What if?

06-07 Basketball Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball37

The NC State Wolfpack has definitely experienced a (not unexpectedly) tough basketball season this year. The pill that is hardest to swallow, however, has been Engin Atsur’s injury. To this point of the season, NC State has compiled a record that is almost exactly what many fans expected. But, that expectation included Atsur’s presence on the court. When the two things which the team is most deficient are two things that Atsur does best – handle the ball and play perimeter defense – we are left with just a little twinge of ‘what if’?

A thread on one of the NC State message boards got me thinking about another ‘what if’ this morning.

What if…Larry Davis had kept his commitment to NC State and suited up for the Wolfpack this year?
I think that it would have been quite interesting to see Larry Davis on this year’s roster. Davis’ presence in this year’s backcourt would have been a huge boon for our talent and our depth. It also would had other impacts on the future of the program – Farnold DeGand would have most definitely not been recruited to transfer in.

Davis play at Seton Hall has improved since the beginning of the season. He currently averages almost nine points a game in 20 minutes of time. He has a 1:1 assist/turnover ratio, but is shooting a nice 44% from the three point line and 85% from the free throw line.

I was disappointed – not necessarily – heartbroken when Davis reneged from his commitment to State. But, I was not so indifferent to some of the ancillary issues related to the situation. For example, at the time I didn’t necessarily like the way that State acquiesced to Davis’ request to back out of his committment. I explained my position using some business analogies in this relevant entry.

I wish that I would have known more about the situation at the time as I would have been more sympathetic to Davis and less supportive on NC State.

Since the situation unfolded in April/May, SFN has learned that NC State had extremely limited contact with Larry Davis during the Pack’s search – oops…sorry…I mean “Lee Fowler’s search” – for a basketball coach. In fact, SFN got it on extremely good authority that Lee Fowler called Larry Davis all but ONE TIME during the month long search. Of course Davis was going to listen to other options when Bobby Gonzalez is in his ear every day (actually his AAU coach who ultimately took a job with Gonzalez) and Fowler has zero transition plan in place.

Good God.

Folks, it takes some serious talent to simultaneously botch a both coaching search and ruin a recruiting class while all the while losing almost 30 pounds because you are note built to handle the responsibilities and stress of your job.

Sure. There will be some people argue that Davis would have flown the coop anyway. That is your perogative. I really have no clue. All I know is that other coaching searches and transitions at NC State – Les Robinson to Herb Sendek; Mike O’Cain to Chuck Amato; Amato to Tom O’Brien seemed to be executed with far less turmoil and turnover of recruits. Thank God NC State hired the ‘consultant to do the work’ so that Lee Fowler could just be quiet for the recent change in football.

(Don’t misunderstand my mea culpa on the Davis situation. I still think that Davis and his people could have handled their side of the situation with more dignity, and I don’t back away from these comments related to the situation.)

06-07 Basketball Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball

37 Responses to What if?

  1. TNCSU 01/24/2007 at 2:34 PM #

    ^^^”What if Lorenzo Charles WASN”T under the basket or waited for the rebound, or fumbled the shot…”

    Nothing truer…there were too many what if’s to count during the 1983 ACC tourney and the NCAA tourney — that’s what makes that Championship run so special!! Something like 7 of our last 9 games that season, we were losing in the final minute! — And of course, we won ALL NINE!

  2. Pack Laddie 01/24/2007 at 2:35 PM #

    “I know that Lowe’s degree status would have kept it from being official until June regardless, but if Larry Harris had been brought back to Raleigh sooner Larry Davis would have been kept far more engaged. ”

    There are a lot of things to question Fowler about, but the possibility of bringing Larry Harris back sooner is NOT one of them.

    When Sendek took the ASU job, Larry effectively did not have a job here. He went to Tempe, where he did have a job.

    Sure, Fowler could have offered for him to stay on in the interim, but Larry would have had no guarantee that the new coach would have retained him. Fowler doesn’t hire the coaching staff. The smart move, in fact the only move, for him to make, was to go west with Herb.

    Larry came back as soon as he possibly could have. When Sid became a viable option, he talked to Larry to feel him out on a possible return to Raleigh. For a lot of reasons. family here probably being the foremost, Larry told him he would love to come back to Raleigh.

    He was here for Sid’s press conference, and was back at work at NC State that afternoon. As I said, he could not have returned any sooner. Larry supervised things in the office, until Sid was finished with Detroit, and with his degree.

    Fowler can not be blamed for Harris not being here sooner.

  3. Dan 01/24/2007 at 3:02 PM #

    ^ Pack Laddie the point there is not that Fowler should have brought Harris back. The point is that if Lowe was going to be the coach, he could have been named mid-April instead of in May. At which time Lowe could have brought Harris back.

