North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Red Rally at Reynolds Kicks Off 2009-10
10/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. – Friday night, only red is allowed in Reynolds Coliseum.
Chances are, of course, just about any NC State fan or student who might attend the Red Rally at Reynolds Coliseum, which kicks off the 2009-10 men's and women's basketball seasons, will already be decked out in the school's primary color.
But, just in case, don't show up wearing white or black. You won't be allowed through the doors.
The Friday night event - which follows the 7 p.m. volleyball match against Wake Forest - not only kicks off the celebration of NC State's 100th men's basketball season, it is also the first real glimpse of new women's basketball coach Kellie Harper's initial team.
For Lowe, it will be an opportunity to highlight the legacy of the men who preceded him as the Wolfpack men's coach and spotlight their achievements, which includes 10 ACC Championships, three Final Fours and two national championships.
"We want our fans to understand what basketball at NC State has meant during these 100 years, the tradition, the history, the championships," Lowe said. "We don't want anyone to forget that Everett Case paved the way for what others have done, not just here but at other schools in the ACC."
Harper was hired last April to replace the late Kay Yow, who held the job for 34 years until her death last January.
"I finally, finally, finally get to coach basketball, and I am very excited about getting started," said Harper, who spent the last five years at Western Carolina. "It's been a lot of fun getting settled into a new place and we have learned a lot about our players with the individual workouts we have done the last few weeks.
"Now, we will get a chance to see what we look like as a team. I can't wait to get started."
Men's coach Sidney Lowe is ready to show Harper the ropes about being a big part of the Wolfpack nation. He remembered his excitement about his first team and returning to Reynolds in a similar event with Yow and her team.
"We are certainly excited about working with Kellie and helping her get started here," Lowe said. "She is going to do a great job. She has won three national championships [as a player at Tennessee], so she knows what it takes to win.
"And I think she looks much better in red than [Tennessee] orange."
Players from both the men's and women's teams will participate in a 3-point shooting contest with a fan, and there will be a dunk contest. Both teams will conduct mini-scrimmages during the hour-long festivities.
Fans are also encouraged to bring donations for the NTAF South-Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund, in honor of former NC State basketball player Brian Keeter, who was involved in a serious car accident last December. For more about Keeter, check out this story from www.ncsu.edu.
Fans who are unable to attend the event will be able to watch both the volleyball match and Red Rally event live on Pack Pass. Friday's events will be available free of charge to all fans.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
