Coach Sendek's Chat Answers (Nov. 17, 1999)

Chat with Herb Sendek
Hosted By Total Sports & GoPack.com
Wednesday, November 17, 1999, 1 p.m.

Matt Wood asks How would you describe your personality? Do you seek assistant coaches that are like you are that compliment your personality?
I think that it's important that a staff have members that complement each other and work well together. Each of us are blessed in different ways with different strengths.
Mike Jones asks What goals have you set for the team this year?
Our goals remain relatively the same. Mainly, one to always do our best and number two to do what's right. If we focus on those two guiding lights, other things seem to fall in place.
Brian Thomas asks Most people have Carolina winning the ACC championship this year, but clearly the ACC is more up for grabs this year than at any time in recent memory. Have you made it clear to the team that the ACC championship is within their grasp if they play with determination and desire every time they take the court?
I do agree that the ACC seems to be laced with tremendous parity. I also think that our team has improved. Our focus in the preseason has been on capitalizing on each opportunity to get better. I think our players have confidence and are very aware of who they are competing against.
Eddie Deyo asks Coach Sendek, First, Congratulations on getting NC State basketball back on the road to the top of the ACC. After the first two exhibition games, it became clear that the new offensive and defensive systems were still a work in progress (that's not a criticism, by the way). Has the teams improvement in implementing them since then been up to your expectations, and how long do you see us going before the system is "natural" to the players?
Every team needs to continue to improve throughout the season. You can always get better. I think we've made important progress and I think the games will tell us how far we've come in this short time.
JD Howard asks Coach, when will the ESA have more of an NC State feel to it? Will all the championship banners be hung for the opener versus Georgia?
Yes, the banners will be hung in time for the opener versus Georgia and that will certainly improve our presence in the new ESA. We expect the ESA to look and feel like home when we open on the 19th.
Eddie Deyo asks Coach Sendek, First congratulations on your first three years at State. I definitely see our program moving in a positive direction. Now that they've been in a couple of games and some practices, how do you see our three freshmen contributing at this point in the season, and what is your best guess on how well they will contribute once the ACC season begins?
Honestly, it's a significant transition from high school to the ACC. Nonetheless, all three of our freshman are important. We look forward to having each of them contibute this year.
Stephen Crabtree asks Are there still plans to create a "pit-like" setting around the perimeter of the court so students will be right on top of the action? Also, will the hockey boards be taken down for basketball games?
Yes, our students will lace the perimeter of the floor at the new ESA.
SCOTT CANIPE asks WITH ALL THE TALENT THIS TEAM HAS AND THE DEPTH AT ALL POSITIONS I CANT WAIT TO SEE THEM PLAY THE RUN AND GUN OFFENSE AND PRESSURE DEFFENSE. MY QUESTION IS WITH ALL THE TALENT WILL YOU SUBSTITUTE FIVE AT A TIME LIKE A KENTUCKY OR CAROLINA FROM A FEW YEARS AGO? THIS WOULD KEEP THE TEAM FRESH AND I BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE TALENT TO DO IT. WHAT IS YOUR THOUGHT?
We will definitely substitue and play more players than we have in the past, however they may not come all at the same time. Keeping players fresh though, is important.
Ray Randall asks Over the past few years, State hasn't had players with enough talent to leave school early for the NBA. Now with the great freshmen you have brought in this year and next year, how worried are you that as you start to build a team around these young men, that one or more of them will bolt early for a big pay day in the NBA?
If one of our players positioned himself to be a lottery level pick, then we would certainly, together with his family, talk about the opportunity and support any decision that they would arrive at.
Joel Kepley asks Coach, Yesterday, I was looking at the live web cam of the arena. It looked like the basketball floor was in place. Is the floor really white, or was the floor I saw temporary?
The floor is definitley not white. It is a typically covered wooden floor. Perhaps, a little bit light, but wooden-colored.
Jeff Hubbard asks How are your three freshman going to fit into the lineup this year? How much playing time will Archie Miller and Tim Wells get with the additions of Wilkins, Crawford, and last year, Grundy?
I think that this team is the deepest since I've come to NC State. Ideally, we'd like to play as many as 10 players a game. Game circumstances are always an unpredictable and important variable in actual playing time.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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