BOSTON — Make no mistake, this is a great week to be covering college basketball for the Charlotte Observer and the N&O with Duke and North Carolina playing highly anticipated NCAA regional semifinal games on consecutive nights.
But as I wait (and wait, and wait) for Duke’s 9:57 p.m. tipoff tonight against Villanova, I can’t help but be nostalgic about 2005. I don’t have a dog in this fight. I graduated from Notre Dame and don’t care who wins or loses.
But at this stage in 2005, the Triangle was abuzz about college basketball in a way that I haven’t seen before or since. Because N.C. State was in the Sweet 16 along with Duke and North Carolina. Wolfpack fans are a passionate bunch, and it’s great to see them excited about something.
But the 2005 NCAA Tournament captured in a nutshell the quandary of former coach Herb Sendek. He got them to the Sweet 16 with a well-executed upset of Connecticut, then got ahead of Wisconsin in Syracuse.
But then the Badgers, who might have been the only team in the tournament with an offense more boring than Sendek’s, bounced back and won 65-56. Instead of playing North Carolina in the regional final, Sendek was going home.
In many ways, it had been a great season for the Wolfpack, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the fans, especially when the Tar Heels went on to win the NCAA title.
For me, that Final Four was fun to cover because the most outstanding player, Sean May, was one of my favorite athletes to work with as a reporter. Because of his injury problems, May hasn’t had a good NBA career with the Bobcats, but he was a fantastic college low-block scorer, a class act with a great sense of humor.
For N.C. State fans, that Final Four must have been agonizing. Sendek is done torturing them now and followed a pattern familiar to them with a second-round NCAA exit at Arizona State this season.
Now they face a new kind of torture. Sidney Lowe, a coach whose legacy they love as the point guard of the 1983 NCAA championship team, hasn’t even come close to the kind of production Sendek provided.
And with the roster N.C. State has returning, next season doesn’t appear especially promising. As for Duke and North Carolina, there is a lot of pressure on both this week to make a big statement on behalf of the ACC.
Boston College may be the top basketball draw in town, but this still is Big East country in many ways with its proximity to Connecticut and New York.
The consensus here is that five ACC teams failed to make it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament because the ACC just isn’t tough enough.
The ACC is carrying on the legacy of beautiful basketball that’s been established through the years with high-flying players such as David Thompson and Michael Jordan.
Roy Williams runs a gorgeous fast break at North Carolina that relies on speed rather than bulk. Duke rains 3-pointers on opponents but doesn’t have much power in the post.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski offered a plausible explanation for the ACC’s troubles this week when he said recent newcomers to the NCAA Tournament from the league (think Clemson and Wake Forest) may just need a year or two to get accustomed to the tournament in order to advance.
But it seems to me that the toughness theory rings true. And that’s a shame. If I want to watch forearm shivers, I can watch football. I’m not really into gymnastics, so I watch basketball to see style and grace, which is disappearing from the game.
If only it were 2005 again.
Comments
Pining
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 13:09 — sbas2Enough already about Sendek. I supported Sendek and was not happy when he left for whatever reason. However, he is gone. He is not coming back, and I no longer have a problem with that. I understand why those who no longer supported Sendek wanted him to leave. The reason can be found in his current teams performance in the Pack 10 tournament and in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Three trips to the ACC tournament tiltle game with no titles is Sendek's legacy. As to Lowe, the recruiting for the 2009-2010 season isn't over. Let's see what happens!
Typical Kow Kollege
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 15:21 — GoHeels1984Typical Kow Kollege fans.
Expect a national championship calibre team with a mediocre college. Stop living in 1974 and the lucky 1983 seasons. Perhaps the bass fishing team can continue to produce for you???
Typical Tar Heel
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 16:33 — JamesinWillowSpringsTypical Tar Heel fans...thinking they are God's gift to college basketball.
I saw you flee the sinking ship of Matt Doherty like the rats you are...I can only pray those days return soon.
