ACC Basketball Opener – On the Road at daU

Welp folks, the preliminaries are finished.  It’s time for the main event.

The Pack got thru a weak OOC schedule relatively unscathed, managing to only stub its toe once.

Well, twice if you consider how badly Creighton beat our asses….but the loss to Creighton itself isn’t shameful.

But Illinois?  Even on the road.  We shoulda gotten that one.  We folded like a cheap suit that night.

But that’s in the rear view at this point, time to look ahead.  Have you noticed that since that WTF loss to Illinois, and two very nailbiter types to lesser programs (4 pt win over Boston U and an overtime Heritage game with TennState) the Pack has actually started looking the part of the team with a bit of a killer instinct?  I mean I realize the competition was not ACC caliber….but….

But for four straight games now, the Pack has managed to not play down to the competition.  Foot on the throat….killer instinct.

Will it continue?  Dunno.  But I hope so.

There are reasons to be concerned, as usual of late.  There will be many questions which will need to be answered.  Expectations should be tempered, to be sure.

As far as personnel, the team is at full strength and healthy for the first time all year.  It’s a young team.  There will still be growing pains.

But we’re 11-2.  Currently, our RPI sits at #32.  Which freaking amazes me, quite frankly.

If we gel and exceed expectations even slightly, we should dance.  Don’t you think?

Miami Hurricanes

How good are they?  What are their strengths and weaknesses?  Who the heck knows at this point?

They were predicted to be upper echelon.  Like top four double bye level.  But they’ve looked weak so far if I’m being honest.  Their competition level has been worse than ours, and they’ve fared no better.  Of course we know that means little at this point.

But currently they’re 10-2 and have looked more meh than we have, against lesser competition.

So, I’m not even going to try to analyze them at this point any further than that.  I don’t get paid enough for that kind of dedication.

 

Dennis. Smith. Junior.

DSJslam

In case you hadn’t noticed, this guy’s been getting some attention lately.

WATCH: N.C. State freshman Dennis Smith Jr. flashes NBA tangibles with vicious one-handed slam (CBSSports.com)

Number four, with a bullet….just saying….

4. Dennis Smith (NC State)

Smith suffered a torn ACL in high school but hasn’t shown any lingering issues since arriving at NC State. The only obvious concern with the athletic point guard is his inability to consistently make jumpers.

Or maybe number six????  Meh, still pretty good….

6. Dennis Smith, Jr., NC State

Last week: No. 7

18.9 PPG, 5.5 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.8 steals, 48.6 2-pt%, 38.5 3-pt%, 114.3 ORtg

Smith had 23 points, six assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in NC State’s 89-57 win over McNeese State last week. I’ve been saying it for a few weeks now: Smith is having the best season that nobody’s paying attention to. With ACC games on tap, that is sure to change in the next two weeks. Right now, he’s right on Josh Jackson’s heels for top-five status. Smith is a two-way player; if he can get his turnover rate down from 2.8 per game to about 2.0, the Wolfpack will become even more well-rounded.

I have a feeling DSJ is only just now beginning to emerge.  Expect some bumpy adjustments as he hits the ACC Schedule.  But by March, this dude is going to be sick good I think.

And he’s got company.  We’ve got talent on this team.  Like seriously, on paper, I really like this team.

As usual with NC State, the question is can we maximize it?

This is going to be a bumpy season, I’m quite certain.  But I am hopeful that by March, we might have figured out a way to do some damage.

I think we can.

I hope we will.

Basketball, dammit.

At this point I will turn it over to Kurtis Blow….

OK Dudes.  Time to get this thing going…..

Go Pack!!!!!

About Wufpacker

A 2nd generation alumnus and raised since birth to be irrationally dedicated to all things NC State. Class of '88 and '92.

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Home Forums ACC Basketball Opener – On the Road at daU

Viewing 25 posts - 151 through 175 (of 179 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #113449
    TheAliasTroll
    Participant

    ^Does this mean we’re changing Conferences?

    I think we could do nicely in the Sun Belt.

    #113450
    Rick
    Keymaster
    #113452
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    We might learn a little something this coming week…

    We GOTT the Hokies, coming off a Big Victory over Dook, in the PNC Wednesday night at 9pm, and…
    We play in the NoseDome Saturday….

    I don’t know which game will be the toughest…

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #113453
    wolfpack92owen
    Participant

    Fastback – that’s a great story and probably true.

    And that’s my problem with Gott. I just don’t see evidence that excellence is demanded and attention to detail is demanded.

    I think he’s a good coach and I think he has patience with his pets. And I don’t think we will win a championship here. I hope I am wrong.

    His teams absolutely improve as the year goes on, but I think a little improvement earlier would go a long way to get us in a better position to win those championships.

