(UPDATED 10:25pm) We Don’t Think This Was One Of Grant’s Four Predicted Losses: UNO 65, NC State 63

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After watching both performances turned in by this year’s Wolfpack, it is already clear to me that we will be facing two primary challenges/hurdles that need to be overcome if we are going to have a successful 2007-2008 Basketball campaign:

(1) Effectively managing minutes, playing time, and egos.
(2) Outside shooting.

Neither of these items was unexpected heading into this season, but effects of both issues couldn’t be more obvious after two games.

The guard rotation of Farnold Degand, Dennis Horner, Javi Gonzalez, Courtney Fells and Trevor Ferguson simply MUST nail open three pointers when provided the opportunity. We aren’t suggesting that they need to be Terry Gannon out there…but, these guys will be provided anywhere between 4 and 10 WIDE OPEN jumpers per game and they simply MUST nail the attempt (for points AND to open the floor for our big men) if the Wolfpack expects to win 20+ games this season.

Tonight, this group shot 2 of 10 from behind the three point arc and Trevor Ferguson didin’t even attempt a shot in twelve minutes of playing time.

Speaking of Ferguson, after reviewing tonight’s game we (unfortunately) uncovered a phenomenon we now think is called the “Trevor Tremor” to describe the impact to the scoreboard that takes place when Ferguson is on the floor. Tonight, NC State was outscored 20-7 in the twelve minutes Ferguson was on the floor. (We only lost by two points).

(a) In the first half, Ferguson entered at the 14:44 mark with the Pack up 13-9; he exited the game with Pack down 13-16 with 9:32 remaining.

(b) In the second half, Ferguson entered the game with State ahead 41-33; he left with 8:17 remaining and State holding just 48-46 lead.

Coach Lowe needs to scrap this concept of a 10-man roster if we aren’t going to press &/or exert more effort on defense. What is the point of playing 10 men if the players don’t play hard enough to get tired when they are out there? Hell, you could play your 7 or 8 best players and have a much better opportunity of winning games if you aren’t playing a pressuring defense.

State’s bench of Gonzalez, Ferguson, McCauley, Smith and Horner scored only three points in 52 minutes of play! ‘The bench’ combined for 1 of 11 shooting from the field on offense; and whomever Ferguson was supposed to be guarding played with the confidence and offensive proficiency of Michael Jordan.

In short, the following contributed to tonight’s unexpected and unacceptable upset:

– Continued poor shooting from the outside (31.2% from the three point line)
– Lazy Defense
– Idiotic intentional foul
– No emotion
– Lack of intensity and focus
(a) just look at the free throw shooting of 52.6%
(b) we were OUT REBOUNDED by a team who fielded a significantly shorter player than us at EVERY position.


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07-08 Basketball

94 Responses to (UPDATED 10:25pm) We Don’t Think This Was One Of Grant’s Four Predicted Losses: UNO 65, NC State 63

  1. PackerInRussia 11/19/2007 at 12:20 AM #

    It’s been suggested that this loss is hopefully similar to UNC’s loss to Santa Clara (still went on to win the NC). IIRC, UNC was playing sans Raymond Felton that game, so there was a little bit bigger of a reason for their loss, although from the sound of it, maybe some of you are saying lack of PG is also (one of) our problem(s)?

  2. StateFans 11/19/2007 at 12:22 AM #

    ^ The UNC-Santa Clara allusion is probably made by the same people that post reminders that Dereck Whittenburg got hurt in 1983 EVERY SINGLE TIME that we have an injury. As you stated in your comments…there isn’t much else that is similar.

  3. Anthony Grundy 11/19/2007 at 12:30 AM #

    McCauley derseves to be upset. He’s a great passer and get’s everyone involved in the game. Otherwise, our offense is too predictable.

  4. JeremyH 11/19/2007 at 12:32 AM #

    ok, i get it. McCauley feels like he’s been replaced as the big body down low, and Costner feels like he’s been replaced as the leading scoring threat. McCauley is getting no minutes, and Hickson is getting more shots than both of them combined. This is simply a symptom of our overload at forward and our underload at guard. If we try to put our best players out there we can’t handle the ball, but them we can’t hit an open jumper cause our guards are so green (or bad)? Definitely going to be a challenge for coach Sid. Let’s look back at this situation in March and see how effective he was at addressing it. Can’t wait to have Marquees Johnson in there from what I’ve heard.

  5. sf59 11/19/2007 at 12:37 AM #

    BC and Ben need an attitude adj… was Ben ever really sick… sick after he didn’t get the start maybe.

  6. Dr. BadgerPack 11/19/2007 at 12:38 AM #

    I will fess up and say I think I was wrong in WAY earlier posts– I was one of the first to say McCauley was best suited for the substitute role. Unless there is a physical ailment, I was clearly wrong. This team needs him to work as he did last year to be effective; otherwise the “depth” doesn’t really exist. I would expect a starting lineup shuffle, in order to see who CAN play well off the bench.

  7. packpigskinfan23 11/19/2007 at 12:40 AM #

    Big Ben does deserve to be upset. Ben had this team on his back ALL YEAR last year, and is the most selfless player on the court. A lot of our turnovers tonight were due to trying TOO hard to get JJ the ball.

