Start Your Endings
by Akula Wolf on Mar 9, 2011 9:39 PM EST
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PrintACC tournament week is something I look forward to all year, even the years when we stink. Which is every year lately. It's tough to beat the satisfaction of an ACC tournament run, and while the odds are really stacked against one this season, there's always that hope for one more ride. I actually feel a little conflicted because I don't want anything to change Sidney Lowe's fate at this point (I'm assuming a tournament title would buy him another season), but at the same time I could never bring myself to root against the team. Damn the consequences, I could use some fun. But the odds of fun are remote, what with a Maryland team Sidney Lowe has never beaten lying directly ahead, and Duke beyond that. This whole thing figures to be moot no later than the end of Friday.
The Terps have been trending in the wrong direction, at least; since the middle of February, their once-stout defense has been worse than the Wolfpack's, and they lost five of their final seven games. Six of their last seven opponents scored well over a point per trip, while four of them broke 1.1 PPP (including NC State). They matador D'd their way out of the NCAA tournament. So we have that in common, except we had that taken care of months earlier.
There's at least a decent chance, then, that State's offense won't be the problem Thursday, just as it wasn't in College Park. I'm going to guess that Dino Gregory does not reprise his role as mid-range jumper Jesus, and that the Terps won't hit 92% of their free throws, so maybe the defense won't be burned as badly as it was in that first game. Or we don't show up at all and none of it matters. Who knows. Feel the uncertainty!
The Pomeroy Predictor likes Maryland by six. I suspect we'll either win this game or lose by 15. I know what I'll be hoping for, even if it runs contrary to that other thing that I'm hoping for. C'mon, Sid, you owe Gary one before you say goodbye for good.
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Go Out On A High Note
It would be great if something good happened for Sid & Monte before they leave. They deserve it. But they couldn’t get it done when Carolina came to town, or on Senior night, hard to imagine … but maybe???
Naaahhh!!! Who am I trying to kid?
Hilarious
Wouldn’t it just be hilarious in a uniquely State way if Sid finally got his first win against Gary on his way out the door? That is the only (only!) reason I have to think we could actually win, just because it would be really kinda funny.
Maryland is who i wanted State to play
in the first round of the ACC tournament. I just want State to have another chance to beat them year. with Vasquez leaving Maryland last year, i felt State and Lowe could break through against Maryland this year until i saw that the regular season game was at Maryland. after that, i was not optimistic. with the tournament game in Greensboro, i am hopeful for a State win and do not think that State will “mail it in”.
since 2002 State is 1 and 2 against Maryland in the ACC tournament winning in Hodge’s freshman year 86-82, a year in which State went on to play Duke in the finals. In 2004 State lost to Maryland as Gilchrist, who had become a headcase for Maryland, scored 30 points and made at least one wild bank shot 3 pointer. It was Gilchrist’s tournament. that was also the game in which the game turned on a technical foul called against State’s bench for wiping the floor near the bench during play.
State again lost to Maryland 74-67 in the 2009 tournament-Vasquez and Hayes were the men with 17 and 21 respectively.
State is 5 and 13 against Maryland since 2002 but went 4 and 2 from 2004 through 2006. State’s record against Maryland from 2004-2006 validates my memory that Sendek’s Princeton offense was beginning to give Maryland trouble-do not take this as a vote for Sendek in any way. just a fact.
You just had to
bring up the 2004 game. That was such a fun season until that ridiculous choke job and laughably bad officiating in the ACC tournament, followed by another tremendous choke against Vandy in the NCAA tournament. /seething/
by PACKHOOLIGAN on Mar 10, 2011 10:54 AM EST up reply actions
that vandy game was awful. junior Hodge and senior Melvin
should have known better than to foul a three point shooter. add to that Melvin’s intentional foul-he fell down chasing the player which caused the foul-so i don’t know how intentional that was.
i have held the opinion that Atsur should have passed to a wide open Watkins for the final shot instead of forcing it like he did-but time may have been the deciding factor-hard to tell.
Let's twist that knife a little...
“There are no losers on the court today — only one team can advance,” Sendek said. “Our men are anything but losers. Our tremendous win is our great season.”
Julius Hodge, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s player of the year, wasn’t so sure.
Said Hodge, who had 11 points before fouling out defending Freije with 2:44 to go: “I cannot believe we lost this game.”
Did Herb really say that?
Look, I never really gave a crap about what Herb said to the media – for me it was all about results or lack thereof – but, Jesus H. Christ, dude.
Yes. He said that.
Here’s the article:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/ncaa/specials/ncaa_tourney/2004/03/21/bc.bkc.ncaa.vanderbilt.nc.ap/index.html
You gotta love Hodge’s candor, and how it how it juxtaposed to Sendek’s PC coach-speak.
I just kicked a puppy!
Are you happy now?
by PACKHOOLIGAN on Mar 10, 2011 1:55 PM EST up reply actions
what is going on here, people
Is this some sort of reverse-jinx initiative? Mentioning Freije is a bannable offense.
Sendek had so many opportunities to move from
a coach we loathe to a coach we love: win the ACC tournament in 1996, 2002 or 2003; get to the sweet sixteen and beyond in 2004 (for sure his best team until Sherrill got hurt-but still good enough after that); or get to the elite 8 in 2005.
he just could not get his team to step through the door!
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