Lowe, Sendek: Parallel starts

Guess what Wolfpack Fans? Herb couldn't give a dam what you or the N&O thinks. His boy's wiped UCLA for the second time this year and are poised for a nice seeding next month. That is BEAT UCLA and NCAA fellas. Last laugh is on you all.

The real issue is not Herb or Syd, it is Wolfpack fans...or at least a substantial number of them. I am an NCSU grad and longtime fan...and I have great affection for Syd Lowe. I hope he has great success with the program. But there are a lot of malcontents out there who really don't show a lot of sense in how they assess the success of a program, or in their understanding of the game of basketball. Many so called Wolfpack fans treated Sendek like dirt, they berated him, his coaching abilities, his system, etc, and in the process ran him out of town. Sure he chose to leave, but who wants to coach in a place where you are unappreciated, despite the fact that you have been quite successful? The facts don't lie...Herb took the team to 5 consecutive NCAA tourneys. Syd, in 3 years, has logged only one post-season appearance, the 2007 NIT (his first season, with Sendek's recruits I might add) . Sure, the attrition of certain Sendek recruits left Lowe in a tough position, but the fact is, they would not have left in the first place if Sendek had not been chased out of town. People complained about Sendek's "boring" Princeton offense, but fail to note that before implementing the system, the team failed to make the NCAAs for 5 straight years, and after the system, they made 5 straight tourneys. People who call that system boring need to learn a little more about basketball. Firstly, if your only idea of exciting basketball is running and gunning, you should open your eyes a bit. The suspense that is generated when a team works the ball around methodically, waiting until the shot clock winds down to single digits, looking for a back door cutter, or an open 3 point shooter, is incredible. Sendek's system was brilliant, complex, and beautiful to behold...that is, to the learned basketball mind that could understand and appreciate what was happening. The system helped to balance the talent differential between State and our two rivals down the road...that was a brilliant move...which, with more time, would have very likely yielded higher level recruits...because success attracts recruits. And for recruits that may not prefer that system, or may not be a good match for it...it's not like Sendek didnt know how to coach other systems, like a transition game (i.e. Kentucky under his mentor Pitino). Sendek's system appears to have evolved with ASU. I watched them beat UCLA last night, and it was an incredibly exciting game to watch! One thing that was obvious as soon as I turned on that game...those ASU players were playing great defense with a "leave it all out on the floor" attitude, which Sendek's players always did at State...that's a good bit more than I can say about Lowe's players. And Sendek was a very good recruiter too. Julius Hodge will remain one of my all time favorite State players, and was totally exciting to watch every game, because he was all heart. I picked up a couple of other facts in watching last night's game. Apparently Herb is the second youngest active coach to hit 300 career wins. Also, several of his proteges are now head coaches, including Sean Miller, who is doing an amazing job at Xavier. Not bad for a coach who was treated like an abysmal failure by throngs of no-nothing wannabe WolfPack basketball experts. Again, I want Sydney to succeed with all my heart, and I believe he can. But the fact is Herb Sendek is an etremely good basketball coach...just ask Coach K. That Herb is kicking butt at a modest program like ASU and that ASU fans absolutely adore him is a testament to his true coaching genius and to the pitiable attitudes of many so called State fans. All of this points to one clear fact: Sendek haters, YOU WERE WRONG!!!

1. Herb and Sid are two subjects, not one. That is, whether or not Herb should have been fired is one subject, and whether or not Lowe should have been hired to succeed him is another.

2. I was ready for Herb to move on and was glad he chose to leave. I think he took State to a certain level - the regular NCAA Tournament bubble team level. I had zero confidence that he could take the program beyond that level, and I did not feel State should settle for that. I did not like some aspects of Herb's approach (e.g., a Carolina loss is just 1/16 of the conference schedule, keep chopping wood, etc.). I did not like his apparent lack of passion. I did not like some aspects of his coaching (e.g., end of game possessions were typically terrible, how he managed the player rotation, his Princeton-like offense, his lack of fire in dealing with the team and refs, etc.).

