Wolfpackers everywhere are desperate for some good news. So - no matter how subjective the good news may be - we wanted to link ESPN’s recent article from recruiting guru Bob Gibbons.
Gibbons ranks the 2009 college basketball recruiting classes as they currently stand and there is good news for NC State fans as the Wolfpack currently fill in at #6 in the country on the list.
Gopack.com’s Tim Peeler posted a very good interview of Sidney Lowe after the basketball team’s trip to Toronto for two exhibition games this past weekend. As you might expect, there were no questions or comments about Ben McCauley not being allowed to make the trip with the team.
GoPack.com: Is it safe to say you are pretty energized by what you saw?
TORONTO, CANADA – Brandon Costner led four N.C. State players in double figures with a game-high 31 points, as the Pack came away with an 81-60 win at York University in the first of two exhibition games in Toronto this weekend.
Holding a 51-48 lead late in the third quarter, the State went on a 7-1 run to end the quarter thanks to six points from sophomore Tracy Smith. The Pack would then limit York to just two field goals in the final 10 minutes of play for the win.
With so many dark clouds looming on the football front, it would be nice to have a good basketball season to look forward to. Sadly, that’s not the case for us long-suffering Wolfpackers. But we can look forward anyway, as Ken Tysiac does this morning:
Courtney Fells, the easygoing senior who recently moved from shooting guard to small forward, impressed his teammates with his no-nonsense photo pose. Ben McCauley, Trevor Ferguson and Farnold Degand also were among the players who tagged along.
After a fractious 2007-08 season that saw the Wolfpack stumble to the No. 12 seed in the ACC Tournament and a 15-16 record, an exhibition trip to Canada could provide much-needed healing.
Four games in historic Reynolds Coliseum, including two regular season contests, highlight the 2008-09 NC State men’s basketball schedule that was released Tuesday by the ACC.
ACCNow has analyzed the Pack’s schedule in this blog entry.
You never want to go into a season thinking NIT (certainly not when your neighbor is blocking off hotel rooms in August for the Final Four) but N.C. State needs to reach the postseason in Sidney Lowe’s third season.
Ben McCauley reinforces much of what SFN has said about last season, in a surprisingly candid interview with GoPack.com. There are several notable passages, but we’ll start with:
I have been here in Raleigh all summer, getting my body right. I have lost 10 to 12 pounds. Last year, I started the season a little heavy. So now I feel good. I had an ankle problem from something that happened in the Clemson game, but it is 100 percent now. I am really looking forward to the season.
Obviously, that’s great news. It was overshadowed by Costner’s lethargy, but Big Ben was clearly a step slower last season. Next:
More analysis later…
Projected 2008-2009 NC State Basketball Roster
Senior Class
(1) Courtney Fells (Wing)
(2) Ben McCauley (F/C)
Junior Class
(3) Brandon Costner (F)
(4) Trevor Ferguson (G)
(5) Dennis Horner (F)
(6) Farnold Degand (PG)
Sophomore Class
(7) Javi Gonzalez (PG)
(8) Tracy Smith (4F)
Freshman Class
(9) Johnny Thomas (Wing)
(10) Julius Mays (PG/SG)
(11) CJ Williams (Wing)
Raleigh, N.C. — Cary Academy has hired former N.C. State and European League basketball player Kenny Inge as its next head men’s basketball coach.
N.C. State’s men’s basketball team will have an increased presence at its former home, Reynolds Coliseum, this season.
We previously analyzed the point guard position, the two guard slot, small forward, and power forward. Today, we wrap things up with the center position.
J.J. Hickson was frequently dominant in the low post. Unfortunately, none of the other players on the roster had played with this style of center, at least since high school (if at all). Once opponents figured out that Hickson must be stopped at all costs, triple teams soon followed. Hickson struggled at passing out of them, and the rest of the team struggled moving without the ball to take advantage of playing 4-on-2.
Did you know that the average out of conference strength of the schedule for the past six college basketball national champions is 150?
I’m not sure that Raycom was supposed to do this before the ACC officially released its schedule…but, we’ll take it.
You can click here to see the whole schedule and here to download a PDF file.
