Curry 32-Footer Sinks Pack

WRAL Sports: Curry Drops 44 Points, Davidson 72 – NC State 67

Overall, I was really pleased with State’s performance and Sid’s gameplan. Without Curry’s prayer, State would have had the ball at the end shooting for the win (with OT as worst-case scenario). The effort was there, and the defense was much better. Until the last 8 minutes, the rebounding was solid (thus my only critique – would have liked to see more of Tracy Smith in the second half). Other thoughts:

– If Johnny Thomas was healthy, I’d like to see Courtney Fells thrown off the team. Kudos to Sid for benching him for most of the second half, even with 11 seconds left and State down three. What a waste. He should watch Trevor Ferguson out there busting his ass and hang his head in shame. NOTE: Radio guys are claiming Fells hurt his shoulder during the game. If that were true, it still doesn’t explain how he started the game in a fog. I also never saw him getting treatment (on the bench or going to locker room). Sorry, don’t buy it.

– The chip is back on Costner’s shoulder, and I mean that in a good way.

– CJ Williams is much better than I expected. Ladies and gentleman, meet your “glue guy.”

– NC State can be a middle-of-the-pack ACC team. If we had just one healthy PG that didn’t suck out loud, we could contend for an NCAA berth.

– I don’t think Farnold Degand is ever going to be right again. And without his lateral quickness, he can’t contribute at all. Very sad.

– Davidson sure has some douchebag fans, chanting for the asshole who got ejected after almost decapitating Trevor.

– I went a little nuys yelling at the TV at the end. Mike Gminski is such a dumbass, noting “The Davidson people don’t consider this an upset!” Well, no shit, Sherlock. Davidson made the Elite Eight last year, and return the best player in college basketball. NC State finished dead last in the ACC, and lost it’s best player. The game is played in Charlotte. Only a complete fucking moron would have considered it anything other than a huge upset if NC State had won the game!

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

08-09 Basketball

173 Responses to Curry 32-Footer Sinks Pack

  1. ktoh 12/06/2008 at 3:02 PM #

    Lowe will never be comfortable with any squad here what happens when Herb’s guys are gone it will be SOS. I wonder whose fault it shall be than?

  2. LRM 12/06/2008 at 3:04 PM #

    BJD,

    I’m respectfully disagreeing with your assessment of our effort. It was completely uninspiring.

    Tony Haynes also said he was pleased with our “effort and heart,” which is something they can build on. I’m curious which he watched, because here’s what I saw today:

    *We have no leadership. McCauley and Costner forfeited any chance of becoming our leader with their attitudes last season. Where was Fells the entire second half today? Leaders don’t get benched because they don’t do whatever it takes to get benched. No one has demonstrated either the desire or capacity to step up and lead this team.

    *Our defensive effort was pathetic. Go back and watch any one of the numerous drives where Mays chased Curry into the lane while Costner and McCauley stood flat-footed a few feet away as dispassionate observers.

    *Our rebounding is dreadful. We neither box out nor elevate on the boards, evidenced by the 41-33 advantage Davidson had over us, but highlighted by 23 second-chance points we allowed on 21 offensive boards. Simply appalling, since too often it was because of lackluster effort, poor technique, and being out of position. Three different times in the first half Davidson followed on missed shots because not a single State defender was within 10 feet of the basket. McCauley can talk all he wants about how hard he worked in the offseason, but right now it’s simply that: all talk.

    *19 Turnovers. We still don’t have anyone capable of running the point. Gonzalez looked lost most of the day and had seven turnovers.

    I’m not as disappointed by the loss as I am what our effort suggests about what we can expect from this team. I really wanted to believe that last season was an anomaly, but instead, the evidence all tends towards that 2007 March effort being the anomaly. You can’t chalk this one up to us simply getting beat by a better team today — although Davidson is, indeed, better — because Davidson didn’t play well: they had 14 turnovers and only nine assists (although that’s because Curry doesn’t pass), and shot only 38% from the floor and only 25% behind the arc.

    Lowe has his work cut out for him, because he’s shown very little evidence that he’s capable of fixing what ails us. I’m not calling for his head, nor have I given up on him, but we need to stop waiting around for Wall and Favors and focus on how to improve the current situation, because if today’s effort is indicative of what we can expect this season, we don’t have four conference wins in us.

