HighSchoolHoop.com is over in France covering Ryan Harrow and the rest of the Adidas All-American team as they prepare to take on the rest of the world. Here is an excerpt from the article:"After speaking with Tournament Director Jean Pierre Ciesielski, he told me that there are going to be 12-14 NBA scouts in attendance and that the competition across the field is going to be fierce. With around 60 guys having played in the World Basketball Tournament and in the NBA as well, you knew someone had to see them play. Coach Ed Schilling was doing his part as well while teaching the sets, equating it to learning a playbook in the League during training camp or after you’ve been traded.
At the end of the practice though, the player I was most impressed with was point guard Ryan Harrow. Despite weighing in at 150 pounds dripping wet, Ryan seemed to control the game and dictate the tempo the whenever he had the rock in his hand."
HighSchoolHoop also got the chance to do an interview with Ryan right before he left to go to Paris. Here are some of the highlights from the interview:
HSH: Is that the main reason you picked State?
RH: Well, it was that and because I really like (head) coach (Sidney) Lowe. That’s the main reason.
HSH: So is the plan for Lorenzo to run the point for a year and for you to takeover the following year?
RH: Yeah that’s the plan. A lot of people talk about chemistry and we’ve been playing together so long… We’ll already know what the other is thinking.
HSH: Obviously, State has struggled recently and a big reason why is point guard play. Is there pressure for you to come in and instantly upgrade the position?
RH: Yeah definitely, but I just know that all I have to do is play my game and I’ll be able to please the fans there.
HSH: That’s interesting because Lowe is somewhat on the proverbial hot seat. The rumors are always there.
RH: Yeah I know. I’ve heard the rumors about him possibly getting fired and everything like that. I mean if he’s there, I’m there, but if not I’ll probably look elsewhere. But I’m thinking with the class that they’re bringing in and my class coming after that it will be the players that State has been looking for. How could they let him go with those players? You know.
Keep the good stuff rolling in HighSchoolHoop.com!
comments
59 Responses to "HighSchoolHoop.com: Ryan Harrow In Paris"It's true, Ryan Harrow really is one great wolfpacker.
WHY are people (ONLY NOW) constantly pushing the point about our coaching situation?
Need to get Ryan signed in November.
any word on a 1 year rollover extension for Lowe. would that help ease the hot seat talk?
Im telling you this kid is friends with EVERYONE!!! Love the Wolfpack '10 shout out!!! The entire interview is awesome I love how he isn't afraid of high expectations and CJ Leslie's decision to recommit didn't come close to swaying him. Special kid!!!
^ because it's N.C. State.
As long as Lowe is here, Ryan is here. I like that.
I wish everyone would get off Sid's back and let him do his thang.
Who were those other two guys?
redfred. i think it's because we're a high profile team in the ACC, and (admittedly) the new coaching staff hasn't produced yet.
I also think that's it's still very early, and things are changing. With the guys we already have, the recruits we have coming in, the coaching staff and our fans, I'm thinking this might be a new beginning.
Monsieur Harrow, do us proud in Paris. We know you will!
redfred, I believe to answer your question all you have to do is read the message boards at the various websites around the net - at least the one at packpride. Lot's of hyper-critical, unrealistic folks there that an outsider cannot help but notice when they visit.
Winning cures all ills. If we start winning everything will be wonderful. If not...well, let's just say we need to start winning on a consistent basis within the next 2seasons.
Its disappointing that HSH would suggest to a recruit that he should worry about his future coach. That's quite unprofessional in my opinion. It makes you wonder if that reporter has an agenda. Fortunately, guys like Ryan are smart enough to rise above it.
Because "they " are out to get us and Sid it ain't right but that is how it is they been undermining him from the jump! ENOUGH I say let the man do his job!
The real anon !
I was looking at the Tennesse prospects for 2010 and it seems like they're interested in overall 20 people. Is it normal for a basketball school to recruit like football? Where do you find the time to evaluate and call that many players? If someone knows alot about recruiting feel free to share. Either way I'll be playing golf in myrtle beach by tomorrow afternoon so my feelings won't be hurt for long.
^^Matt you have ruined my day by speaking of golf in Myrtle Beach while I sit in my office and keep busy for 8hrs!!
