The feature on Lorenzo Brown in today's N&O includes some damning stuff about the previous regime. Basically there was no work ethic:
Known in high school as a prolific scorer, Brown said he wasn't happy with his offense last season. He said his reduced output may have come from staying away from the gym.
This summer, you can find him most nights taking shots in the team's practice facility.
[snip]
Showing up to the gym in July serves as one form of leadership. On this day, Brown was meeting his teammates for a shootaround.
"Everyone who is here, their head's on straight," he said. "Last year around this time, nobody was in the gym. It was kind of disturbing to see that you have a free gym, 24-hour access, anytime you want, and nobody was in there. This time, everyone is in here."
Why was Brown "staying away from the gym"? Was there a big spider by the door? Because that would keep me out for sure. Big spiders are the goddamned worst.
Spider or no, this definitely sheds some light on how Sidney Lowe and his staff were running things. Seems no one was "in the lab getting these shots in" or "grinding" or "focused" or offering enough shout-outs to their various haters. It's not all on the staff, because we're talking about voluntary workouts here, but it is up to the coaches to instill some sense of urgency and a desire to get better. It's amazing to read that a team coming off a 10th place finish in the ACC essentially half-assed its way through the off-season. Relaxing after a successful season is one thing (understandable at least), but it would take an incredible imagination to construct laurels on which Lowe's NC State teams could rest.
Welp, see you dudes next year. Until then, it's back to our real passions: rodeo clowning and Marlboros.
