North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Pack Made ACC Statement; Heads to NIT
3/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
TAMPA, Fla. – The hurt was evident in the lockerroom, and NC State first-year head coach Sidney Lowe was OK with that. His No. 10 seed Wolfpack fell, 89-80, to top-seeded North Carolina in the 2007 ACC Tournament Championship game, a contest that was essentially decided in the final 90 seconds.
The Tar Heels took the title by making free throws down the line and, based on the way they played here over three days at the St. Pete Times Forum, they could be in position to go on a roll in the NCAA Tournament that starts next week.
But what history may remember about the 54th-annual league championship is that Lowe and his team made a statement about the future of the Wolfpack program.
“We have a program on the rise,” said senior guard Engin Atsur. “It’s [Coach Lowe’s] first year, and he had a limited roster. I think we did a great job this year. It’s going to be much better next year.
“I think NC State is going to be back in the glory days.”
Atsur won’t return for that, of course, since his eligibility will end when this season is over. The Wolfpack will play at Drexel Tuesday at 8 p.m. in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. It will go in with momentum, and just might be capable, depending on Atsur’s injured hamstring, of making a run in that 32-team field.
All-in-all, it’s not a bad position for a team that had a limited roster and a program that was picked in the preseason to finish last in the ACC.
Lowe wasn’t into taking any credit for that, but he does like what the future looks like.
“Most of these kids are coming back,” Lowe said. “With another year of experience, plus a couple more pieces we have to the puzzle, maybe they will get a little more credit based on what they did this year.
“And we are still not done yet.”
One player who certainly should have gained confidence over the last four days is redshirt freshman Brandon Costner, who was an All-Freshman team selection and a first-team All ACC Tournament pick. With 90 points in four games, he broke the NC State record for points in a tournament, which was shared by David Thompson (1975) and C.C. Harrison (1997).
“It doesn’t really mean much unless you win,” Costner said.
But the left-hander forward will definitely head into next season as a featured player on the Wolfpack roster, along with Gavin Grant, Ben McCauley and Courtney Fells. Lowe should certainly have a collection of talent and a much deeper bench to choose from.
“The future looks bright for us,” Grant said. “Coach Lowe is a great coach and he is going to continue to funnel great players into NC State.”
But what many will remember about the Wolfpack’s four-day run here in Florida is gutty competitiveness of Lowe’s team, their effort on the court and their motivation to prove all doubters wrong. North Carolina coach Roy Williams expressed his admiration and respect for the way Lowe’s team played throughout the year.
“This is what Coach Lowe and his program are all about,” McCauley said. “He pushes us to win. He pushes us to the limit.
“This is the way NC State basketball is going to be played from now on.”
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