About Tenn I wouldnt worry too much how many kids they recruit, remember they were the one who loved marques johnson before he transfered to state lol. Maybe they are taking the Butch Davis technique, who cares how many scholarships you have bring in as many kids as possible then cut the kids at the last possible moment....
I do agree 100% its unprofessional to ask numerous questions about his future coach getting canned or about other recruits decommiting. CJ Leslie doesnt effect Ryan one bit!!! Nor should it!!! Unlike some kids, Ryan has his head on straight and doesnt let ignorant people sway him with bad press.
New nick name for ryan...
Came from the bottom of bottoms
To the TOP of the TOP
^ Ryan isn't easily swayed b/c unlike many on the circuit he doesn't have a money hungry handler shadowing him everywhere he goes. His mother is in charge of his recruitment and she understands how things "REALLY" work.
WOW. Ryan is getting high praise from Coaches in the league as well. I think we are lucky that he is only 150lbs dripping wet. His lack of an NBA body will keep him in school longer! Otherwise, we may be talking about Ryan being a 'one and done' guy (Though, we may anyway).
Yes, unprofessional line of questions, but it is good to hear the responses from Ryan. I would like to know the other reason for coming to State, that was not mentioned prior to the first question about Sid. Regardless, we can see how important Sid is to this recruiting process. We like to think we have a lot to sell with NC State alone, and we do. But, if you don't have a Coach that kids (and their family's) like and trust, you have nothing. If Sid does get fired after this year, I will protest in some form. It would be the equivalent of shooting ourselves in the foot. Patience is a virtue. It's just sad that a lot of fans have no virtues. Go Pack!
^Great point, WPH's.
^ppack - the other reason that Ryan was talking about was the fact that his God-brother Lorenzo Brown was coming to State.
Somehow I missed that fact! It is very telling that he didn't hesitate in saying that the plan is to have Lo run the point until he gets to Raleigh. Any insight on that WPH's or anyone? I thought that was a very interesting comment, indeed.
Who from NC States organization has ever said Sidney Lowe was on the hot seat. They are meerly speculating based on their own ignorant thoughts and based on what others say specifically, and unfortunately, media in our own backyard. I haven't heard the AD say Sidney was on the hotseat, I haven't heard Sidney Lowe get boooed when his name is announced at basketball games (I dont go to games I hope I'm right), I only hear WRAL and N&O brewing that crap up.
Why does NC State get mocked for throwing a parade for their football coach after a 4th place finish in his first year, then, get hammered for letting a basketball coach go (not fired) after 10 years, 1 sweet sixteen, and 0 ACC championships, 71-88 record while coaching at state, 32-87 against top 50 teams, and comes in 5th in coaching success at state behind Case, Marivich, Sloan, and Valvano (we won't even mention his record against triangle foes). I feel like we are very patient fans that stand behind our coaches 100%. We are NC State the school know for putting alley-oop on the map, we have the greatest cinderella story of all time, we played the greatest game of all-time (against maryland), and we beat the defending ncaa champs (UCLA), the team no one could imagine beating at their peak of success (it should have been twice), we have a undefeated season that not many teams can say they have (it should have been 2). I think Sidney Lowe is being given a fair shot so far by the school and fans but the media want to make it seem different. IMO if we do not see improvement this year then I can see the seat warming up, deservingly so, but he definitely will not be fired. My point was not to bash Coach sendek, I appreciate what he has done for our school. I am trying to make a point about our fans.
"It is very telling that he didn't hesitate in saying that the plan is to have Lo run the point until he gets to Raleigh."
I think that's the plan between the two of them. Like they were chilling in the living room and they were planning out their college careers. We may have to keep Lo at the 2 this year just because there is no one else there to play it even with Wood logging some minutes at the 2. I have said my thinking is that Ryan just isn't going to come in and take that PG spot from a Senior Javi and Junior Mays, but I will tell you the level of competition for that job will be much higher than it has been in some time.
Tank04
iphone, I think you are correct about the attitude of the fans. But, there is a segment of this fanbase that spurs on the media, especially on the sports talk radio shows. The few fans that are not patient, and that have made up their minds about Lowe not being the 'one' are the same few that call (and/or are guests) on the same shows that instigate this sort of propaganda. It draws the ire of listeners, and that translates into ratings. If you ask DukeFan and CarolinaFan, these same media outlets are out to get their respective teams also. The difference is that the radio jocks can only talk so much smack about teams that are winning championships. As was said before, winning curtails a lot of woe.