    I dont know how in the hell this myth keeps getting repeated but its patently false. In short he is a .500 coach in both of his conferences. In the last ten games from the past 5 years his record is basically .500. where this “his teams get better at the end of the year” crap came from is just bogus. He is a .500 coach. thats it.

    But for some God knows reason Big Deb gave him a contract of a lifetime and he is all ours for 3 more years. She will absolutely never admit this mistake after she has pumped him up at every public function I have seen her at.

    Gott is a .500 coach and is making 2 million per year. Let that sink in. If we are a bubble team or God forbid miss it all together any other AD would walk him out the door but not Yow. Its pretty crazy.

    #113454
    Rick
    Keymaster

    If he misses the tournament (which I don’t think he will) then that would be missing the tournament in years 5&6, one of which is his most talented team. That should be a kick out the door but a bad contact and lame duck AD would keep that from happening.

    #113455
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    This is where the house of cards starts to collapse

    Wait…this is the opposite of every narrative I have heard from you guys. This guy is saying that Smith has no talent around him, that Y7 is the only other NBA caliber player on the team (probably true, and he is questionable at this point), and that he is not particularly impressed with Smith’s talents either. You guys have been saying we are over loaded with talent and the only thing holding us back is GOTT’s coaching ability. What gives…which is it?

    #113456
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    The Survey says… The WOLFPACK Nation sees more problems with Dr.Debbie than with Coaches…

    If true, why do we rant on our Coaches?

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #113457
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    Careful BotB…one thing I have learned without a doubt is that this site does NOT speak for WOLFPACK Nation. Not even close. As for me, I have a great deal of respect for Yow and appreciate what she has accomplished.

    #113458
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    where this “his teams get better at the end of the year” crap came from is just bogus.

    It comes from the teams showings in the ACC & NCAA tournaments

    #113459
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Careful BotB…one thing I have learned without a doubt is that this site does NOT speak for WOLFPACK Nation. Not even close. As for me, I have a great deal of respect for Yow and appreciate what she has accomplished.

    Which is what?
    Non revenue success, spending money, embarrassing coaching searches and no championship’s in revenue sports?

    #113460
    Rick
    Keymaster

    This is where the house of cards starts to collapse

    Wait…this is the opposite of every narrative I have heard from you guys. This guy is saying that Smith has no talent around him, that Y7 is the only other NBA caliber player on the team (probably true, and he is questionable at this point), and that he is not particularly impressed with Smith’s talents either. You guys have been saying we are over loaded with talent and the only thing holding us back is GOTT’s coaching ability. What gives…which is it?

    So your point is Gott cannot bring in talent?
    OK.

    #113461
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    Which is what?

    Not enough talent, as the article you attached asserted, or GOTT cannot coach, as you usually assert? It was a separate question from the one about Yow.

    #113462
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    My point is you are going to find everything and anything to find fault with him regardless, even if you have to contradict yourself.

    #113465
    McCallum
    Participant

    I’m with Troll.

    Sun Belt

    McCallum

    #113466
    bill.onthebeach
    Participant

    H8r… duh… I have other ‘contacts/friends/acquaintances/etc’ all across the WOLFPACK Nation from elites to peons… not just here, although I really like you guys best…

    My Survey says what the survey says…

    the is one statistical caveat… fwiw…

    Dissatisfaction with Coaches is broader but less severe…
    Dissatisfaction with Dr. Debbie is deeper (more intense) but among a narrower range of folks…

    Normalize that…
    Dr. Debbie wins by two lengths…

    Add in the who’s talking factor…
    Dr. Debbie wins running away…

    That said… it appears “they” have chosen to ride her out….

    #NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!
    #113467
    wolfpack92owen
    Participant

    where this “his teams get better at the end of the year” crap came from is just bogus.

    It comes from the teams showings in the ACC & NCAA tournaments

    thats lol funny right there

    #113468
    wolfpack92owen
    Participant

    Careful BotB…one thing I have learned without a doubt is that this site does NOT speak for WOLFPACK Nation. Not even close. As for me, I have a great deal of respect for Yow and appreciate what she has accomplished.

    what the hell has she accomplished in the grand scheme of things?

    Please spare me the faux Sears Cup (or whatever its called now) rankings. The rubber meets the road in the revenue sports

    #113469
    Rick
    Keymaster

    My point is you are going to find everything and anything to find fault with him regardless, even if you have to contradict yourself.

    And how did I contradict myself? I pointed out an article that is bad for the program. Not the rosey picture you seem to want to portray.

    #113470
    StateRed44
    Participant

    We are one of the very few teams to beat Villanova over the last 3 years. And that was in March in the big dance. Probably our best win as a program since coach V. Let that sink in. His teams absolutely improve as the year goes on. If you can’t see that you are either not bright or honest.