Of interest to NC State fans are the following dates:
Sat Jan 10 - NC State @ Clemson, noon
Sat Jan 17 - Georgia Tech @ NC State, noon
Tue Jan 20 - NC State @ Duke, 8pm
Sat Jan 24 - NC State @ BC, 2pm
Sun Feb 8 - NC State @ VT, 1:30pm
Sat Feb 14 - NC State @ Georgia Tech, 1:30pm
Wed Feb 18 - NC State @ UNC-CH, 8pm
Sat Feb 21 - Virginia @ NC State, 1pm
Thu Feb 26 - NC State @ Wake Forest, 8pm
Sat Mar 7th - NC State @ Miami, 12pm
NC State fans have learned the hard way since our amazing run of fantastic point guards ended 17 years ago with the graduation of Chris Corchiani that there is no substitute for a talented point guard providing key leadership for a college basketball program.
We recently discussed the current composition of the Wolfpack’s roster at point guard in this fantastic entry that is worth reading if you haven’t already seen it.
As we wait for football to heat up, it’s as good a time as any to analyze the coming basketball season. Over the next few weeks, we will analyze the logical rotation and depth chart, based on position. We analyzed the point guard position, the two guard slot, and small forward previously. Next is the Pack’s strongest position - power forward.
Last year, NC State boasted what looked to be a three-headed monster in the post. Brandon Costner and Ben McCauley had always been solid, and occasionally great in 2006-07. JJ Hickson was easily the most talented player on the team, with a work ethic to match. National publications rated the Pack’s frontcourt among the nation’s elite.
WRAL.com/99.9 FM has posted an audio interview with Rivals.com chief recruiting analyst, Jerry Meyer. Some more background and insight on the Pack’s latest two recruits as well as other recruits like John Wall and Derrick Favors.
This guy does not seem optimistic re Favors.
If Howell is truly a “warrior” down low, then we’re going to like him very much.
Meyer repeats these rumors that we discussed last week.
It is reported that the Pack picks up 6′7″ PF Richard Howell. Second verbal in as many days. Here’s an important nugget from the N&O write-up:
J.J. Hickson, who was N.C. State’s leading scorer and rebounder as a freshman last season before leaving for the NBA, also played at Wheeler. “It didn’t hurt that J.J. went there [to N.C. State] and had a very successful season,” Wheeler coach Doug Lipscomb said.
MU and NC State have agreed in principle to a home-and-home series beginning this season at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.
The series had been in the works for the past month or so, with NC State working behind the scenes to move a guarantee game in order to accomodate MU.
Having recently been able to do so, the Wolfpack will now host the Golden Eagles on Dec. 22 at a time yet to be determined. The contract is expected to be finalized shortly.
As we wait for football to heat up, it’s as good a time as any to analyze the coming basketball season. Over the next few weeks, we will analyze the logical rotation and depth chart, based on position. We analyzed the point guard position and the two guard slot previously. Next is the biggest wildcard for 2008-09 - small forward.
Back in 2005 we did a little “Connected Coaches Webrun” that just popped into my mind when I read this quick entry from The Sporting News.
When Brandon Miller left Ohio State last spring to get experience as an assistant coach at Butler after years of working for Thad Matta in administrative positions, Matta suggested it would be wise if Miller did not buy a house in Indianapolis. Matta knew there was a good chance Buckeyes associate head coach John Groce would be moving on to run his own program, and last month he got the job at Ohio U. Matta wasted little time inviting Miller to rejoin the Buckeyes staff, this time as an assistant coach. Archie Miller, brought in a year ago from Arizona State, will become Ohio State’s lead assistant. . . .
It is no secret that poor point guard play has plagued NC State’s Basketball Program for years. (Link to BJD’s recent positional analysis)
Even if Farnold Degand doesn’t bounce back from his knee injury this year, a fix for this problem may be on the near-term horizon after Ryan Harrow, a rising high school junior point guard, committed to play basketball at NC State. We discussed Harrow and the Wolfpack’s future roster was discussed in this entry at the time of Harrow’s verbal commitment.
On Sunday, the N&O’s Tim Stevens wrote a great article about Harrow and his potential for stardom.
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