Brackman and Basketball Bytes

General NCS Basketball33

Can you believe that basketball practice is just a few weeks away from starting? It truly is amazing how quickly time flies. We’ve had enough developments to justify a a good basketball entry so I thought that I would throw some bytes together.

Andrew Brackman
As a follow-up to our report that Andrew Brackman had told Sidney Lowe of his intentions NOT to play basketball this season…StateFansNation has confirmed that Brackman has NOT been participating in individual workouts with the program and does not even currently have a locker in the Dail basketball practice facility.

In our previous entry we also stated:

Please note that we are not stating that Brackman will not end up playing basketball at NC State this year. We are stating that he has informed Coach Lowe of his current intention not to play. Coach Lowe has proven to be very flexible and innovative in his thinking related to the basketball program. So, we continue to hold out hope that some kind of compromise agreement can still be struck that gives Brackman what he needs while still helping NC State Basketball with a little support.

In ^that light, we have also confirmed that the staff and the program continue to hold hope that Brackman will miss his teammates and the sport in the layoff before baseball begins and could re-join the team.

As you probably know, Brackman could go as high as the top pick in next year’s Major League Baseball Draft. (How cool would it be to have provided the top NFL and MLB pick in a single year). This link will take you to recent comments on Brackman in recent Kansas City newspaper article:

The Royals also have seen a lot of North Carolina State right-hander Andrew Brackman and Vanderbilt left-hander David Price as well, both of whom could be the No. 1 pick.

“Brackman is a tall guy (6 feet 10), but he pitches short,� Ladnier said. “I mean that in a positive way. Most big guys get pretty loose in their delivery — arms and legs flying everywhere. But he’s got a very repeatable motion.

Missed Opportunity
I forgot to mention this after the App State football game and was reminded of it when I was scrolling through my Tivo of the BC game and saw Sidney Lowe being interviewed by Dr. Jerry Punch on the Wolfpack’s sidelines – why hasn’t Coach Sidney Lowe been prominently welcomed/honored/featured at an NC State football game yet this year?

(He may have been featured at the Akron game but I wasn’t there. If so, it would FURTHER prove the point that I am trying to make).

We often criticize the ‘marketing geniuses’ at NC State even though we recently had a more positive conversation on the topic. Count this one as a big one.

This past weekend Coach Lowe had one of the top post prospects in America, JJ Hickson, in on a visit. The Wolfpack also hosted key target, Chris Wright for the App State game.

How in the world did we NOT take advantage of the opportunity to feature Coach Lowe and “welcome” him (with proper use of the scoreboard) in front of 60,000 rabid fans in the middle of Carter-Finley Stadium? I don’t think that I could accurately describe the impact on the recruitment of these high priority targets of a properly executed “welcome home” to Coach Lowe in such an environment. Somebody was asleep at the wheel on this one (again)

Recruiting
This link will take you to some great recent comments regarding basketball recruiting in case you missed it.

I continue to be cautiously optimistic about the Wolfpack’s recruiting opportunities this year. In addition to the targets that we know are high on the Wolfpack’s list, a whole new group of prospects have been engaged in a lot of recent activity that may develop some opportunity for the Pack – like Dominique Sutton, Herb Pope, Rashad Green and others.

Preview
This link will take you to Part one of four of a very detailed preview of ACC Basketball this season. The preview picks the Wolfpack in last place of the ACC.

“There is absolutely no room for error given the situation that Sendek left for him (Lowe)”

General NCS Basketball

33 Responses to Brackman and Basketball Bytes

  1. choppack1 09/27/2006 at 8:00 AM #

    Good point on the missed opporunity for Coach Lowe. The one thing I’d mention is that perhaps they are waiting until the FSU game when a larger national audience is “tuned” in than would have been tuned in for the ESPN 2 game Saturday night.

  2. statered 09/27/2006 at 8:37 AM #

    A couple of people on the packpride board – packman81 and gravis – stating they think it is likely that Brackman will see the hardwood at some point this season. They also said there was a lot to the story that was unsaid. Can someone get the scoop for us on the back story?