Tank, I have said, also, that Ryan is going to be hard pressed to come into a starting roll early on. I also am of the belief that Lo Brown should be put at the 2 in order to familiarize himself with the style of play there, rather than shuffling from the 1 to the 2 during his first two years. I hope that is what happens. There is something to be said for four years of experience at one position. For sure.
Go State!
My connection within the athletic department has told me numerous times that Sidney is not on the hot seat! They understand what he has had to work with and they knew when he was hired that it would take a while to get the program turned in the right direction. The future of WolfPack Basketball is bright my friends and Sidney is not going anywhere!
Iphone your 100% correct the News and Disturber has been trying to screw us over since the 1980's. They disrespected Val, they disrespect our administration, and to be flat honest most of the time their articles are pro unc anti state. What successful organization do you know that cuts the size of their product by half but raise their prices??? So You want me to pay more for half the paper when I can get better journalism from websites like WPH....
On the idea of Ryan and Lorenzo talking about Lo running the point til Ryan arrives to me isnt such a crazy idea. With some of the struggles last year at point, I believe it would help us immensly to have a 6'4 point guard with quickness and court vision. remember folks this isnt a big guard who cant handle the ball, Lo is a top 10 PG in the nation, even though he is a natural 2 guard. He would bring quickness and athleticism as well has opposing def would have to respect the shot of lo. This would open up other players esp on the wing and lo ability to drive would really break down the def specifily zone. Im not saying give up on javi and mays, but with his talent if he makes our club better with lo at the point then go for it. We already have CJ Williams and Scott Wood who could play 2. Im not so sure we should throw out what these boys are talking about.
I mean, calling people ignorant for saying that Lowe is on the hot seat is really going some. They are probably no less informed than the people on this blog chiming in. I agree that Sidney will PROBABLY get a couple of more years, but it's certainly not unthinkable to say he's on the hot seat.
And come on - it's not just the local media "joined together in an evil conspiracy" to shove Lowe out and bash our fans. That's just ridiculous talk. Fox Sports, ESPN and other mainstream national outlets have mentioned Lowe as being under the gun this season.
Year before last, we were a preseason Top 25 team, and finished with a losing record a no invitations. And Lowe had great players. You might call them "lazy" or "lacking heart" or mental toughness. A lot of other people would say it's the coach's job to get his players in line and crack down on those players. And they are certainly entitled to their opinion and have solid points.
That article was not unprofessional; it was directly related to our current situation with Leslie.
All of this being said, I don't think we'll be forced to discuss this after this season because it seems like Lowe is finally putting together the pieces. I hope he proves this season that he can coach, because it really seems like we'll be solid everywhere in a few years.
Everybody take a deep breath.
^ Jeff
"Year before last, we were a preseason Top 25 team, and finished with a losing record a no invitations. And Lowe had great players."
1- Preseason means absolutly nothing that was speculation
2- Other than JJ, I dont consider 1 player on that team great... average not great. If they were great they would win. plain and simple.
3. those were not his players (besides JJ and Tracy Smith) and honestly we are lukcy he was able to convince certin players not to transfer after Herb left or the last 2 years would have been even worse....
3."And come on - it's not just the local media "joined together in an evil conspiracy".. Obviously you were not in raleigh in the late 80s during the Valvano witch hunt... IT HAPPENS...
Jeff, I think that people have been complaining about the N and O's UNC slant for years. They believe that the writers and editors are all UNC Journalism grads with obvious bias. I don't think that there is a 'Evil Conspiracy.' But, there have been some very anti-State stances taken by the Raleigh Rag through the years. These things aren't brought up out of thin air. This isn't a conspiracy theory. It is a very real issue that has eaten at serious State fans in the Raleigh area since, but not limited to, the Valvano situation. I am not getting riled up here. I'm just trying to shed some light on a sore subject.
Anybody that tells you that Lowe is a lock to be here after this year, is not living in the real world. Of coarse there is a chance he will be fired if he doesn't improve his team's performance. However, if he improves, and they get some sort of post-season bid, I expect Lowe to be around for another year. Ryan says that he isn't coming unless Sid is still here. That speaks volumes. By the time Ryan makes it to Raleigh, he will be the highest profile player that NC State has brought in for the past 20+ years (including JJ Hickson). How do you let a coach (and a player) like that go, only to hire someone who has to start all over again?
