Sendek: “Complete Body of Work”

General NCS Basketball Quotes of Note39

I told you about the new buzz phrase earlier in the week. I honestly don’t know why anyone spends the time interviewing him when everything is exactly the same:

“I’m much more inclined to put my finger on all the things that have gone well and not continue to dwell on those last couple of games. At this point I think we should look at the season that we’ve had as a complete body of work. We give our men a sense of a new beginning. We have to move forward.”

I don’t necessarily agree with Herb very often, but I could not agree more with Coach Sendek’s desire to of look at his complete body of work. However, the irony in this request is so thick that Superman would have a hard time seeing through it with X-Ray vision.

I think that we all know that we aren’t really supposed to spend time analyzing Coach Sendek’s entire body of work. We really are only supposed to look 50% of Coach Sendek’s work – as in the most recent 5 years since the first 5 years were magically carved away by Lee Fowler and never happened in the ‘minds’ of the HSSS. I just wish that the the money that was magically carved from my checking account for Lifetime Rights and Season Tickets every season never REALLY happened, either.

How does Sendek whine to the world in good conscious requesting an analysis of his “entire body of work” when the only way that he has a job is because his own boss publicly and privately proclaims that he chooses to ignore five entire years of Sendek’s performance? Lee Fowler, February 16, 2004’s Wolfpacker magazine:

I can’t get involved with what happened 10 years ago, even though it is wasy to lump it all together and make an argument. I’m trying to do what is best for NC State. A couple of years ago I stood up and said that Herb was our coach, and our coach of the future. I’ve been basically looking from that point on, and not before that. I think that’s what we have to do in order to make sure that our program is heading in the right direction.

Last year, for example, the Herb Sendek Sunshine Squad wanted no part in looking at the entire body of the season’s work. After finishing 7th in the ACC with a losing record and squeaking into the NCAA Tournament as the worst rated (#61 RPI) at-large team in the field…the LAST THING that Coach Sendek and squad wanted was a review of the entire body of work. The ONLY thing that mattered last year was a single win over a young UConn team in the NCAA Tournament. I know that the ever-changing (lack of) standards and measurements have become customary to the NC State Excuse Club…but, come on. Isn’t this hypocrisy slightly embarassing to anyone?

So…suddenly this year is the year that it is prudent to examine the complete body of work? Ok. NC State’s 2005-2006 entire body of work is as follows:

*21-9 overall
*10-6 in the weakest ACC in memory
* #51 in the RPI
* 4th place finish in #3 conference in the country
* Played the 4th easiest conference schedule of the ACC teams
* 3-6 vs NCAA Tournament Teams
* 1-5 vs RPI’s Top 25
* 3-5 vs RPI’s Top 50
* 8-3 vs RPI’s #51-100
* 2-1 vs RPI’s #101-200
* 8-0 vs RPI’s #201+
* #206 Ranked Out of Conference strength schedule
* #64 Ranked overall strength of schedule
* Haven’t won a game in a month
* 1-5 vs Big Four competition (3 games vs LAST PLACE team in the ACC)
* 18 teams had as many or more wins vs the RPI’s Top 100 than NC State’s 11
* 38% of this season’s wins came against teams ranked worse than #200 in the RPI
* Set ACC Tournament record for seed descrepancy in a loss by a higher seed.

There you go. There is your “entire body of work”. Does that somehow make things better in your eyes? How does it improve your view in light of the fact that this “entire body of work” ranks as one of Sendek’s 2 or 3 best in ten years of coaching at State. (Wait…or is it only 5 years of coaching?)

This begging and pleading for the media (and fans) to look at the entire body of work is a marketing ploy designed to take advantage of a lazy media. If Team Sendek can hammer home how “unfair” criticism is based on a 21-9 overall record and 10-6 record in the ACC, then they can achieve criticism of their critics in the media. Unfortunately for most of us…the average member of the media is quite complicit in such behavior and would never take the time to look at this ENTIRE picture, or peel away the onion on the entire 10 years of the Sendek era.