    #113471
    Heelh8r
    Participant

    I get it BotB… I should have thought of that.

    Truth is, I don’t keep up with what the AD does. It’s not on my radar. Not that long ago, not that many would even know who the AD was. That part of following the Pack doesn’t interest me. But what I do see when I come back to Raleigh amazes me. I see the football facilities, the basketball facilities, seeing Doak Field just blows my mind remembering how it looked when I was there. I see what has been done with Reynolds. Our athletic department seems like a first class operation to me, not just looking at the wins and losses. As far as coach hires go, I believe DD is building a program like we have never had. I haven’t given up on him, and even if he ultimately is not successful, I don’t believe he was a bad hire. We can see things that are not his strong points, but we were not hiring a long established prominent coach nor did we pay for one. As far as Gott, he may or may not ultimately be successful as some of you guys define it, but he was a good hire also at the time and he has certainly raised the profile of our program. It’s not easy to build a consistent winner, and there are just as many frustrated fans at other schools as ours. He has brought in some big time recruits, but the competition is tough and his job is tough.

    So overall, I’d say what she has done is make us look good. But you will make fun of that if you only hold her responsible for W’s in the revenue sports.

    #113473
    13OT
    Participant

    The fuh-cilities!

    #113474
    rthomas44
    Participant

    Heelh8r is right and this is why DY and her boss, Woodson get paid. Blogs are bs.

    #113475
    phcqmfd
    Participant

    Great hires:
    Pop for the grapplers
    West for the WBB
    Swimming and Diving coach

    It has been since I graduated in fall of 93 since we had been good in those three sports. It seems that all anyone cares about here is MBB and Football. Deb has raised the profile in the non-rev sports dramatically. We will see on the football hire next year, basketball, gott is a elite 8 at best.

    #113477
    wolfpack92owen
    Participant

    We are one of the very few teams to beat Villanova over the last 3 years. And that was in March in the big dance. Probably our best win as a program since coach V. Let that sink in. His teams absolutely improve as the year goes on. If you can’t see that you are either not bright or honest.

    His teams record over the last 10 games of the regular season in his tenure at State is .500. Feel free to do the research if you dont believe me. I am sure if you did the same from his time at bama it would look similar. He is a career .500 coach. From a w/l perspective its patently false that his teams improve over the course of the season.

    #113478
    Adventuroo
    Participant

    I did not participate in the “events” or post during the game and let things slide a bit. I did watch a bit of Gottfried’s show early this morning. To sum it up…in the original story line of your autobiography…

    It was a Dark and Storm day when I first put my young and inexperienced (numbers were quoted) team into their opening ACC game…..

    I think the comments sum it up….especially this one….

    Unless you are a micro-manager of an in game coach (see Sidney Lowe) then 95% of coaching is done prior to games. We can see who did a better job coaching prior to this game.

    The other is comments about our talent dwarfing their’s and their coaching dwarfing ours.

    I would point out a bit of history. Jim Valvano was probably the WORSE coach, from a practice and planning standpoint, that we ever, ever had. If you read the comments in his books and also the comments and stories in the books written about him, practice was sort of a bonding and necessary evil.

    He was NOT the taskmaster that Gottfried is. Gottfried’s practices are literally controlled to the minute. Can’t recall if he is using note cards or an iPad or a big video display, but he and staff lay them out and those that are responsible (assistants on defense or scout team scrimmages) MUST have the same military preciseness in their sub sections. He DOES do a tremendous amount of scouting and that focuses on how to DEFY their potential defenses.

    Sidney Lowe was a product of Valvano. Valvano’s approach was impacted by his early years as a JV or Freshmen coach. You had NO game film. You called a few coaches and tried to weasel out of them HOW your opponent was going to play. Then you let the game sort of “FLOW” during the first half. You were more involved in studying the team during the first half. You did make some subtle changes to keep it as close to even (if you were dominated).

    THEN, during the half, it was a crash course in CHANGES. Once you had the team in the “This is what we’re gonna do…” mindset, THEN he became the maestro on the sidelines and “conducted” the team. He was a brilliant defense strategist. He was also a motivator that understood HOW to get the most (O and D) from his players.

    I would NOT say that the current staff is endowed with such talent….

    I guess that we shall see how well the “Young and Inexperienced” team is COACHED and MOTIVATED for subsequent outings.

    DJS reminded me of CJL….I am the STAR….I GOTTA take control. There was only a brief 5 minute time during the game when we actually followed the “Bob and Weave and Pass and Shoot” philosophy that is preached from the Gottfried Pulpit on oh so many occasions.

    I do NOT disagree that MOST of the successful programs do 90+% of the coaching PRIOR to the game. But, that is NOT the case here and Gottfried is NOT the game coach that Jimmy V was.

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