Updated: 8:36 p.m.
N.C. State freshman C.J. Leslie has been suspended one game for breaking an unspecified team rule. Leslie, the Wolfpack's leading rebounder, did not play in State's 76-52 loss at Duke on Saturday.
Leslie, a McDonald's All-American from Holly Springs, has had an up-and-down freshman season with the Wolfpack. He put up big numbers when senior forward Tracy Smith missed 10 games earlier this season but his production has been inconsistent since.
He led the Pack with 18 points in Wednesday's home loss to Virginia Tech. He averages 10.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Richard Howell started in Leslie's place and finished with 18 points and five rebounds.
Comments
Outside Political Pressures?
Sun, 02/06/2011 - 00:56 — proctorBegging the pardon of Wolfpack and Blue Devil fans alike, this free-lance writer and former staffer for the Durham Herald-Sun and Raleigh News & Observer is compelled to raise this particuarly troubling question: can Duke University officials other than athletic staffers actually order the benching of a player from a visiting team which comes to Durham to play a game against a Duke team?
This question appears on the face of it to be preposterous and from out in the field somewhere, but circumstances require us to muster the determination to face these issues.
David P. McKnight
Don't Pre-Judge Without the Facts
Sun, 02/06/2011 - 00:41 — proctor"Rules violations" const4itute one area of collegiate sports in whcih a minimum of information is disclosed to the press and the public, presumably to offere athletic programs the opportunity to keep personnel deliberations confidential while giving student-athletes the chance to make personal adjustments and resume their normal rounds on campus both in the classroom and in sports activities. So here's hoping people will not pre-judge the situation without benefit of the facts of ther situation.
On the other hand, this would be a good time to raise an issue which needs facing in today's major athletic conferences across the country: are student-athletes sometimes penalized unfairly because of what might be called outside pressures of "media politics?" Is North Carolina State University strong and independent enough as a public university to ward off any outside political or media efforts to prevent any given player from participating in one particular athletic event?
These are obviously delicate issues as far as team "rules violations" are concerned, therefore one can only hope that any presumed player violations are actually matters of fact and not diversions to keep from acknowledging that political or media lobbying was in play to force a team to make a certain player sit out in an important game.
David P. McKnight
sid
Sun, 02/06/2011 - 00:20 — saltydawg1sucks!
Has any
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 23:20 — Shoreman67info leaked out as to why Leslie was suspended?
Might have been
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 23:33 — Shoreman67for skipping classes; heck, guess it really doesn't matter why anyway.......
doesn't matter
Sun, 02/06/2011 - 00:28 — JPDOhioBut I am curious too.
respectively disagree
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 21:28 — shirty55sir. like many of us we have not done a good job of managing our expectations for this team. BUT to give sidney 'two more years with these freshmen' is just unrealistic. his record in the acc, which should be the major measuring stick for his performance, is plain terrible. taking it a step further it is not only the fact they are losing....but the way in which they are losing. even the announcers on espn, who have done many games with ncsu, comment of the 'lethargy' and 'lack of effort' with this team. this is a symptom of sid reaching the peter principle. he should not be coaching 18-19 yo kids.
I guess Leslie is too lazy
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:09 — chrismg1I guess Leslie is too lazy to transfer mid season. When UNC players quit, they go all the way.
Hey JPD
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:04 — YAR8packIs this what accounts for that feeling you had?
yep
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:09 — JPDOhioAll the warning signs were there.
Who knows what this means for the rest of the year, but one thing I am sure of, CJL's absence is irrevlevant to the outcome of tonight's game and may even help.
Leslie
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:20 — YAR8packI don't want the kid transferring. I don't want him to give up. BUT, what I do want is for the guy to become a team player and hustle ALL of the time. As much as I can't stand some NBA players whose heads will barely fit in the gym, like Kobe, LeFraud, Pierce, and several others, those guys hustle EVERY trip down the court. Leslie may make it to the NBA one day, but he won't be there long unless he learns to hustle.
x
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 20:16 — JPDOhioactly
Call me crazy, and I'm sure
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:02 — mad_maxCall me crazy, and I'm sure many of you will (though I prefer the term "mad"), but I think State has a better chance tonight without CJL. Just my opinion.