UNC
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 10:44 — gvillegatris God's gift to college basketball. you know it as well. We can't help your father pushed you towards ncsu athletics as a smalll child. so young and impressionable we are at that age ...
Now you know
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 15:27 — JPDOhioI think this qualifies as "stick poking".
Thank you
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 14:18 — JPDOhioMy sentiments exactly.
NC State fans deserve what they are getting
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 11:47 — Real_Americans_ThinkNC State fans who bleated about Sendek deserve every loss and disappointment they are getting now. Nothing is more absurd than running out a coach who was putting together 20 win seasons, getting his team to the ACC championship game, and getting into the NCAA tournament. What's happened since? Zip.
Is Lowe out now
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 10:33 — BillOfRightsto be replaced by soon-to-be ex-Kentucky coach Billy Clyde Gillispie
Billy Bob? Wow, that's
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 15:22 — GoHeels1984Billy Bob? Wow, that's ambitious....
Dan Jenkins!
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 10:55 — gvillegatrany refernce made on behallf of Dan Jenkins is a refernce worth backing!
Check the Facts
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:55 — heelsno1Count the number of ACC team appearances in the NCAA's Sweet 16, Final Four games and eventual national champions since 1982. The facts bear out that over time the ACC does not take a back seat to anyone in college basketball and never will. Sure, the Big East teams have performed well this season and hearty congratulations are in order. Yet, if you look at the big picture, there is no comparison in terms of which league is consistently No 1. NC State will get better. So will UVA and others. If Wake returns all of their players, watch out for the Deacs next season.
maybe
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 10:11 — gvillegatrand, I guess, one could call me Bilas here. (flip flopping)
while the Big Least is not winning titles in the recent past, thye have certainly been doing better than the ACC over the last 4 years.
You take our beloved Tar Heels out of the equation and the ACC looks more like a mid-major conference than a Major conference.
Mid Major?
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 11:45 — JPDOhioThat's a little harsh, but it is true that the ACC is top heavy, with UNC at the top. I put Duke in between UNC and the rest, only because Coach K is the best coach in the conference and gets more from less than most. (I hate saying that, but I think it is true).
In spite of the first round flame outs this year, the ACC still is up there with the Big East, even though you can't argue that this year it is better than the BE.
I miss it too
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:50 — gvillegatrthe reality is only the Big Least can treat basketball like football and be SOMEWHAT successful. But please don't tell us this is the wave we are in ... especially when you look at past champions ... KU, UF, UF and UNC. these "banger" teams simply can get r done for six games and it wont happen this year either!
Disagree...
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:40 — dj5377I'll probably get blasted by both State fans and non-State fans on this comment, but I really think a lot of State fans have this same thought.
Ken, you said "it had been a great season for the Wolfpack, but it wasn’t nearly enough for the fans"
I disagree on this on a couple of levels. In reference to it being a "great" season, that team was only 7-9 in the ACC, squeaked into the tournament based on our ACC Tournament play, pulled of a great UConn upset. It wasn't really a "great season", it was more of a great finish. If Duke or UNC had that kind of season there would be an epic meltdown talking about how bad they had become. Even this year, Maryland had an extremely similar season (7-9 in the league, squeak into the NCAAT based on a good ACCT, 10 seed. The only difference was they didn't get the 2nd round upset) and yet Maryland fans were calling for Gary's head most of the year. So it's a stretch to call it a great season....
......But, and this is where I disagree with the second part of the statement. You say it wasn't "nearly enough" for State fans. I disagree. I think most State fans were ecstatic to be in the Sweet 16. I think we were probably frustrated blowing a 10+ point lead to #6 seed Wisconsin in the next round, but overall, I think we were happy to be there. If we can get to the point of consistent Sweet 16s, you will be hard pressed to find a Wolfpack fan that says "that's not nearly enough". What was not nearly enough was the fact that we went to just one Sweet 16 in the ten years of our former coach, and adding it all up, just one Sweet 16 in the last 18 tournaments. That's what is not "nearly enough". Your perception that most State fans find the Sweet 16 "not nearly enough" is way off base in my opinion.
thank you!!