  8. Dr. BadgerPack 11/19/2007 at 12:46 AM #

    Being “the most selfless” player on the team is the reason I thought he’d do well off the bench… That’s what I get for thinking.

  9. packpigskinfan23 11/19/2007 at 12:50 AM #

    he will make it through this, but I do think Coach needs to do something about the JJ situation, and it taking priority over the whole program. Its all that is talked about, and shouldnt be. I ran into Fells at FoodLion the other night, and talked to him… even he couldnt help but talk about JJ and only JJ.

  10. packpigskinfan23 11/19/2007 at 12:57 AM #

    I see him quite often, but me being 5’8″ 160lbs I havent really had the balls to talk shit!! While talking about Hickson I told him that I was sure he had no problem dunking on JJ, and Courtney could only laugh and say “Oh, I have before… I can get him sometimes!”

  11. BJD95 11/19/2007 at 1:06 AM #

    If you would have told me before the game that somebody was going to make a game-turning play that was incredibly dumb and lazy, I would have known you were talking about Fells. That nonsense and Degand gagging at the foul line cost us the game. Period.

    Still, there are bigger problems on this team than those 2 huge lapses, so maybe the loss keeps us from pretending not to notice.

    The problem with Lowe’s rotation is that it seems like a true “wave” pattern. Logically, the 6th and 7th men should get more time than the other reserves, but that isn’t really happening.

  12. wbnation 11/19/2007 at 1:14 AM #

    not being able to shoot from the outside and DEFENSE is what lost this game. Did we ever play zone? That team was known as a terrible outside shooting team. They had no size and the only way to beat state would be to beat his man off the dribble and penetrate, which they did all night. If we play zone and pack it in make them take outside shots the majority of the time and rebound we blow that team out.

    I know its early, and Lowe is trying to see who can play what, where and when in different situations, but what I liked about Lowe last year was that he seemed to make the right adjustments. Tonight I didn’t see any adjustments. He like the team just assumed that when the clock struck zero State would be ahead. And as all state fans and coaches should nkow that you never assume crap.

    I see state hopefully going .500 in ACC play, but the team and coaches need to focus a lot harder if even that is to be reached.

  13. bTHEredterror 11/19/2007 at 1:14 AM #

    “I remain mystified by the talk of Brandon Coster going pro. He must play some sport I don’t know about.”

    I’m not mystified, but I certainly don’t think he’s ready at this point. His size is tweener in the NBA, which may get him a shot as a second round pick. He’s a matchup problem as much as a dominant player at this level and that rarely translates.

    Ferguson is gettin minutes that should go to Johnson when he’s ready.

    Gonzalez is just too young at this point, he’s got to get used to the level of competition first. He’s got the better upside IMO, and made some good passes and got the team into something of an offense a few times. Degand is also fairly green at this point, and it’s too early to say he’s good or not. I agree with the sentiment of others…..let’s see what Johnson can do, but all’s not lost. Some of what’s going on is chemistry, and this road trip to Orlando should help. Bottom line they weren’t ready to play, and it bit ’em hard.

  14. HungryLikeTheWolf 11/19/2007 at 1:19 AM #

    hey,

    i was up in the cheap seats tonight and i never found out what happened to the spin move basket that Hickson made. They took away the 2pts. Why?

    I was also disappointed in the team’s play tonight. Very little effort by many. However, Grant, Hickson, and IMHO Degand came to play. They all put in effort. Although some of you guys aren’t happy with Degand’s play, at least he was putting forth some effort.

    Another thing I’d like to bring up. I’m all for showing love for great play and for giving standing ovations for great players when they walk off the floor, but I feel bad for the rest of the team every time the audience starts chanting Hickson’s name.

  15. Trip 11/19/2007 at 1:24 AM #

    ^^^ I was about to say the same thing HLTW said about the crowd chanting Hickson’s name. While we try to say that it’s about the team, we turn around and only chant Hickson’s name. Now, I know that the others haven’t exactly given an outstanding performance yet, but I don’t think Costner or anyone from last year ever got their name chanted in the arena and they played some outstanding basketball at times.

  16. McPete 11/19/2007 at 1:25 AM #

    JJ is not the problem. he plays hard out there and is clearly the best player on the team. he should start and the offense should go to him alot. but i’d rather have big ben out there over costner right now. there are guys simply not playing hard enough to stay on the court and that’s why fergeson is getting minutes. he was at the two, subbing for Fells-who did nothing all night. and the passing is simply pathetic. grant, fells, costner. and did you know that UNO had a rebounding advantage at halftime? why?

  17. BigRed 11/19/2007 at 1:30 AM #

    Here’s my take FWIW –

    The big missing factors
    1) discipline and the running of organized play
    2) respect for opponent and resultant focus (esp. D)
    3) a 3 point game
    4) chemistry

    Discipline’s gotta start with coaching and be channeled through a floor leader. I love Sid, his personality, in game coaching skills, attitude and recruiting are just fantastic. But I wonder if the NBA style of play might not be creeping in on us. The hallmarks of that play are an over reliance on star play and gunning for quick buckets instead of utilizing the whole team. Sadly, that’s what I’ve just seen out there. We’ve got to get away from that develop some chemistry and use all five guys.