I hope Sid can pull it off, and turn the corner. I do understand that the national media looks at the straight facts about Lowe's success, or lack thereof. On the surface, it looks like a 'make or break' year. Unfortunately, there isn't much investigative reporting when ESPN and FOX put out their Hot Seat rankings. What you get, is a snapshot of the statistics on the surface of the story. That's why pre-season predictions mean nothing, and that's why they play the games.
Yeah, CJ and Scott could slide down from the 3 and spend time at the 2...but then everyone has to slide down and we still get into depth issues because of the traffic jam at the 1. Sidney is a self-proclaimed "Position Coach." Players roles on the floor are clearly defined. If CJ and Scott slide down, then Horner and Howell have to slide down and now instead of holes at the 2 we have holes at the 4. With Lo logging minutes at the 1 that puts either Javi or Mays getting minutes only in mop up time and Farnold left out of the rotation completely. We did have a heap of problems at the point last year so Lo may very well win that job...but it would be much better for us in the long and short if Javi or Mays could play well enough to keep Lo at the 2. Maybe Mays will grow 3 inches this summer and he could move to the SG slot. Shut up...it could happen!
Tank04
Tank, you summed up my argument, at least in part. Mays was just a true frosh last year, and he did some incredible stuff. And, with Lo at the 2-guard, you can have him handle the rock and dishing the dimes, too. You get the best of both worlds. I think CJ and Lo will split time at 2, Javi and Mays will split the 1 spot and Scott Wood is more suited for the 3. The "bigs" are a whole different story. I think this year is going to be funner to watch than the past three. There will be an excitement there, similar to the year Hickson came in, but with a bit more substance.
Wow Cyber Warrior Pack Leader - I really wasn't trying to push anyone's buttons. Just saying that it's not only local press - national media outlets have said the same. Maybe they're part of the conspiracy! For some crazy reason, people who really shouldn't and don't care about our program want us to fail! Does any sane person really believe that?
And yes, Brandon Costner was a MacDonald's All-American for crying out loud. If pre-season rankings are just speculation, what are our recruiting rankings for this year? Oh wait, they're probably dead on. Preseason means that independent minded people looked at our roster in comparison with our league and others, and projected us to be in the top 25 teams in the NCAA. Does that mean a lot? No. What does mean a lot is where we finished, which means a lot of people thought we should have been better than we were. And when you have rumors going around that players aren't getting along and are whining about playing time, a lot of people think the coach needs to step in and handle it. That's a valid opinion.
And all this about Lowe not having "his players?" Save it. You know how many coached have stepped in and made immediate impacts with players they didn't recruit? Hell, some have won championships with as much.
Conspiracies - please. Maybe these journalists persued a degree with the intention of destroying NC State basketball all along! It's possible! How far can we go with this neanderthal-like rational?
ppack - I respect your point, but I'm just saying that it's not just local media. It's bigger than that.
And one (albiet small) bone to pick about Harrow being the most high-profile recruit at State in 20+ years. He's a top 50-100 player but most's rankings. J-Hodge was the #7 player overall I think. Or top 10-12 if not.
Anyway, I think State BBall is on it's way up, and would like to see Sidney succeed. Go Pack.
Jeff, I never take offense to a rational debate. I think that you are right about conspiracy theories going too far. But, with that said, all I ever ask for in journalism is objectivity. If you went to UNC to become a beat writer, keep your bias away from the paper for which you write. That has not been the case over the years, in Raleigh. This is not an indictment of the N&O. This is not an argument to say that everyone is out to get us, or that aliens run the paper. Just give me fair coverage. Actually, the N&O is an extinct animal anyway, so all of this is for not.
And, if that is true about Hodge, I MAY stand corrected. But, Ryan is jumping up the charts with a year to go. My guess was an educated one, that Ryan will be that highest profile player. Regardless, there have only been a handful of kids that have come to State in the past 20+ years that have been McDonald's AA's. I don't think Julius was a five-star guy (I may be wrong), and I don't think Costner was a five star guy. I know Scooter Sherrill was a McDonald's AA, but not a five star guy. JJ was a five star guy, but he played a position in which others had to watch him post up, create space for him to work, and get the hell out of the way. I think Ryan will have a larger impact than any of those guys. That's all I'm saying.