    So yeah, Fowler can be blamed for Harris not being back the same as he can be criticized for hiring a guy on May 4th that could’ve been in place three weeks earlier. In hindsight three weeks doesnt sound like much, but it seemed like the longest three weeks of my life at the time. And it was a three week stretch that involved a lot of negative press regarding our b-ball program.

    Sendek bolted April 1. CalGate concluded April 12th. Sid was announced May 4th. We lost three recruits from the 4/12 to 5/4. SFN has noted that Davis was contacted once. Maybe Lee didnt have Davis’ digits at his lake house. If Larry Harris is here as part of Lowe’s staff on 4/14 then I can guarantee you that Larry Davis AND Chris Wright would have had more communication. Would they have still come? I dont know. The article was a “what if”.

  4. TNCSU 01/24/2007 at 3:26 PM #

    I don’t think Chris Wright backed out until much later – after meeting with Coach Lowe, so I’d have to agree that Fowler should NOT be blamed for that!

    MJ may prove to be a lot better PG than Wright, and he probably would not have transferred to State with Wright on his way — just another counter to the “what if.”

  5. foz 01/24/2007 at 3:30 PM #

    In Shaw’s SAINT JOAN, Joan says, “If IFS and ANDS were pots and pans, there’d be no need of tinkers.”

  6. Cosmo96 01/24/2007 at 3:57 PM #

    All indications were that Chris Wright was going to commit to NC State even after Lowe was hired, but changed his mind the night before his announcement. I was lurking on PP Premium BBall board/chat that night, and I’ve never seen the collective mood, especially from the insiders there, do a complete 180 like that before. It seemed like it was as close to a “done deal” as you can get. I guess it just goes to show that nothing’s in the bag until its in the bag.

  7. Pack Laddie 01/24/2007 at 3:58 PM #

    Dan—of course Larry could have been back sooner, if Lowe had been hired sooner. However, Sid was not in play at that time.

    What if Fowler had not even talked to Barnes and Calipari, and had hired Sid 3 days after Herb left? He could have hired him then, and saved another 10 days.

    I was privy to information at the time, from parties directly involved, but will not comment on it here.

  8. Dan 01/24/2007 at 4:38 PM #

    Well, I dont think anyone faults Fowler for Barnes seeing as how that was mandated to Fowler. Calipari was a hoax. I’ll give him that as well.

    What I dont give Fowler is even talking to Steve Lavin and botching the Beilein deal (regardless of what you think of JB’s style). Not to mention the public spurning of everyone whoever held a whistle. Anytime spent on a coach like Lavin and any time spent on a coach whose publically recorded contract prevented him from coming here was a waste of time. Those three weeks were a disaster. Maybe you have inside information, but if that information points to something other than a disaster then that information is an excuse for the reality of the situation. The effect was an embarrassment no matter what “information” exists.

    I mean, c’mon, Steve Lavin. You have GOT to be kidding me.

    We have recruits being preyed upon, Spring AAU events going on, and Lee Fowler is talking to Steve Lavin and John Beilein, a guy whose contract makes it impossible. Lee gets no pass from me. And all of that doesnt even factor in his combative stance with the fans.

  9. packbackr04 01/24/2007 at 5:21 PM #

    DIdi anyone hear Lavin throw some props at Fowler during the Duke game? when the other announcer asked him how close he came to taking the job… Lavin spoke very highly of Lee…… of course he did, Lee got his name back in the game. Maybe now a school that he WANTS to coach at will come calling next year.. he used us just like Cal did. But I do appreciate the commentators in the game on Saturday, very professional. unlike the Busch league announcers we have had so far this year.

  10. choppack1 01/24/2007 at 5:49 PM #

    I’ve always thought that Lavin’s move to TV instead of taking a coaching jobs he’s evidently deemed beneath him says a lot about his passion to coach. If you compare him to Neusheisel – who could have probably landed a comprable TV gig – it’s a pretty stark contrast. (Nueheisel may have even coached at the high school level for part of a season after he was fired from UW. )

  11. vtpackfan 01/24/2007 at 8:41 PM #

    What if the game tonight started a seven? Maybe I would stay up for the entire game. Maybe a few more people would show up for a mid week ACC tilt. Ah yes, the joys of following the Wolfpack. Go State! Beat them Wahoo’s (or atleast make it look more like defense, no one could take another breakdown like saturday).

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Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. StateFans Nation » Blog Archive » VPI Win: Everyone Contributes (Updated 2/1; 10:30am) - 02/01/2007

    […] Talk about exemplifying the impact of Engin Atsur! Atsur’s mere presence on the court for State brings with it so many things that the rest of the squad lacks – senior experience, improved defense, good ballhandling, and good 3 point shooting. Don’t get sucked into playing What If? scenarios! […]

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