North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Lowe, Pack Look for Direction
3/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TONY HAYNES
Indeed, the building rocked as the team wearing red on Sunday put together an improbable rally, one that will never be forgotten by many college basketball fans in
And while Curry and the Wildcats were partying at the
It was somewhat ironic late last week when NC State coach Sidney Lowe strolled into the
Lowe and his staff will spend some time digesting and dissecting everything that went wrong during the Wolfpack’s 15-16 campaign in hopes of avoiding a repeat performance next season. But the evaluation period will last only so long. Like most athletes and coaches, Lowe will spend less time focusing on the negatives of the past and more time emphasizing the future.
After being picked to finish third in the ACC’s preseason poll back in October, NC State’s GPS system failed miserably, sending the Wolfpack off the highway and in the wrong direction. Eventually, a bumpy road abruptly reached a cliff. The ensuing free-fall ended with the Pack dropping its last nine games.
Why did it happen? Statistics tell a part of the story. After averaging 71 points per game a season ago, the Wolfpack was down an average of four points per contest this season. Lowe’s first team in 2007 also hit 49 percent of its shots, an excellent rate by any measure. This season, the Pack could muster only 45 percent shooting from the floor.
“It tells you we weren’t as efficient on the offensive end of the floor,” Lowe said. “We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we’re capable. The one thing I wasn’t concerned about was our ability to score and make shots because I thought we had guys that could do that. The numbers don’t lie. Now it’s a matter of us getting back in the gym and working on our individual skills and coming back ready to play next year.”
The relationship between defense and offense in the sport of basketball is undeniable, and NC State’s inability to create easy offense off its defense this past season was also a factor. The Wolfpack finished on the negative side in both turnover margin and rebound margin. The Pack simply wasn’t disruptive enough defensively, nor did it rebound consistently well enough to produce a steady diet of easy transition buckets.
The loss of point guard Farnold Degand in December certainly hurt. Not only was Degand a little more advanced than Javier Gonzalez and Marques Johnson, he possessed exceptional speed and quickness, two elements the Wolfpack sorely lacked after he suffered a season-ending knee injury just two days before Christmas.
Degand’s healthy return will be a big part of the equation next season.
“I’m hoping [Degand will be healthy], not only for our team but for Farnold,” Lowe said. “His biggest assets are his speed and quickness. If he doesn’t have that, he becomes a different type of player. We’re hoping for a full recovery.”
With senior Gavin Grant moving on and freshman center J.J. Hickson at least considering the possibility of making himself available for the NBA Draft, NC State could be losing its top two scorers from this season. Hickson led the Pack in both scoring (14.8 ppg.) and rebounding (8.5). Grant, who played wing forward, averaged 13.1 points per game.
Lowe will consider moving shooting guard Courtney Fells to Grant’s old three’ spot next season, which could open up more time for Trevor Ferguson at the shooting guard position. After sitting most of the season,
And whether Hickson stays or goes, Lowe will expect more out of senior center Ben McCauley and junior forward Brandon Costner in 2008-09.
“It’s a big year for all of us, but particularly for Brandon and Ben,” said Lowe. “Ben is a senior and
Deprived of individual workouts after tweaking his knee last summer, Costner was never able to pick up where he’d left off at the end of the 2007 season. McCauley’s numbers were also down, a product of Hickson’s obvious impact in the low post.
After April, Lowe and his coaches will be prohibited from working with their players until later in the summer. Of course, he can only hope that a 15-16 record, a nine-game losing skid and a last place finish in the ACC will burn in their memories as they hone their skills through the off-season. The charge must be led by McCauley and Fells, a pair of rising seniors who will be counted on to provide leadership from here on out.
“It’s very important if we’re going to be good,” Lowe said. “When you have strength from within the group of players, it’s totally different from having it with the coaching staff being involved. As coaches, we have to get these guys ready to play, strategy-wise and effort-wise. But once they’re out there on the floor, it’s something different when those five guys come together and understand what they’re out there for. It’s important that you have those one or two guys to give you that guidance and team leadership to pick the others up.”
And keep them on the right road.