Hodge was part of the 2001 McDonald's All-American Team and the First-team Parade All-American, New York's "Mr. Basketball", New York Daily News Player of the Year, New York All-Metro Squad, and Sports Illustrated's Old Spice Athlete of the Month. He scored a total of 684 points his senior season, setting the school record at St. Raymond High School, and left rated as the No. 1 shooting guard by ESPN and No. 5 nationally.
Hodge was part of the 2001 McDonald's All-American Team and the First-team Parade All-American, New York's "Mr. Basketball", New York Daily News Player of the Year, New York All-Metro Squad, and Sports Illustrated's Old Spice Athlete of the Month. He scored a total of 684 points his senior season, setting the school record at St. Raymond High School, and left rated as the No. 1 shooting guard by ESPN and No. 5 nationally.
Wow, looks I started something,
All I can say is that there are about 75% of all NC State fans who understand that there were circumstances already in place that would have prevented A-N-Y new coach from having the ability to merely flip a switch, and instantly make radical improvements from the get go in Raleigh. We're seeing the shaking out of some those hindering "circumstances" every day in the news right now.
But unfortunately, there are still some very intelligent people/NC State alums/fans/etc who think the coaching change was a cut and dry affair. They were also under the dillusion that the NC State BB program was holding it's own in the ACC and nationally, and some even believed that it was actually on the upswing.
In my opinion we've just gone through three seasons that have proven that all of those folks were dead wrong. Bbut now, all they can say is that it is one person's fault, HC Sidney Lowe's.
You just have to let those folks believe what they want to believe because you can't really argue that type of logic, when it doesn't contain any logic to begin with.
Bigons, ppack3 - I think Harrow will be huge also.
I stand corrected on Hodge. But, my point is the same. Wait, what was the point? I'm not sure.
Oh, that we have a 5-star guy coming in next year. One that has the potential to have a profound effect on our team from a position that runs the show on the floor. He is not going to come to NC State without Sid, so why not give him a year or two with Ryan? If he can't succeed with that guy running the point, admin has justification to do whatever they want as far as firing Sid. I'd say that were are in a similar situation to the year that Hodge came to Raleigh.
BTW, thanks for the stats, anon. Maybe you could bring some number on JJ, Scooter and Costner, too? That would be cool.
Hodge was a top 10 player in the nation you are correct. But so was Damien Wilkins when he came to state..... infact i believe he was a top 5 player in the nation. We all know how that worked out!!!! Jeff you are correct ryan has been ranked in the top 50-100 nationally over the last year but in both rivals and scout he is a top 50 player, and scout has him as a top 25 player in the nation. Both of those sites rank him in the top 10 PG in the nation. Just remember a year ago he wasnt ranked in the top 100 ANYWHERE? Do you think he really went from average to one of the best in the nation in 12 months? no. The rest of the scouts are just now realizing how much talent/potential this kid has. Ive alwasy said rankings mean nothing but talent wise we havent had a GUARD this good come to NC State in 20 years......
I do not expect the media/writers, whose job it is cover many different programs, and on many levels, of sports during a single day, to have any real grasp of all of the pooh that has constantly swirled around and around in Raleigh for decades now.
I do however expect the people who talk and type about NC State on a daily basis to have some kind clue about it. Unfortunately though, some live in a black and white world, and cannot grasp anything that can't be drawn in the form of a graph, a pie chart, and proven 100% statistically.
That's NC state.
Pack Leader - I'm not taking anything away from Harrow. At all. You're completely missing the boat here. And dude, you can't trash rankings and stars and then use them as your platform to evaluate and tout Harrow. In one post, you just said that Hodge was a top 10 player and said Harrow is the best "GUARD" in 20 years. Hodge was a 2-guard. Your one paragraph just defies logic all over the place. So, for the record, I'm not saying anything negative about Lowe or Harrow - in fact, I'm saying quite the opposite. My larger point was to say that it wasn't crazy to say Lowe could be on the hot seat. That's it.
It was good reading what everyone had to say. I think everyone made some good points. I think we all agree on one thing and that is Wolfpack basketball seems to be headed in the right direction with Sidney Lowe as coach. Lets get a "Go Pack" from all of our debaters today.
GO PACK!!
Well said RedFred..
I'll throw out an old school "Go State!!"