I will leave you with a market-based perspective of how NC State’s 2005-2006 body of work was manufactured on the back of a disproportionately weaker schedule than the other programs that we claim to call peers:

* There wasn’t a single program in the RPI’s Top 25 that won as large of a percentage of their games against programs ranked worse than #200 as NC State.

* Not another BCS Conference program (ranked in the Top 50) won a greater percentage of their games against teams ranked worse than #200.

* NC State won a greater percentage of games against teams #200+ than 44 of the Top 50 teams in the RPI. The only programs with a greater percentage of total wins than NC State vs #200+ were the following: George Mason, UNC-W, Hofstra, UAB, George Washington, Bucknell.

I don’t know what sucks more…the fact that we choose to be so uncompetitive that we construct a schedule consistently comparable to these programs (who have weaker conferences creating this disproportion) or that every one of these programs are rated ahead of us in the RPI (again).

But…have no fear!! You KNOW that the program is on the way up as evidenced by State’s great run of 5 Straight NCAA Tournament appearances.

Update for Thursday’s Press Conference
Sendek in Thursday’s PC:

They (the Wolfpack players) have enjoyed a terrific season. It is important we recognize that we have this wonderful opportunity for the body of work that we have accomplished and we don’t isolate our season to the very end.”

General NCS Basketball Quotes of Note

39 Responses to Sendek: “Complete Body of Work”

  1. Sam '92 03/17/2006 at 12:31 PM #

    I was all ready to rant against the defeatist attitude as well, but truthfully I am concerned — that in replacing Herb the powers that be will play it safe, search for someone consistent and not likely to offend anyone. Herb’s twin.

    I’m banking on Herb leaving after the season ends (the alternative is too depressing to think about).

    Here’s hoping that the search committee goes for someone young, energetic and with an inspiring personality — someone engaging enough to bring out the best in players.

  2. VaWolf82 03/17/2006 at 12:37 PM #

    Look at Notre Dame in football or Indiana in basketball – being great in the past does not mean we can be great in the future and coach is only one part of it.

    ND is a great example. Ty was better than Davies and Weis is better than Ty. The right coach is the single most important part of building a great college program.

  3. class of '74 03/17/2006 at 12:51 PM #

    I was just listening to WTSB radio’s Pack Pride show and Ken Tysiac from the Charlotte Observer thinks Herb has done all that is possible with this program.
    He went on to say if Herb leaves we will only get worse! Just another example of big media saying we should be happy and not worry. We can’t compete with the big boys so shut-up and be satisfied. Another reason never to buy a Charlotte mullet wrapper.

  4. Wolfpacklawyer 03/17/2006 at 12:56 PM #

    I posted this at Pack Pride and the thread was locked. Brett Friedlander thinks Herb is gone after the season. He told me Oregon St. In this he lists some other possible options:

    http://www.fayettevillenc.com/blog?id=6

  5. VTPACKFAN 03/17/2006 at 12:58 PM #

    If Herb goes, more than just age and charisma should be factored into a replacement. Bob Huggins would have coached at Cincinnati until he dropped dead with another heart attack. Young coaches can be unpridictible, here one day gone the next. Huggins doesn’t have the championship they do, but I bet ole Roy and coach K have the respect for him as if he does.

  6. Jeff 03/17/2006 at 1:24 PM #

    Every situation has to be looked at in its own merits and with an accurate frame. The problem with the folks at NCState is that every “framing perspective” fails to use common-sense and becomes opportunities to incessantly build excuses and rationalizations for failure.

    “Class of 85, this is not a defense of Sendek, but I’d be careful of a strict 5 and done policy. Using that K would have been gone after five at Duke. No ACC titles and not even a sweet 16. Year 6 was when he hit it big. “

    Totally off-base. Different time and very different situation.

    First, judgements were different back then as the NCAA Tournament was not yet 64 teams. K had been to 2 consecutive NCAA Tournaments in year 4 and 5 with nationally ranked teams

    Additionally, there was NO DOUBTING the progress and improvement (and success) that K was making in his numbers in year 4 and 5. (Completely different from 4 consec identical years of Sendek followed by a 5th that was a total bust). Duke was the preseason #1 program in the country heading into K’s 6th year.

