.

  9. Fletch 03/20/2006 at 12:31 PM #

    Oh, wait, you have to subtract out the first 5 years because they don’t count. What are the %’s then???????

  10. Cardiac95 03/20/2006 at 12:31 PM #

    Of all the people involved in this whole fiasco, Lee Fowler is perhaps the one I blame the most. The decision he made 5 years ago was to intentionally fracture the NC State Community. And every action since that time has only served to divide it even further.

    At some point, it should have no longer mattered who was right or who was wrong or whether Herb could or could not get the job done. Just like managers who have lost the faith of their employees…..it doesn’t matter whether the manager can or cannot do the job. The whole department will suffer & become ineffective until a change is made.

    GOOD Leaders see that, and sacrifice short term suffering for long term gain.

  11. Jeff 03/20/2006 at 12:32 PM #

    Jim,

    Our kids have been trained to think that their performance has been good because it DOES rank high on the low set of standards of Lee Fowler and Herb Sendek.

    All Evtimov is doing is repeating the same “complete body of work” that he has been programmed to repeate. Herb Sendek actually called this season “terrific” on Thursday. “Terrific”. The guys on sports radio in Charlotte lit into him on that and used that as an example of why he is NOT accepted like other coaches. Other coaches don’t try to tell their fan base such ridiculous things and get mad at them when they don’t buy it.

  12. ncsslim 03/20/2006 at 12:33 PM #

    “Expectations” are a slippery slope. Sure no one has high expectations for us… why is that? So when you meet “expectations”, you logically shouldn’t be disspointed? Even if you continually “expect” to be mediocre?

    However, this post was about high(er) expectations (for once) and accountability for not achieving anything of the sort. I guess Jethro’s note to self, “don’t say anything remotely inferring expectations of success”. That should satisfy the rubes.

  13. BJD95 03/20/2006 at 12:44 PM #

    David – Roy’s worst team = Sendek’s “best” team in NCAA performance. For the other indicators, even in THIS season, Roy’s worst beat’s Herb’s best.

  14. VaWolf82 03/20/2006 at 12:48 PM #

    Do you have the interview where he said that State would be better this year (2006) because so many other teams were losing players to the NBA?

    I couldn’t find any direct quotes, but it is mentioned in an CO article that was archived in the comments here at SFN:

    “…And Fowler sounds optimistic about the future.

    He already is wondering how many ACC opponents will lose juniors or sophomores to the NBA. Hodge, N.C. State’s best player, is a senior and will be gone next season.

    But North Carolina could lose three underclassmen (Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants) in addition to senior Jawad Williams. Georgia Tech will return zero starters if junior Jarrett Jack turns pro.

    Wake Forest won’t be the same team if sophomore Chris Paul doesn’t return, and Duke could lose two of its “big threeâ€? if junior Shelden Williams goes to the draft with senior Daniel Ewing…”

    Link

  15. Rob 03/20/2006 at 2:36 PM #

    “”Well, you guys are as good as UNC. You lose in NCAA in same round. Except you Pack people lost to a strong Texas team. Sure, you did not have as strong of ACC run as UNC, but at the end of the day you achieved as expected.

    Now, if you want a coach with a vibrant personality, you don’t have that.””

    Good as expected? If State didn’t end the season on a 5 game skid they wouldn’t have been seeded at 10 and wouldn’t have had to play Texas in the 2nd round.

    But aside from that, a coach who isn’t as miserable as Sendak could have beaten Texas or maybe even played them competitively, and at least wouldn’t have LOST BY A 20 POINT MARGIN. How many games in this tournament have been so lopsided? This was an inexusable season and an awful tournament.

    Get rid of Sendak and we’ll see if NC State’s name has any more clout in college basketball. Hint: you don’t get there by routing the RPI 200+ and then tanking in the postseason.

  16. TampaPack 03/20/2006 at 2:40 PM #

    We got some more great national exposure on CBS Sportsline today thanks to that Texas game. I guess I never picked up on it during the season, but the article says 4 of our starting 5 have more 3 point attempts than 2. That just isn’t a formula I like (or many of you) could count on for success. I know everyone goes hot and cold, but still. That is over reliance on the 3 (I would bet no other team can claim the same fact with respect to the 4 of the 5 starters) especially with Simmons inside.

    http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/story/9321645

  17. Cardiff Giant 03/20/2006 at 3:49 PM #

    ^ Great article and really shows what a joke of a program we are to the disinterested observer who isn’t out to protect Herb Sendek.

  18. cfpack03 03/20/2006 at 5:00 PM #

    ^^
    “…will it pull a North Carolina State?”

    ‘Pull a North Carolina State’
    Definition: adage. To heave field goals, the majority being 3 point attempts, in a random fashion, completion percentage below 35%, and claim it as an offensive strategy.
    see also, ‘live-and-die-by-3’

  19. Rob 03/20/2006 at 7:42 PM #

    In spite of regularly having FG% below 35% we always get called a hot-shooting team by the media :roll-eyes:

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