Go State!!
Jeff- didnt mean to attack you or your points if i offended you im sorry. I got nothing but love for fellow Wolfpack fans!!! Although Herb used Julius Hodge as his point guard, he was a SF coming out of HS at 6'6". So I still stand behind my comment that ryan is best guard state will have gotten in 20 years. Although now that I think about it Scooter Sherryl was a top player in the nation when he signed with state. My point about rankings, not meaing to trash them, but Ryan the player prob hasnt changed as much as his rankings have. Its all about who the media is highest on. Id much rahter have a debate on how much Ryan will help the progam than if sid should be given another year (which I think most of us are in agreement that its the best for the university for him to succeed). I can see how the media would say Sid is on the hot seat because of the "what have you done for me latley," but I havnt heard anything around Raleigh that would confirm any of that. Can anyone think of a True PG state has gotten that is this high of a ranking/this much media following? in my 25 years of following state I cant remember one.
Redfred you know State OHHH too well. good points.
And iphone..... GO PACK!!!!
If we don't get into the NCAA's this year (which I think is somewhat reasonable given the age of this team) then I may have to go for the victory lap as a super senior next year to watch State go to the Tourney for the first and only time while I'm a student here. The combo of Harrow and this upcoming class with a year under their belts should definitely get their.
Just wondering, any info about the elite camp at NCSU yet?
Thanks for all the work WPH
Go Pack!
FWIW, anyone who says Sid is on the hotseat obviously doesn't know anything about our athletics department.
The last (only?) coach that was fired for performance reasons was Amato, and that season he finished with 7 consecutive losses, for a 3-9 overall record. And Lee Fowler STILL didn't want to fire him! He only did so after he was informed that if he didn't fire Amato, they would fire HIM. And then Amato, too.
I think the only way Sid gets fired after this year is if we implode on a colossal scale of epic proportions. I think his 11th ranked recruiting class has bought him AT LEAST this year and next year (unless we tank in a MAJOR way this year, and it can be attributed to Sidney, and not inexperienced players making mistakes).
I think Sid's seat is not hot THIS year. AFTER this year, maybe it will be. But it isn't hot now. Just my opinion.
Judging by Ryan's voice...He still has a lot of growing to do. I wouldn't be surprised at all (for his age) if he hits a growth spurt the summer before his freshmen year or even during his freshmen year. I see him as hitting about 6'2'' - 6'3'' 175ish. Somewhere around Chris Paul's size.
That is extremely abnormal for an elite HS basketball recruit if you think about it. Most of those guys are freaks of nature when it comes to size...
^Chris Paul ain't sniffing 6'2" or 3"...
"Winning cures all ills."
^Just wondering WolfCop, is that a typo or what?
Seems that most of the other NC State sites seem to believe that...
“Whining” cures all ills.
The one thing that gets said over an over again is that in college you win with guards. The one thing that we should all be able to agree on is that we haven't had guards since Fire and Ice, what haven't we done since that time "Win". Sidney had 2 guards in the whole program when he took it over Atsur a senior and a little use soph. in Fells and he took them to the ACC finals. The next year we started all over with no leadership at the most important position. We had 2 great talents in Brandon & J.J. that could not get on the same page. Brandon was a great talent not a great player. Sidney has to take some blame for that, Herb has to take some for the personnel problems.
If someone who created SFN wants to come and talk constructively about things posted here and how they relate to Wolfpack basketball then we're all for it.
But, if they come over here with their gloomy pragmatic rhetoric, the kinda of discourse that is run so much that it's hard to imagine praise of TOB is sincere, then beware of their agenda.
Instead of trying to counter balance hyper critics like BJD95 they will spill over to this side and say a positive approach and a desire to change the culture for NC State followers is a sign of weakness.
Ah yes, the old missing PG excuse?
While it is very much the truth, just as the missing QB has been our downfall in the post Philip Rivers era, you cetainly can't tell that to some folks. That's even after just THIS PAST season when the entire FB team slumped after an early season injury at that ONE/QB position. Nosiree, those folks will not have any part of your "PG" argument. The slump in mid-season wasn't the FB Coach's fault at all, but in BB, it's ALL the Coach's fault.