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:55 — gvillegatrgreat finish is exactly what '05 was instead of a great season.
let me get to my point!!
SO WAS 1983! ... A GREAT FINISH instead of a great season.
83 season
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 11:10 — dj5377I would say 83 was a very good season followed by a great finish for NC State.
The 83 team did finish tied for third in the ACC behind UVA and UNC that we're both ranked in the top 5 going into the ACC tournament.
The 83 team also entered the NCAA tournament ranked #16. They were ranked most of the year, but fell out of the rankings after losing 5 of 7 when Whittenburg got injured.
I am willing to concede to the phrase "very good season" in reference to the 1983 regular season for the Wolfpack, but if you are trying to say that the 2005 team and the 1983 team were the same when it comes to the regular season, then I would have to strongly disagree.
All I know is
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 12:57 — gvillegatrobjective people on the radio/tv and print have said in the past if ncsu had not beat UNC and won the ACC tourney, they would not have gone to the Dance. thus, they would not have won the NCAA tourney.
I was only 8 and have that to go off, although I do remember watching the game.
re: all I know is..
Fri, 03/27/2009 - 00:23 — dgantt2001First of all NCSU did not beat unc that year . Second of all we beat the heavily favored UVA team led by Ralph Sampson . State was ranked most of the year until Whittenburg was injured . Call the 83 championship luck if you want , but we won because at crunch time the Coach came up with plays and the players executed and made plays to be in position to win . We didn't win because a player for the opposing team handed the ball to us or called a timeout that they did not have . You Tar Hole fans say " Carolina doesn't recruit they Pick! " If that is so then why have you not won more championships than you have ? Everything goes in cycles and the day will come when the tables are turned!
back to the future
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 12:02 — toomanchuI still think that Pack fans aren't that overly demanding. Herb's big drawback, regardless of tournament appearances, was he never beat our rivals. Splitting games or 1 of 3 would have kept him in good graces ,but he ALMOST ALWAYS lost to Duke & UNC...his downfall. A steady combo of making the dance and winning against your rivals OCCASIONALY will keep you here. Lowe is doing neither and if he continues next year should be terminated. NEXT !
back to reality
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 16:07 — acc_hoops_fan73178Herb's big drawback was constantly changing according to the people who never liked him to begin with. First it was that he couldn't get to the Tournament. So he then went to it for 5 straight seasons tying a school record. Then it was that he couldn't get past the first round. So he made the sweet 16 and beat the defending national champs to get there. Then it was that he didn't beat Duke and UNC and beating UNC when Doherty was coach somehow "didn't count". Let me ask the question: Who DID have a good record against Duke and UNC during that 10-year period? They both are 2 of the most winningest programs in history currently with established hall-of-fame coaches. NO ONE is going to ride into Raleigh and kick Roy and K's butt in 5 or even 10 years. Not gonna happen. Part of the problem is that we measure ourselves too much by what our neighbors are doing instead of what kind of product we're putting on the court. And we're paying for it now and we'll pay for it next year in Sidney Lowe's final lame duck season. Building a program that is a fixture in the NCAA tournament is what we need to do. We were well on our way to doing that if it wasn't for that group of State fans that kept poking the guy who was getting it done with a stick which drove him away and made this job untouchable. THAT is why State is where it's at right now.
The problem with your
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 16:29 — JamesinWillowSpringsThe problem with your argument is that our chances of making the tournament in 2006-07 with only Atsur at PG, and losing Cedric Simmons to the draft and Andrew Brackman to the MLB, were very, very slim. Sendek knew that.
The opportunity to leave for ASU came at a perfect time and he took it. Can't blame him on that front.
It was a win-win for both parties at the time. Sendek had found greener pastures with lower expectations, and State could try to move on and reclaim the level we were at in the late 80s.
