North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Lowe, Pack Still Searching
2/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TONY HAYNES
Raleigh, N.C. Does the NC State men’s basketball team have an identity crises? No, let’s not go there. The word crisis’ is a favorite of modern day politicians, who routinely embellish the severity of a problem in an effort to create action or in an election year win votes.
And while the Wolfpack may not be suffering through an identity crisis, its identity as a basketball team is somewhat elusive.
There were times earlier in the season when coach Sidney Lowe was trying to figure out why the Pack often got off to slow starts. Apparently, he figured it out. Recently, NC State led Duke by nine at the half, was up 14 at intermission against Virginia Tech, and controlled most of the opening 20 minutes at
Of course, those games against the Blue Devils and Terrapins ultimately ended with double-digit defeats.
Need more confusion?
Through most of the pre-ACC schedule, Lowe fretted over his team’s inability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. That problem has also gone away. In nine league games, the Pack is knocking down 43 percent of its 3-point shots, a figure that ranks No. 1 in the ACC. Both guard Courtney Fells and forward Gavin Grant are shooting better than 50 percent from the arc against conference foes.
The improved shooting is a plus. But the recent pattern of building leads, only to have them disappear after halftime must be broken if this team is to finish strong down the stretch and put itself in a position to receive an at-large invitation into the NCAA Tournament.
NC State (15-8, 4-5) will again try to put together that complete 40-minute effort it’s been searching for when it travels to
“I still don’t think we have an identity yet,” Lowe said on Wednesday. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I don’t think that we’re there yet. Part of that is the uncertainty in certain areas, maybe positions. We still don’t have that guy who will step up and lead. We have some guys that are playing well and playing hard, but I still don’t think we have an identity. Last year, our identity was execution; we were just going to execute you to death. With this team, it’s probably more important for us that we just play hard and play tough.”
It was at the end of the season last year that NC State found that “execution identity” when senior point guard Engin Atsur’s injured hamstring was mending. By the time it reached the ACC Tournament in
As it has shown in some of its recent first half performances, this NC State team is capable of putting together some brilliant stretches of basketball. The biggest issue lately has been sustaining those stretches into the second half.
More specifically, the Pack has lost its edge on the defensive end of the court after halftime. Down by nine at the break, Duke shot 66 percent in the second half to beat NC State by 20 on January 31. Last Saturday, the Wolfpack yielded 74 percent shooting to
“You know the other team is going to come out and make a run,” said Lowe. “We have to come out and initiate that intensity. I think we’re going to get there. I say that because we’ve had some other areas that we needed to improve in and we did. Before, we were talking about our starts. I think we took care of that. Now we have to get to the point where we come out that first five minutes of the second half. It think it’s concentration and having that mentality of ok guys, let’s get together and come out here and get a good start, get a good run going.’”
After once being designated the ACC’s surprise team’ following a 3-0 start in league play,
Lowe expects a difficult challenge on Thursday.
“Number one, we’re on the road,” he said. “Number two, we've watched these guys play and they’ve been in some good ballgames. You can’t look at their conference record. I try not to focus too much on the other team other than their strengths and weaknesses. I look at what we have to do. When you have a younger group, you have to challenge yourself. It doesn’t matter what the other team does. I tell the guys all the time that if you’re determined that you’re going to get to a certain spot or you’re going to set that screen, and you’re not going to allow anyone to knock you off that path, then you’re going to get it done. I want to see someone get upset about their man scoring as opposed to getting upset about missing a shot. When I see you get upset about your man scoring and you come back down and do something about it, now we’re starting to get it.”