    Hopefully any starry eyed estimations of this team’s fate have gone out the window tonight and we won’t underestimate another team this season.

    The PG position is a natural for leadership, but Engin’s gone and our options are talented, but green. Not ready for the role of team captain.

    Sidney can help out with the PG decision making by continuing to call in most every play from the sidelines as he did last year.

    But who will lead on the floor? The other players being put out there seem to be chosen solely for talent level. Good as far as it goes, but where does your poise, decision making, leadership and intelligence come from? My choice for this role is Ben McCauley. He’s smart, always in the right place, and can keep plays organized from the high or low post. Did anyone else notice that our play was a lot more structured when he was in?

    Our best raw talent on the floor seems to be Hickson, Costner and Grant. Beautiful skills, but maybe not the best when it comes to knowing what’s right to execute on next. We need to keep a package out there that uses them, but with some guidance.

    Should our front court should feature some mix of Ben(4)+JJ(5) or Ben(5)+Brandon(4) for 30+ minutes of the game? Can we get a playbook to leverage those lineups?

    And we’ve got to keep some 3 point options in the game. Taking into account the rest of their gameplay, I’d say our best options are Fells and Horner. Add 2nd options of Costner and Grant as hopefully 30% shooters. Work our PGs on this aspect as well. Given their talents this may mean working on their shot, or just working on their decision making and passing. With Ben in to dish to the shooters from the inside, our averages have to go up.

    As for chemistry, that should emerge when we concentrate the minutes on our most effective group of players and demand teamwork from that smaller group.

  18. McPete 11/19/2007 at 1:34 AM #

    oh wait, we were outrebounded, period. wow. that is truly sad.

    but i think the point guards played ok.

    i also notice that just about everyone for state bites on the pump fake and UNO scored some easy buckets that way.

  19. JeremyH 11/19/2007 at 2:04 AM #

    bigred: i like the theories you articulated. I think this plays into what BJD95 had to say about “waves”. I think the frustration from the returning players is thinking coach is not showing respect for the accomplishments that resulted from their chemistry, and everything is piece-meal and has no continuity.

    if I read it correctly there should a sort of “subrotation” where our strengths as a team are somehow consistently represented. I think this is why I am pulling for Horner to get more time when our shooting is struggling, for example. I hope Lowe recognizes these items and realizes he may need a more fine-grained substitution strategy. Although the front-line is overloaded, the team would benefit with more passing IQ out on the floor in Ben.

  20. StateFans 11/19/2007 at 2:13 AM #

    ^ I couldn’t agree more about seeing Horner absorb more minutes, like the mins of Ferguson. Even though he seems to be struggling thusfar this year, Horner proved an ability to contribute last season.

  21. packpigskinfan23 11/19/2007 at 2:15 AM #

    McPete- I dont mean to say that Hickson himself is the problem, just the way the team is reacting to him and his talent. I still dont like how he never looks for the pass and how the team has gone into a “get JJ the ball” mentality. I had some ignorant asshole behind me at the game that thought the only offense we should of had was a dunk by Hickson. I mean, when you have guys like Costner and Fells who can shoot lights out from the arc, you HAVE to use them. If you never go to them they dont get in any rhythm shooting and that is not a good thing at all.

  22. Ismael 11/19/2007 at 2:22 AM #

    if the audience is chanting someone else’s name on my team, it would make me play harder if all i am about is the crowd chanting my name.

    I was gonna ask did it appear to those who have seen the last two games at the RBC center if BC or BM appear to be sulking?

  23. StateFans 11/19/2007 at 2:26 AM #

    ^Absolutely.

  24. tooyoungtoremember 11/19/2007 at 2:42 AM #

    I don’t think egos or sulking are the problem. The coaches, especially Towe, would have known how to address that from the very beginning. After all, he was the one who played with the ultimate wonderfreshman.

  25. Ismael 11/19/2007 at 3:14 AM #

    reality check: as many have said, these early season games are the ones that you want to lose if you have to lose games. Think about TOB for a sec, all the players said they haven’t done the first thing different in practice for the last 11 weeks, players just had to “get it” and then it takes off.

    All the coaching in the world isn’t gonna help kids who have to adjust to each other, adjust to new roles, etc. If JJ Hickson is the best person on the team (and it looks like he is), his ass better be starting. Whatever we think of McCauley and Costner and what those guys did last year, that was last year, this is this year. Those guys weren’t challenged for playing time last year; now they will be, and if Sid keeps recruiting like he has, you better believe guys who start and play are gonna be the ones who earn it. As Sid has said, the players dictate their playing time, not the coaches.

    Honestly this is a welcome relief. Last year’s bball team was just a patchwork job, NCSU basketball is getting transformed into a big-time program and with that comes an adjustment in fans thinking. You think about Ol’Roy and Shashefski, do u think for a minute they care if someone who started for four years is supplanted by a 18yr old phenom….exactly. This is the ACC, this is about coaches who make 7 figures to win bball games. not sure where i was going with all that.

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