Unspecified rule breaking? I'm thinking it was because he only cares about himself and not the team. Just saying.
rut is correct
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 18:06 — gevaliaIt has to be coming, leslie will leave! This team (term used loosely) is a total loss; and so is the program. As a State alum I purchased home game tickets; am I ever sorry!! I like Sid, but he cannot coach or recruit in the ACC. Here we go again, another 5 years to "Rebuild" Incoming freshmen were not even born the last time State had a respectable team.
Not a dime's worth of difference
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 18:06 — BourbonStThere will not be a dime's worth of difference in the game with Leslie vs. without Leslie. Miracles happen, but I'm afraid a win tonight with or without Leslie would be the same as me winning a BILLION dollars in the lottery. I'll pull for the Wolfpack, as I always do, but a win won't happen tonight, and I doubt that we'll win more than one or two more games this season. How's that for positive outlook? I agree with the other poster who said that even Lowe will be glad to be put out of his misery. We have great ball players, but the coaches haven't taught them to play as a team. What a disappointing season!
Character and Integrity First
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 18:03 — ViperRetThis is a real shame for C. J. Leslie....Sidney seems to hold pretty high standards for his players. Of course we would or should be better with C. J. He was coming off the flu which put him down for two games. He still makes some "I can win this game...." mistakes. The word "indefinitely" means that he could be back next week or NEVER....time will tell and I trust Sid's judgement.
As to Sidney's coaching issues, this team is about the SAME as the UNC Tarheels last year. Remember their struggles and also how long it took to gell this year...with Drew's untimely departure, we will see the REAL character of that team.
Roy said that ranking them as high as they were in the THIS preseason was madness....and making Harrison Barnes a unanoumous ALL AMERICAN before he took the floor was really DUMB. Note where they are or were in the polls now.
Same thing SHOULD be said for the pre-season ranking (#4 or so) of the Pack. We had a STELLAR recruiting class....and God KNOWS, we needed it. We finally have a decent candidate for a GOOD point guard. Tracy has been plagued with a bad knee. Sid has had to demote Javi and all the team is making "chemistry" adjustments.
Coach Williams came in and took OTHER's talent and they won a national championship....but not as FRESHMEN. Same deal last year....Graduation and the lure of big bucks decimated the Tarheels two years ago....and they suffered last year. No one was calling for his scalp.
Sid deserves two years with his recruits....I do NOT like losing, but throwing him under the bus and demoralizing the team, which generally is trying, is NON-PRODUCTIVE.
GO PACK...
Rut roow Tomorrow's
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 17:51 — unc098Rut roow
Tomorrow's headlines
LESLIE LEAVES SCHOOL; CLAIMS SID DROVE HIM OUT
Star recruit and phenom CJ Leslie announced today that he would be leaving NC State to pursue the remainder of his college career at KY. " I want to go somewhere where I don't have to play with all these losers and get to do whatever I want. Coach Callipari says I can have my cake and eat it too"
The announcement has taken the NC STATE community by surprise and comes on the heels of the surprise announcement of the departure of Larry Drew 2 at UNC. Both communities are in various stages of denial, outrage, relief and elation.
Someone called 911 to report that Mad_Max was seen on top of the Bell Tower at NC State preparing to take flight..............
it's my fault
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:05 — JPDOhioWhen I posted yesterday that CJ was a lazy glory hog, that was the last straw. My influence on State's program is, I must admit, awesome.
Hahahaha, I love
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 19:00 — mad_maxHahahaha, I love it!
Although, people don't usually jump to their death when they are extremely happy about something...
It doesn't matter
Sat, 02/05/2011 - 17:48 — sftwareguyThe real bet is how many minutes into the game before the Pack is down 20? Without Leslie, maybe 6.
This basketball season is an unmitigated disaster for the NC State. My guess is even Sidney can't wait to be put out of his misery.