  3. vtpackfan 12/06/2008 at 3:11 PM #

    Lucky for all of us we don’t play again until sat, against W-S State. It should be plenty of time to forget all about their existence. Between UNC/Duke?WF there will prob be 6 games for everyone to focus on.

  4. Scooter 12/06/2008 at 3:14 PM #

    Our team is awful. Did a state player hit a single fielgoal in the final 8 minutes? I can’t remember a single one we hit. We suck.

    Is Troy vs. Arkansas State on tv in the Raleigh area?

  5. BJD95 12/06/2008 at 3:18 PM #

    I thought Costner and McCauley rebounded OK until they were gassed late. We still hung in there punch for punch down the stretch, despite all of the shortcomings.

    It also depends on the range of possibilities you saw for this team. If you thought we should beat Davidson with Fells as a no-show, then you are DELUSIONAL. Period. I expected us to get beat soundly, even with a normal contribution from Fells and Degand being able to play. So, I am pleasantly surprised. Some of you apparently expected a miracle, which you didn’t get.

    Our worst-case scenario was to be even worse than last year, having added nobody special and lost our best player. The best-case scenario is being a so-so team that doesn’t lose to crappy opponents, manages 5 or 6 league wins, and makes the NIT.

    Right now, looks close to best case to me.

  6. wufpup76 12/06/2008 at 3:19 PM #

    “- Davidson sure has some douchebag fans, chanting for the asshole who got ejected after almost decapitating Trevor.”

    I couldn’t believe that … and they did it every time Fergs touched the ball the rest of the game … I know we’ve got some people like that, but I certainly wouldn’t hold up one of our players as great after a play like that … Their students were even clapping and high-fiving as Gohslen was being led away from the floor after being ejected … Seriously? Did you not watch the replay on the scoreboard? No play was made on the ball … Trevor could’ve been hurt pretty badly and I would’ve been just as upset if one of our guys had done something like that … Yeah, very classy Davidson fans

  7. vtpackfan 12/06/2008 at 3:20 PM #

    Davidson played very poorly, especially with TO’s, in the first half. We got a big bump from points off TO’s. That’s is something they normally do well in taking care of the ball.

    What we suck at is help defense and defensive rebounds. We sucked at it again today, there is no reason to think that any good team we play, and even some cupcakes, won’t exploit these areas.

    Considering the way things played out I consider us fortunate to have played this team so tightly. Anyone who honestly thinks we are going to “sneak” up on good teams this year needs to realize that good teams will have to be at the worst in certain areas of their game to help the cause.

  8. BJD95 12/06/2008 at 3:23 PM #

    Good news – BC getting spanked in ACC title game.

  9. Rick 12/06/2008 at 3:25 PM #

    ” thought Costner and McCauley rebounded OK until they were gassed late.”

    Which makes no sense considering you have such a talented Smith sitting on the bench.

    I am baffled at the coaching moves.
    This is his third year and he has not brought in a decent guard yet.

  10. wolfonthehill 12/06/2008 at 3:28 PM #

    “Our worst-case scenario was to be even worse than last year, having added nobody special and lost our best player. The best-case scenario is being a so-so team that doesn’t lose to crappy opponents, manages 5 or 6 league wins, and makes the NIT.

    Right now, looks close to best case to me.”

    I’m quite sorry to disagree, but in Year 3, a coach should be expected to deliver more than you’re accepting as ‘best case’.”

    The fact that the expectations of NC State fans have sunk this far is an embarrassment of which I will not be a part. I expect better. I expect progress. I see none.

    By the way, half these players are now Sid’s. Enough of the “he needs his own players” argument. It’s tired, and it’s a lame excuse. If Sid can’t get Sendek recruits to play in his system… and play WELL in his system… within THREE YEARS, then he’s in over his head.

    PERIOD. (As you liked to say above)

  11. highstick 12/06/2008 at 3:30 PM #

    If you were pleased with this performance both from the players and the coaches, you were at a different game than I was. Now I’ll go back and read “the rest of the thread”. All we had to do the last 7 minute was work on their players with 3 and 4 fouls, rebound, and slow Curry down just a bit! Not rocket science!

    Poor, very poor performance!