3. In retrospect, it was very unfortunate for N.C. State that UNC hired Matt Doherty. Herb entered his 6th season on the hot seat, and justifiably so, coming off an overall losing record in year 5 and having compiled a cumulative 26-54 ACC regular season record to that point. Fortunately for Herb, that was Doherty's second season, when UNC went 8-20, and Herb swept UNC to get his first winning conference record (9-7), and State barely made the NCAA tournament, Herb's first. Had UNC been typically strong that season, Herb almost certainly would have had another losing conference record, missed the NCAA tournament again, and been fired. Then the next year, Doherty's final year, again Herb swept UNC and went 9-7 in the ACC, and barely made the NCAA tournament (the team only finished with 18 wins). Basically, Herb barely survived, and he shouldn't have made it that far.

4. I think Julius Hodge was to Herb as Philip Rivers was to Amato. Most thought Amato was doing a great job at State until he had to coach a few years without Rivers and the results were terrible. I think Hodge similarly raised the perception of Herb. Hodge was a freshman in that turning point 6th season, and Herb only coached one season at State after Hodge graduated, but it was a team loaded with experience (4 upperclassman starters in seniors Bethel, Bennerman, Evtimov, and junior Atsur).

5. IMO State was set to struggle in 2006-07 whether Herb left or not, and I think it is possible that was a small factor in his decision. Bennerman, Bethel, and Evtimov graduated. Simmons was going pro regardless. Brackman was going exclusively to baseball regardless. It's true that Dan Werner and Larry Davis were incoming freshman recruits that presumably would not have bailed, but I'm not sure either are difference makers (Werner starts for Florida, but he is a role player). Chris Wright was to come in the following year (last year), and that certainly would have helped (he starts for Georgetown). But there would have been no Hickson last year. It's pretty hard to tell what would have happened... given the fractured nature of the fan base over Herb, if the team struggled in 2006-07 under Herb, which was likely, he may have been fired anyway.

6. I know Herb is doing well at Arizona State, and I'm happy for him. I am not of the opinion that it proves anything about him at N.C. State. Clearly he grew and should be a better coach now than when he came to State - he spent 10 years in the pressure cooker of the ACC. I think he is a good second tier conference coach, and I consider the PAC10 to definitely be a lesser conference than the ACC... and it's not close. I expect he'll continue to do well there, especially since Arizona State has never done anything in basketball as far as I know, so its fans are likely to be happy with any level of success. It is also good timing for Herb that Lute Olsen retired from natural rival Arizona just as Herb arrived. Many people think N.C. State fans are crazy to think they should be able to be consistently successful with Duke and UNC next door, but that is our heritage and that's what we want and expect. That was Herb's biggest problem at State, and he shouldn't have that problem at ASU.

7. Lee Fowler - State's AD - is terrible... easily the worst AD in the ACC and probably the worst at any BCS school. He was the biggest problem with our coaching search. While I like and respect Lowe, particularly given his playing days and the title he helped bring to State, we settled for him, and he was a very weak candidate. Had he not been an alum, he would not have been considered for the job, and that's an indicator that he should not have been hired. I really thought State was going to get Barnes, and then possibly Calipari, and had that happened, I think the program would be enjoying more success right now, and there would be no question that it was a head coach upgrade. So it could easily have gone the other way.

8. Given the mess Lowe inherited and the late timing of his hire, plus Atsur's injury, I thought he did a great job in his first season. Heck, he only had 6 scholarship players. His second season was definitely a disappointment, though it is worth noting that he was dealing with his son's arrest and the deaths/illnesses of both his parents either prior to or during the season. Also, Degand's injury hurt a lot, though I realize injuries are part of the game. This season has also been disappointing... it felt like we were "that close" to beating Davidson, Marquette, and Florida, and even hung with Duke for most of the game. And now the win over Wake. I am hoping that old saying - first you lose big, then you lose close, then you win close, then you win big - will apply here.