  3. Cardiff Giant 09/27/2006 at 9:23 AM #

    Proving the incompetence of our sports information and marketing people is now a dancing cinders phenomenon.

  4. redfred2 09/27/2006 at 9:49 AM #

    ‘So you’re sayin there’s a chance?’

    I would love it and it would great to see AB on the bball court again!!! He has what it takes to be burst out and become factor for the Wolfpack. I’ve said before, I think he can play the game at a level we haven’t even had a hint of before now.

    That being said, I have to feel sorry for coach Lowe. The guy has been handed nothing but a sack full of question marks since he arrived.

    I would definitely love to see Brackman out there, but I think he needs to make a clear decision and then let Sidney know. Coach Lowe needs to know what he has to work with so he can start to formulate his style with the actual personnel in mind. I may be rushing it, but I think the sooner, the better, for all parties involved.

  5. packpigskinfan23 09/27/2006 at 11:19 AM #

    redfred^ I totally agree…. I mean, obviusly this isnt AS relevent… but its kind of like what Brett Farve did with the Packers. You cant string people along for too long. Decide. Let the team know what they are faced with…

    I may have missed a thread or maybe it was mentioned in another last week, but did anyone else see the article in the N&O confirming that Gavin Grant WILL be able to play this year? it was hidden behind criticisms of Amato after the So.Miss game… but still, GREAT news. of course we all expected this, but it is good to know for sure.

  6. packbackr04 09/27/2006 at 11:49 AM #

    is sid gonna put players names on the jerseys?

  7. thebigwood 09/27/2006 at 11:54 AM #

    I mean really, why not put Sidney on the scoreboard during every football game with recruits?

  8. Jeremy Hyatt 09/27/2006 at 11:55 AM #

    Pigskin – I saw an article saying his immigration hearing for rescheduled for next summer, so Grant is on for his junior year.

  9. tooyoungtoremember 09/27/2006 at 12:02 PM #

    Wouldn’t showing Lowe with a recruit on the scoreboard be some sort of NCAA violation? Just having Lowe on the board would be fantastic, but showing a recruit might get us into some trouble.

  10. redfred2 09/27/2006 at 1:14 PM #

    I finally gave up asking about the Gavin Grant situation, this is the first I’ve heard in a while. But it’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the great news!

    ^tooyoungtoremember

    If you are anywhere close to being right about the NCAA violations, then the system needs more of a major overhaul than has been discussed already. I am hoping that you are joking and there’s nothing to what you just said?

  11. nycfan 09/27/2006 at 1:19 PM #

    ^I think bigwood’s point was to put Sid on the scoreboard on nights he his hosting a recruit, not Sid & the recruit (which would be a violation).

    I wonder though (and this is 100% speculative) how much the football staff is interested in giving time to promoting the hoops staff at football games. The Pack has some big time prospects at the BC game, too. Do they really want the biggest cheer all night to be for the new hopes coach? Maybe not.

    That said, State’s SID certainly could do a better job of getting Lowe more free pub. The interview in the BC game was a step in the right direction, but I think State has blown a chance to have all kinds of fawning, remember back in the day nostalgia pieces from just about every media outlet in the State (esp. in the gaps when little was going on in sports earlier in the summer).

    As for Brackman, it doesn’t sound to me like he is being indecisive. It sounds more like he made a decision and since it is not the one Lowe & co. were hoping for, they are the ones leaving the door open and hoping to change Brackman’s mind later on … a similar dance went on between Doh and Curry and Peppers during the 8-20 year. It was pretty apparent that Curry and Peppers had no intention of playing for Doh (for a lot of reasons) but Doh was the one always leaving the message that the door was open for them to have a change of heart.

  12. packpigskinfan23 09/27/2006 at 1:36 PM #

    nycfan-your ideas on Brackman seem reasonable…

    redfred- heres the link to the article. GREAT news. I have a feeling he is going to have a great season under Sid.
    http://www.newsobserver.com/752/story/489359.html

    and it does seem like it would be a violation to have a recruit on the big screen. I can understand. I would hate to watch a UNX game and see a recruit we were going for cheered before we even got a visit out of him…
    but Lowe DOES need to be announced at a game… him and the rest of the coaching staff. with some videos and everything. the little interview on ESPN2 during the game was way too short, and uninformative.