  12. #44 17 24 12/06/2008 at 3:30 PM #

    I am not happy at all. We didn’t deserve to win this one. On offense, we should have gone inside, inside, and even more inside. Our effort on the defensive glass was complete crap. We are lucky we didn’t lose by 10 or more considering all the shots Davidson missed inside after offensive rebound after offensive rebound. I will never understand this team. They play down to their competition. I give mad props to Curry of course, but even he missed 6 straight shots during a 4 or 5 miutes stretch and all we did was:
    A- Not rebound.
    B- Turn the ball over like we hated it.
    We are going to lose 10 ACC games this year AT LEAST.

  13. burnbarn 12/06/2008 at 3:33 PM #

    I think we played better in this game than ANY game we played last year. I saw alot of improvement and I think the team hustled and showed heart. We just aren’t very good and we still have the poor rebounding culture of Sendek’s term. It ain’t gonna change until those players move on.
    Not sure what happened with T Smith.. He sure got beat on D badly a few times and maybe that is it. I thought he could have helped before the end so either Ben or Brandon would not have been as tired.
    I think we do marginaly better than last season… which is good considering what we lost from that team.

  14. highstick 12/06/2008 at 3:38 PM #

    Yea, I think those jerk Davidson fans were next to me. I couldn’t believe it as I’d always held Davidson in much higher respect, but after the way their fans acted today, they must be frustrated Tarhole fans cause that was the worst bit of bad sportsmanship that I’ve ever seen at a basketball game. You won’t be getting any sympathy from me when your program goes back “under a rock” when Curry graduates!

    Those guys were yelling “F U State” the whole time after that! Maybe the entrance requirements at Davidison aren’t that difficult and all you need is “yo Daddy’s money”!!

  15. Wolfpack F-14 12/06/2008 at 3:40 PM #

    Wolfonthehill said. “The fact that the expectations of NC State fans have sunk this far is an embarrassment”

    I completely agree!! We are totally irrelevant in college basketball.

  16. wufpup76 12/06/2008 at 3:44 PM #

    I don’t think Troy – Ark. State is on tv anywhere up here …

    ECU just won the C-USA title, and Buffalo beat previously undefeated Ball State pretty soundly last night

    GT and Vandy are in a close one right now, and Duke-Michigan is underway …

    And what was it coming up at 4:00? … Oh, yeah – Bama vs. Florida

    At least there are other things going on to help me forget about the 80 offensive rebounds we gave up in the 2nd half today …

  17. 61Packer 12/06/2008 at 3:45 PM #

    Unfortunately for us, this Davidson team is nowhere near as good as their team was last season, and they’re probably weaker than most of the ACC teams we’ll face later. I remember the Everett Case teams from the 1950s and compared to those teams, this team looks lost when it comes to fundamentals such as team defense, blocking out, and when to take a shot and when not to.

    If I were running this team, Brandon Costner would do extra laps every time he even looked for a shot from beyond the free-throw line, the same for Javi Gonzales every time he took a shot from anywhere on the floor unless it was a layup or free throw. And those would not be the only personnel changes by any means.

    So now we’ll return home and continue to beat up on more cupcakes in hopes of getting enough wins to get to the post-season, and when January arrives, our lack of preparation for better competition will be obvious.

    I’m really encouraged with the future outlook of our football program right now, but our basketball program is FUBAR. Until we get a coaching staff that knows how to teach basketball as a team sport and not as a halfcourt one-on-one talent contest, we’re going to continue our stay in the lower levels of the ACC. And until we get an administration who understands just how far-gone this basketball program is and where it’s headed, the best we can hope for is mediocrity.

    And I have a message for the AD. Don’t think that just because many of us LTR fans are finacially committed that we’ll continue to buy season tickets for the non-conference teams we’ve been bringing in here the past few years, or even show up for these games. You CANNOT build a solid basketball program or fan base by beating up cupcake teams each season.

  18. haze 12/06/2008 at 3:47 PM #

    Lots of good points.

