“Our fans are comparing ourselves to Duke and North Carolina…I understand that our fans want to be able to compete with them; we all do. But you can be real good on a daily basis and not be better than those two programs.”
Lee Fowler
NC State Athletics Director
March, 2005
ESPN.com
* Thanks to the N&O for the following:
It took Sidney Lowe one season to do what Herb Sendek did only once in 10 seasons — beat Duke and Carolina in the same season.
State beat Duke 85-80 in overtime and UNC on Feb. 3. Lowe’s 2-2 against Duke and UNC. Sendek went 3-21 vs. Duke and 5-17 vs. UNC. The only time Sendek beat both in the same season was 2002-03.
It’s the first time State beat a ranked UNC and a ranked Duke team in the same season since 1990-91.
* Couldn’t help but remember the following in light of the opponent tonight:
But let’s assume for a moment that Sendek does leave N.C. State. The question then becomes, can State do better?
Would State be able to attract a prominent big name coach or would the school have to roll the dice on somebody young and unproven, maybe a Valvano discipline such as Derek Whittenburg?…
…I can’t help thinking about how Clemson football fans ran Ken Hatfield off in the early 1990s—largely because he was a bad personality fit at the redneck school. He didn’t drive a pickup truck or spit tobacco like Danny Ford. All he did was win football games. So they ran him off as Wolfpack fans are trying to run Sendek off and hired Tommy West instead. They loved him—he was a Danny Ford clone in every way except he turned the program into a mediocrity (he even lost to Duke!).
N.C. State had better be careful. They may run off Sendek and find themselves stuck with Tommy West.
Al Featherston,
Duke Basketball Report,
March, 2006
* In a year where NC State played the toughest schedule in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Wolfpack is guaranteed a non-losing season in Coach Sidney Lowe’s first season at the helm of a depleted NC State program.
* NC State has delivered two of Duke’s last three losses in the ACC Tournament. Tonight, in the first overtime Tourney game in three years, Sidney Lowe became the second NC State coach in a row to defeat a higher-seeded Duke team in his first ACC Tournament.
* Duke had knocked NC State out of four of the last six ACC tournaments - including two wins in the ACC finals.
* Wolfpackers EVERYWHERE need to set a precedent on Friday and fly your flags on your homes and on your cars!!!
* NC State played with one McDonald’s All-American tonight. Duke played with six McDonald’s All-Americans.
* Coach Sidney Lowe improves to a 4-2 record vs the Big Four and currently does not have a losing record against a single Big Four school. Additionally, Coach Lowe is 8-2 vs teams in the state of North Carolina.
* The national media and the HSSS can re-visit your crow by clicking here.
* Do NOT underestimate the importance of the following - Duke did not out rebound State tonight AND the Blue Devils had three more turnovers than State (with Engin Atsur playing).
* The N&O’s ACCNow blog has the following picture linked on the site. It is especially interesting to those of us NC State fans who clamored for a change in our basketball program for six friggin years in light of the fact that if Lee Fowler would have had his way, Sidney Lowe would have never been coaching at NC State. Sometimes you have to wonder about the gall & nerve of some people
* The N&O says that Costner & the Wolfpack stun Duke.
NC State, with forward Brandon Costner and senior point guard Engin Atsur refusing to wilt, roared back from several deficits to score the second big upset of the ACC men’s basketball tournament tonight, ousting Duke 85-80.
At the end of a back-and-forth second half, Atsur gave the Pack the lead at 70-68 with his third three-pointer of the second half, with 1:30 left, but Nelson tied the score for the 11th time with a layup with 41 seconds to go. State had five shots down the stretch, but Courtney Fells’ three-pointer and Atsur’s tip follow did not find the mark as regulation time expired.
Costner converted a three-point play with 4:22 left in overtime, and State maintained the lead the rest of the way. Gavin Grant’s free throw with 25 seconds left gave the Pack a four-point lead at 83-79, and Costner put it away with two free tosses to make it 85-80 with 11 seconds to go.
