North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Lowe Dons Hardware, Welcomes New Start
10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. NC State’s fashion-forward men's basketball coach Sidney Lowe added some jewelry Friday afternoon as the perfect complement to his famous red sports jacket.
In recent days, unlike his first year on the job, Lowe has been wearing his 1983 NCAA Championship ring on his right ring finger.
Lowe acknowledged that he had no previously worn his ring since returning to NC State, but decided, as the Wolfpack begins celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Cardiac Pack’s 1983 title, that he was ready to display it.
“It is time,” Lowe declared Friday afternoon at the Wolfpack’s preseason media day.
Some believe this season is NC State’s time to shine as well. The Wolfpack, which finished 20-16 last season with trips to the ACC Tournament Championship game and the National Invitation Tournament, has been picked by most preseason publications in the top three of the ACC and among the best teams in the nation.
One of the reasons for that is the arrival of a five-player freshman class that is ranked in the top 10 nationally and the addition of three other players who sat out last year after transferring from other programs.
So there were a lot more chairs sitting out on the court of the Dail Practice Facility, as players sat down for their first interviews of the season. And that certainly made Lowe, who struggled last season through injuries and a short bench, smile at the thought of having much more depth than his first year as the Wolfpack’s head coach.
“It is actually fun to look out there when we are stretching and getting loose to see that we have a lot of players,” said Lowe, looking trim and fit after his own off-season conditioning program. “We have a lot of guys here and they are healthy. When we look at every position, there is a backup.
“That certainly feels better than last year.”
Of course, there are still some concerns and questions. Lowe, who led the Wolfpack to the national title as a player a quarter-century ago as a senior point guard, still doesn’t have a proven player at his old position. Last year, Lowe had to shuffle his lineup around when then-senior Engin Atsur missed 13 of 14 games in the middle of the season with a hamstring injury.
That forced small forward Gavin Grant and shooting guard Courtney Fells to run the offense, even though they were both out of their natural positions. This year, Lowe expected to have three candidates to fill the void left by Atsur’s departure: sophomores Farnold Degand and Marquez Johnson and freshman Javier Gonzalez.
But Gonzalez is out until early November after suffering torn ligaments in his right hand that required surgery and Johnson, who transferred to NC State after one semester at Tennessee, is required by NCAA rules to sit out until mid-December.
That leaves the Wolfpack’s offense in the hands of Degand, a speed burner who sat out all of last year after transferring from Iowa State, where he also sat out all of the 2005-06 season as a red-shirt. In effect, it has been two years since Degand has played in a game situation.
“I can’t really say if I feel rusty, because practices are a lot different than games,” Degand said. “When I get into games, I will be able to tell you that. Whatever the case, I think after the first TV timeout, I’ll be back to my old self.”
Degand, Gonzalez and Johnson all expect that their jobs will be relatively easy because their primary responsibility will be to get the basketball to a set of frontcourt players that have been recognized as among the best in the nation, with returning starters Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley and Grant, reserve Dennis Horner and highly touted freshmen recruits J.J. Hickson and Tracy Smith.
“Certainly, you like to have some experience at the point guard, because it is a very important position on the floor,” Lowe said. “But if your guys understand what they are doing and understand what we need from them, they will see that they have a lot of scorers around them. All they have to do is get them the ball.
“The key for any of our point guards is to take care of the basketball.”
Lowe is excited about the prospects for his second season at his alma mater, which officially began Friday evening with the first full-squad practice of the season and will continue next Friday with an open exhibition for fans called “B-Ballin’ at the Old Barn.” The event begins at 9 p.m. and will last about 90 minutes.
“I think this year is more exciting for me than last year,” Lowe said. “I am more aware of what I am up against. Last year, I was excited, but I wasn’t aware of what I was really up against. And that’s what makes this job fun.”
NOTES: Season tickets, beginning as low as $196 for upper level end zone seats, are now on sale on the tickets area of GoPack.com.
Fans can also learn more about the Wolfpack by viewing the 2007-08 on-line media guide.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