    “After 5 at Maryland, Gary Williams hadn’t had a regular season with 20 wins and his best conference record was 8-8. He really got it going in year 6. Dean had his first 20 win season in year 6. Five years might be too short.

    Gary Williams took over a program that wasn’t even allowed to play in the ACC Tournament. He couldn’t even be on television. They were on probation and dealing with their SECOND major scandal in 5 years. (Herb Sendek took over a program five years AWAY from its scandal) OF COURSE you wouldn’t just release Williams on such a standard in light of the situation and in light of his loyalty to Maryland to accept the job when they were going into probation.

  7. Wolfpacklawyer 03/17/2006 at 1:29 PM #

    Jeff, you might want to get Sendek off the brain for a second. I wasn’t defending him. I was saying that a blanket “get it done in five years or move on” is not the right attitude. For whatever reason, it took six in the three examples I listed to “get it done”.

  8. class of '85 03/17/2006 at 1:40 PM #

    I was answering a short question of “how long” with a short answer. With our given situation a good coach (a proven winner) will have positive results within 5 yrs. Results that will once again unite wolfpackers of all ages. Man, just the thought of getting back to the top with a chance to go far in the ncaat is exiciting. It would be nice to see school kids wereing NCSU shirts, hats etc. again!

  9. topOtheorder 03/17/2006 at 2:19 PM #

    RickJ…

    Yep, no guards that can handle or create their own shots = bad end game situations…

    JasonA,

    Bringing up Notre Dame is the NAIL in your own argument. Look at ND under greats like Rockne, Ara, etc. and even Devine—they won championships for years and years. Then, they give the job to Faust who was a nice guy but WAY over his head (even worse than Herbie when he got our job) and look what happened to them. Enter another great coach, Holtz, and, boom, in no time, they win another championship. Had they hired another big name, instead of Davies, there may have gone on another run. Instead, they bring in Ty who never won anything at Stanford and proceeded to do likewise at ND. It is too early to judge Weis, but he has already rejuvenated an offense that was horrible under Ty and, with the recruits he has coming in, I won’t be surprised if ND wins another championship in the next few years—or is back competing for one every year like they used to…Also, keep in mind, as Jeff has pointed out many times, it is A LOT harder to rebuild a football program than a basketball program. Two, and sometimes one, recruiting class, and you can be a player in college bball…

  10. Rick 03/17/2006 at 2:43 PM #

    “I think that it is time for Sendek to move on, I am just not convinced somebody else will be as succesful. ”

    Every other coach but one was more successful than Herb. The odds are on the side of him being more successful.

  11. BJD95 03/17/2006 at 3:00 PM #

    If the next coach doesn’t get us where we need to be, we’ll send him packing, too. That “risk” is no reason to accept and maintain “B-minus limbo.”

    Job fit alert – Iowa State has a vacancy.

  12. jesse 03/17/2006 at 3:58 PM #

    i remember when paul hewitt came into the league and all you herb haters said “see look what he did in a short time” and when skip prosser came in and you said the same thing. where are those teams now? at home watching.

  13. Scott C 03/17/2006 at 4:44 PM #

    Jesse
    The primary difference b/w the programs at GT and Wake and the consensus opinion of Wolfpack B-ball supporters is HOPE. We have no HOPE for anything better from Herb. So what if GT and Wake programs had an off season this time. I’m confident that their fans have legitimate HOPE and suspense that next season will be better for each. They can legitimately anticipate that next season will be bring the ripe possibility of progress, competitiveness and advancement on the bball court. What do we have to look forward too??? The same mediocre crap we’ve had for 10 years. And the same mediocre excuses we’ve had for 10 years.

  14. class of '74 03/18/2006 at 12:41 PM #

    ^jesse you might want to look at what Hewitt is building down in Atlanta. He had a rough year this year but he had the NBA attrition problem. But the classes he has coming are much higher rated than ours.

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