Costner led State with a career-high 30 points, and senior guard Engin Atsur added 21. Ben McCauley had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
* Departing shot focused on ACC pride - if Boston College wins on Friday, the ACC will have NINE teams with 20 or more wins.
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March 8th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Oh Hell Yeah. That is sweet…
March 8th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Sweet. A win against each of the other Big 4
March 8th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Woot! Split with the dookie’s and the unc pukiees, swept the forest clean. Ahhh, this team has far exceeded my expectations!!!!
March 8th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Man. The reverse layup was the mother f’ing stuff.
March 8th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
Take a bow Wolfpack (and a breath). That was some classic ACC basketball. Tampa is turning into one exciting ACC thursday venue. Go Pack!
March 8th, 2007 at 9:47 pm
This is as good a year as we could have hoped for. Life is good!
NOW LET’S BEAT THE CAVS!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 8th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
I LOVE this team! There’s no team that looks more together than when this bunch is on! GO ‘PACK!
March 8th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I hope Wake wins tonight to complete the ACC cellar sweep. That was a very exciting game to watch as a fan, I would be cursing right now if the shoe were on the other foot. Noticed K had alot to say to Sid after the finnaly whistle. I guess he had to use up all his tournement post game greetings (atleast 3 per year) all at once. Ha Ha.
March 8th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
You said it “old13″. When these guys are clicking and on the same page they can compete with any clown squad from Chapel Queer or that town that should have gun towers on the city limits….
Go Pack
March 8th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Split two with the Holes! Split two with the Devils! Swept the Deacs! It sure is nice to be on the way back up. The future looks bright!
Anybody who has ever played basketball knows how hard that reverse layup by Atsur was. Awesome! He had more english on that ball than a trick shot in pool.
March 8th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Hopefully the same sports agent that met with Big Ced aftr last years Duke game wasn’t watching Costner tonight. Bulls*#t he’s not ACC ROY!
March 8th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Sid has had a good year.
I cannot complain about this year.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
The Pack had me screaming, begging, pacing, and everything else tonight. 4-2 against our Big Four opponents is AWESOME. Go Pack!!!
March 8th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Yeah, VT. But that might work in our favor. 30-burger! I think the young man has a point to make. Engin was special in the second half.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
I would tend to agree, I do believe Mr. Costner made a solid point. I too get the hebe gebe’s when a post player does good for us. It’s like there is some rat always lurking wanting to play with his head to convince him the NBA is ready for them.
However, I would imagine that next year may be his last. Can’t keep’em 4 years any more.
Has anyone heard word on if Tracy Smith has picked up his grades and if he’s really come to NCSU
March 8th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Forgive the terrible grammar. I’m still on a post game high.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
I need to call LF and remind him we cannot hope to compete with Duke and UNC.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
FUCK K
FUCK MY OTHER ALMA MATER DUKE
AND GOD BLESS SIDNEY LOWE.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
What coaching! DId Scheyer even score in the 2nd half? And who cares if Costner cools off- just give it to Engin! Very rarely have I seen COach K get his lunch handed to him like Sid did tonight-especially the OT. Way to go Pack. Way to go!
March 8th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
I’m sorry, no matter what this season is now an overwhelming success….
helluva job Sid…
March 8th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Fear the Red Jacket!
March 8th, 2007 at 10:10 pm
hell yeah the red jacket is 2-0-1
March 8th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Costner was friggin awesome, He’s the true ACC Rookie POY.
March 8th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
THIS is why K and Roy and other coaches wanted “he who shall not be named” to stay on as State’s coach. The nice guy. The non-threat. The non-red-jacket wearing bland-as-buttermilk guy.
Now we’ve got a COACH. And they are worried.
BTW, since I once again had to “watch” via ESPN Gamecast, someone please describe the last moments of regulation - it’s looks crazy even in print! 4 shots at a winning basket?
March 8th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
Helluva game, no doubt.