  13. spudmarsh 09/27/2006 at 1:45 PM #

    I think introducing Coach Lowe at the Florida St game would be a wonderful. ESPN would cover it on national tv. Hopefully, this is the opportunity the school is waiting for.

  14. packbackr04 09/27/2006 at 2:13 PM #

    way to go fowler. Why in the World would we not announce Sid on the Big Screen… I thought this at the ASU game (which noone saw) but if not for recruits, for US, the fans…. it is something to get us excited about Wolfpack basketball. What a novel idea, advertise a product you are trying to sell…. Heck, It might even increase ticket sales for the university, but im sure Jed never thought of that. I and many others on here have said that this has to be the worst PR team put together EVER!!!! They do nothing for the promotion of the univeristy or its athletic dept. except to drag us through the mud.

  15. Pack Laddie 09/27/2006 at 2:29 PM #

    I will be very, bery surprised if Drew plays basketball. Everything I have heard points to baseball only.

  16. redfred2 09/27/2006 at 2:50 PM #

    It is pitiful recognition of the new Head Coach Sidney Lowe!!!

    Even in the short interview the other night, it was one on one, off to the side, with not one bit of excitement or fan support showing.

    Lowe should have been right in the middle of the student section, trying to get a word in over a bunch of yelling and screaming Wolfpack fans.

    Inexcusable! Where is the SID?

  17. redfred2 09/27/2006 at 3:38 PM #

    ^Apparently nobody knows. ESPN did the best they could, apparently without any imput from the SID.

    You talk about a place that can’t advantage of a single thing.

  18. Trout 09/27/2006 at 5:05 PM #

    “Lowe should have been right in the middle of the student section, trying to get a word in over a bunch of yelling and screaming Wolfpack fans.”

    Maybe he was afraid he would get pissed on, R. Kelly style. 🙂

  19. packpigskinfan23 09/27/2006 at 5:39 PM #

    ^wow… where did that come from!?!?!?! hahahaha

  20. drewhuff 09/27/2006 at 5:48 PM #

    we almost had the #1 overall mlb and nfl picks this year already. hadn’t bj upton committed to the pack before he was drafted?

  21. joe 09/27/2006 at 6:47 PM #

    During the playoffs the Canes have a video that shows a bunch of local people saying “Let’s Go Canes!” and only a few weeks after he was hired they added Lowe to that video. The video has normal fans and also local “celebs” such as Roy Wiliams, Lee Fowler, Kay Yow, Ron Francis, Kid Rock, and some TV people such as Greg Fishel and Debra Morgan.

  22. packbackr04 09/28/2006 at 9:02 AM #

    i read that Tracy Smith has us at the top of his list, anyone have any insight as to if or when this kid might commit? shootingguard, you out there? i know you usually have good sources and information, care to enlighten?

  23. redfred2 09/28/2006 at 9:08 AM #

    ^packpigskinfan23

    BTW, thanks for the link on Grant.

  24. ShootingGuard 09/28/2006 at 10:15 AM #

    packbackr04,

    I have been fortunate to receive direct info on the recruitments of Jamelle, Wright, and Hickson to a certain extent but less so with Smith—so I couldn’t comment with the certainty I would prefer on his situation. Plus, at this point, rolling toward the fall signing period, I am not apt to comment much more on any of the recruits who are in play…As Dan Werner’s father proved, you never know who is reading…Although, if my weakness of rage gets to me as it always seems to, I may be unable to resist firing off to debunk worthless revisionist history like “the Fab 5 class” Sendek was “on the cusp of bringing in and leading to a championship” after 10 years of achieving nothing close to such…But, hey, I digress…

  25. Trout 09/28/2006 at 10:21 AM #

    “^wow… where did that come from!?!?!?! hahahaha”

    You didnt hear about the students peeing in the stands during the BC game?

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