Now, the coaching search was a complete debacle on Fowler's part. He was completely unprepared for Herb's departure at the time and it was clear he was scrambling the entire time. Fowler probably should've been fired over it, IMO, but our Board of Trustees and Chancellor have really shown zero interest in the creation of a strong athletics program, so it's not surprising Fowler was given a pat on the back for a job well done.
So here we are....three years later, having dumbass reporters across the country CONTINUALLY bringing up Sendek and State, as if both parties haven't already moved on a long time ago. We have. It's the media -- local and national -- that WON'T LET IT GO. Captain Ken here is one of the worst repeat offenders.
lunacy and absurb ...
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 12:54 — gvillegatrtwo words that came to mind AFTER I read your first sentence ...
I still think that Pack fans aren't that overly demanding.
the craziest statement ever made here at ACCNow, ladies and germs.
Maybe not the craziest....
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 14:13 — JPDOhiobut certainly up there.
Stick poke
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:43 — tailgateEvery southerner knows a poke is just a paper bag. A stick poke is a bag to hold sticks. Where you from, Notre Dumb? Seriously, Tysiac, can't be brillant every day. This one is no exception, but he is right on about the Pack. Wonder why the administration can not see that we are headed to forty years in the desert. If we suffer again next year, as predicted, the fan base gets smaller, the recruiting harder, and finding a quality replacement more difficult. If Lowe stays, Fowler should go so that the new AD has time to scout the coaching prospects. It's obvious that Fowler would rather lose than make a hard decision. Guess he is waiting on the fans to drive Lowe out like they did Sendek. Unfortunately there aren't many jobs for a whistler in a red coat with a losing record.
"Every southerner knows a
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 10:23 — GoHeels1984"Every southerner knows a poke is just a paper bag. A stick poke is a bag to hold sticks.'
I am a born and bred North Carolinian and have never heard of those terms. Guess it is because I wasn't raised in a barn on a farm.
No...?
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:58 — FurbishLousewartI hate to disagree with you since you're making fun of that Heels fan, but I was under the impression that a stick poke means you poke something with a stick. Like an alligator or a snake. It gets riled up and gets pissed off at you. In this case the alligator is Wolfpack nation, and the stick that's poking us is the article.
Either way that Heels fan is dumb!
The reason it is not "ABUZZ"
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:33 — GoHeels1984The reason it is not "ABUZZ" at this moment is that UNC and DOOK don't expect anything less than a final four appearance. No need to get excited unless either team makes it to the final four.
As for 2005, yes, there was much abuzz at this time in the sweet 16 since State fans were going wacko that their team not only made the tournament, but pulled an upset to go to the sweet 16. They always go wacko when they overachieve.
Make sense?
oxymoron
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 12:07 — toomanchuApparently we weren't THAT excited about it since we drove Herb outta town. You make no since, but looking at your tag, no wonder.
Top Draw?
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:17 — hgelly42Top draw over who?? Not Celts, or much else if u look at attendance.
The article is all over the place, terrible flow, poorly done sir.
Not a college town.
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:47 — JPDOhioAt least not when it comes to sports.
Boston is all about the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots and maybe even the Bruins still. I haven't checked, but I would bet that BC hockey has better attendence than BC hoops.
And the article was kind of all over the place, just like hgelly42's multiple posts in response. I guess I'm all over the place with this one too.
Top Draw?
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:17 — hgelly42Top draw over who?? Not Celts, or much else if u look at attendance.
The article is all over the place, terrible flow, poorly done sir.
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 09:19 — hgelly42What is a "stick poke." Is
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 08:41 — GoHeels1984What is a "stick poke." Is that a thing that you use to stick pigs with or move them around the corral? Or is it the "Act of poking a pig or a cow?" Sounds like Cow College Lingo....
Stick poke
Thu, 03/26/2009 - 08:12 — ginoboliThanks for the stick poking.
Sincerely,
Wolfpack Nation.