Well doubters, this BB Coach is on the verge of curing that problem, and in a BIG way. Whether it all pans out in near future or not, our shopping lists have just been upgraded. NC State is now moving beyond the 'serviceable/interchangeable/ parts' inventory shelves, and is now on the move in the premium aisles, searching for top shelf material.
That is a credit to this staff, and it will be of great benefit to NC State as well as the coaches who follow, whenever that day may come.
Well said jose!!!! In case you didn't know SFN isn't used for constructive debates its only used for the "writers" to push negative opinions and block other bloggers who choose to look at the state of our university in a positive light. For the record, multiple times SFN would write something negative about State and i would rebut it only to find out the "writers" have blocked by comment and told if I strayed I would be blocked from the sight... Not the way to treat fellow Pack fans, difference of opinions or not.
Stay Classy WPH!!!!!
Uh, needless to say, I can no longer comment over there on NNNation. There was one particular commenter there who was always allowed to hint around and insinuate totally negative opinions, without ever having to back up what he was saying with factual material. I tried to hold some feet to the fire, and make them accountable, but I was always the one who got slapped down.
Since I finally got fed up and lost my cool, and wasn't promoting their negative agenda anyway, I got the boot. No worry though, I deserved it, there just wasn't room for both of us on that Ark anyway.
Chris was 6'0 175 in college...I was referring more to the weight, not the height. I'm not worried about how tall Harrow is but I don't think he's done growing.
First and foremost- this is such amazingly good news for Ryan and I'm pumped for him and his family. When I had the pleasure of meeting his mother at Reynolds she seemed especially proud that Ryan had been named to this prestigious national team. Take a step back and just realize what a crazy summer it's been for Ryan & fam.!!
My comments before were overly harsh regarding that particular Wolfpack sports web site- particularly the trash talking.
Their perspective is very useful if you take everything in a business "white collar" approach. They are the silent partners BOT if there every was one and if you truly believe that YOU have all the answers of how to run an AD, a major college elite conference sport- heck a land grant state University when they're bored, then there is probably no better site any where.
Player new and old only get pointed out at sites like this if they're amazingly good and acclaimed by the media or screwing up royally. More of a "blue collar" approach of appreciating the efforts of all the student athletes and having faith that they can follow through on a lifetime of goal setting, dedication and hard work is too petty on that blog. Better to spend all the more time on judging AD's and HC's because that's a great hobby, right?!
That's my last ever rant on that topic, the culture here is going to be different- we're going to be apart at the start of a following and information sharing community that will help turn this program around. I try to follow these teams, especially BBall and Football using some constructive thinking up to a point (because yes folks it's sports and it gets over analyzed to death at times) AND by imagining that you're there in the seats or bleachers rooting on the team with the players parents.
These folks always inspire me because no matter the score or status of the season they have it in check. They are INVESTED in something real and they know that it's the individuals and how they contribute to the team that really matter. It helps that I get the pleasure of sitting next to some of them during football season and the stories they share about their family member participating always add to my experience in the best way (it was also great that the pucker-hole behind me that used to curse every AD and HC at State was apparently on some sort of medication...even when Russell was hurt).
I just wanted to remind pack leader that Damien Wilkens has had the best NBA career of any NCSU alum. Just because his style didn't fit with Sendek he still did his thing in georgia and went on to have a 50 game performance in the NBA. Stars mean nothing when they're in the wrong program but I feel Ryan is a perfect fit for us and Sid's style!
^^True Stuff Anonymous You are correct he has been the best pro for state in a long time. I honestly believe his dad did him in with Herb but that's a different topic. I believe Ryan is a guy that can be a staple for a program for multi-years. (Similar to a Juan Dixon,CP3... the list can go on and on)
Just an FYI, Josh Powell is logging some minutes in the NBA Finals tonight. He has developed rather nicely. I often think about he and Ced Simmons and what we could've accomplished if they both stuck around for four years. Josh is a big athletic guy and he is starting to increase his range from what I've seen tonight. Go Pack!
Uh, I don't really want to rehash THE DEBATE, but I never have, and never will, consider Damien Wilkins as an "alum", or "product", of NC State University. That's not a knock on him for anything that happened while in Raleigh, I just consider his success to be the University of Georgia's claim, not ours. Josh Powell's story is a different one, and an unfortunate one.
I certainly hope that both of those guys prosper and do well in the NBA, but either way, I don't think I'll be feeling any huge rush of Wolfpack pride over it.
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