9. I have pledged to give Lowe 5 years, the same as I gave Herb, before passing judgement. He has strong recruiting classes lined up for the next two seasons, and State is supposedly still in the running for Wall and Cousins, two of the best recruits in the nation, for next year. The possibility is there to bring in a Fab Five caliber recruiting class for next year. I'm not holding my breath, but, regardless, the talent should be upgraded over the next two seasons, so we need to see what Lowe can do with it.

10. I wish Fowler would leave or be fired within the next two years, so if the time comes to replace Lowe, we will have a competent AD in place to do so effectively.

11. I like Lowe's passion. I like the red blazer. I think he can be better at Xs and Os than Herb, though results are definitely inconsistent thus far. I think he has been operating at a talent deficit thus far in his 2+ years on the job, and I am hopeful that better talent, or possibly just different talent (i.e., not players recruited to run Herb's offense), will fit better with his style and enable State to turn the corner. All that said, early returns are disappointing, and Lowe will have to improve results a lot over the next two seasons to justify staying longer.

13. I don't know any State fans who are happy with the overall job Lowe has done or think he is the second coming of Everette Case, Norm Sloan, or Jim Valvano. But I know plenty that thought we needed to fire Herb. Those are not mutually excusive viewpoints.

Herb took over a bad program, Sidney did not

I thought it was an interesting tidbit. Of course only the first 4 paragraphs were factual following by the 5 paragraphs that are speculation and that has gotten everyone to comment.

Remember what I said, about poking State fans with a stick?:

http://www.accsports.com/blogs/media-watch/200902134756/media-watch-sendek-speaks--sort-of.php

It continues...

I've been writing and screaming at any of my fellow alumni and fans who would listen that turning up the heat on Sendek was a very bad idea. The specifics of how he left are not important. But make no mistake, he was run out of town. And when you run a guy out of town who takes a program from nothing to 4 straight NITs and then 5 straight NCAA tournaments (extremely rare in the ACC), then you make the job unattractive. Thanks to that obnoxious portion of the fanbase, the job was so unattractive that Rick Barnes, who grew up in NC and still has family there, said NO with little pause. After Calipari said NO, Beilein said NO, and Lavin turned us down in favor of the broadcast booth, who do you turn to next? The only guy willing to take the job who would be acceptible to the fans is a guy who would've never been hired or accepted by the fans had he not been a former player. The biggest thing he had going for him as a NC State coaching candidate is that he was a former NC State player which really says nothing about whether he can be a college head coach. To those who called for Sendek's head: now you reap what you sow. I don't have to call for Sidney's head b/c his demise is inevitable (whether it's after this year or in 2-3 years). The real question is whether fans will learn from their sins or repeat them with the next head coach.

Ever since V left, the Wolfpack has been a non-entity in college basketball. NCAA "appearances" mean nothing. How long is this Les Robinson hangover of low expectations going to last. Look at NCSU vs. other programs. We have:
1. A national championship tradition (however fading)
2. Great facilities
3. Relatively low academic standards
4. The most attractive conference in the country

What is wrong with NCSU athletics? Who is this Fowler guy? Why is he still in place? Don't tell me we can't compete against Duke and UNC. We have in the past. In my mind, every win that Wake Forest has had in football and basketball in the last decade is a win that a properly run NCSU program should have had.

State fans don't care what Herbs doing now. We remember what he did when he coached at NCSU: gave no special emphasis on beating Carolina, "just another game". How many 15 point leads did he give up in his coaching career? Remember his last ACC game: blew the largest half time lead in ACC tournament history. Thats what I remember!!!!!!!!!!

They write this stuff to rile up the masses at State. What they don't realize that it also pisses people off and that leads to reduced subscriptions. Before long the only writing job they'll find is writing on blogs. Ask Andrew Jones.