    Personally, I thought…
    * Effort wasn’t bad on D or O.
    * Williams is good, add 15lbs + experience and he’s very good.
    * Trevor now a solid glue guy.
    * Rebounding was mediocre in the 2nd half but no worse than typical.
    * PG was a problem… Degand not right, Javy w/ TO’s, Mays OK.
    * Fells & Horner were invisible.
    * Smith was underutilized.
    * Mac & Costner are the offense.
    * BACKCOURT CANNOT SCORE… AT ALL.

    The latter point is the biggest, IMO. We have to get scoring from positions 1-3 or we are dead.

  19. Archdale Pack Fan 12/06/2008 at 3:53 PM #

    If they play an entire game like they did in the first half today, the Pack can be respectable in the ACC (7-9, 8-8) Rebounding is what cost us the game. I know Fells played a bad game today, but he had been playing very well up until today. We better hope he does not have a serious injury because he is our best 3 point shooter and maybe our best athlete. We cannot have a winning season without him.

  20. BJD95 12/06/2008 at 3:59 PM #

    Go back and re-read my posts from late last season. We simply hired another coach who wasn’t ready for the job. I wanted to see evidence that Sid at least learned from the many mistakes he made his first new years, and I am seeing it. We don’t have a good team, but I’m much happier with how they are playing.

    That’s step one. Next, we have to improve personnel, and the 2009 and 2010 classes will do that. If Sid has learned how to coach college athletes, then we could be pretty good next year and really good in 2010. If not, he gets fired.

    Yeah, it would have been nice if NC State would have hired a coach who was ready on Day One. But we didn’t. At this point, we can only go forward as best we can. Do you want Fowler making another hire before we see if Sid has learned or not?

  21. Dogbreath 12/06/2008 at 3:59 PM #

    Irrelevance, folks. University of San Francisco-East. Thanks Jed and Jim.

  22. Dogbreath 12/06/2008 at 4:03 PM #

    But we had a fabulous player 35 years ago.

  23. cowdog 12/06/2008 at 4:04 PM #

    Yes this basketball team lacks back court talent. This is precisely why it is inexcusable to give up 23 second chance pts. on 21 offensive rebounds.

    It does not take talent to rebound on the defensive glass. For that matter, it does not take talent to help defensively off the weak side. It takes want. Unfortunately this bunch has a track record of showing the lack want.

    I don’t care how you slice it, giving up 21 ORs and commiting 18 TOs is very reminicent of last year.

  24. Gene 12/06/2008 at 4:04 PM #

    Tracy Smith has a knack for scoring and rebounding close to the basket. I don’t get why he doesn’t see more minutes. When he’s in good things seem to happen.

    For all the LTR guys, look up what Washington did to push Turner out and follow their lead. Nothing is going to change unless Lee goes and we got a real AD.

  25. wbnation 12/06/2008 at 4:10 PM #

    Wow I basically watched a rerun of last years team, but without a big man who was a 1st round NBA pick. This team will be lucky to not finish dead last again this year. We still can’t rebound. What its been like 18 years since a state team could rebound? We have no guard play. Not one of these guards would be a scholarship player at any other ACC school. State has played 4 cupcakes and Davidson and hasn’t scored over 80 points in any of these games. States probably averaging what 65 points a game, and this against inferior opponents. Davidson while being an elite team last year, is not the same team this year. They have average players surrounding an elite player, but most good teams will beat this team and most mediocre teams will win a few against these guys. State would probably lose 4 out of 5 games it played against this team and that just doesn’t cut it.

    This team will at best be 6-10 in the ACC and worst they may only win 2-3 games in the ACC. I have been a fan of Sid and think we need to give him time, unfortunately he will have his best recruiting class coming in next year, his fourth season, and a lot of pressure is going to be there for this thing to turn around dramatically with a young team. Sid is really going to have to do a better job this year to get these guys to play better and together and to play above their talent level if he plans on not being on the hot seat with a talented YOUNG recruiting class next season. This is a very important season for the pack, and as of today its not looking like a very bright future for this coaching staff. A coach must have his teams getting better each season(even if only marginally) to be able to show progress. Coaches whos teams digress will be either out on their butts or under great pressure to make a miraculous turn around. Just ask Charlie Weiss.

    ps. wasn’t there supposed to have been some big moves within the coaching staff before the beginning of this season. Some heads were supposed to roll. What happened with that? Same assistant coaching staff with same players minus all american seems to me to equal same effort on the floor. Just an observation.

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