UPDATE: Harrow Enjoys Raleigh... Cothron To Stay at Flora MacDonald

HARROW ENJOYS TRIP TO RALEIGH
2010, NC State commit, Ryan Harrow decided to take a trip up to Raleigh this past weekend, fueling speculation that he was, in fact, thinking about transferring to Word of God Christian Academy.

"It was a thought." Said Harrow, who's brother-in-law was named Word of God's Head Coach a few weeks ago. However, Ryan will be completing his senior year at Walton, in Marietta, GA, as we reported over a month ago.

As you all know, weekends rarely go by with Harrow not playing some type of basketball. In this case, it was a few pick-up games at Word of God and then a few over at NC State, at the Dail Center.

"It was really good. At Word of God there were some good local players, and then me and Cj (Leslie) went over to the Dail Center and played pick-up with the team." Ryan said.

Although no coaches were in attendance, all reports we've gotten were that Ryan may very well have been the best point guard in the Dail Center this weekend. Ryan told us that he enjoyed playing with CJ and that their games "really compliment each other."

PACK PLAYERS IMPRESSING AT DAIL
We also got a report from the pick-up game that there was a big time battle going on in the post, between new comer DeShawn Painter and Junior Tracy Smith. Reports are that Smith has put on some muscle, Painter is a real banger in the post, and both have a very aggressive mentality. Another interesting tidbit we heard is that, while Scott Wood has been lighting it up from 3, he took a break from the shooting, drove the lane, and threw down a dunk on an unnamed players head.

COTHRON STAYING IN NORTH CAROLINA
We know you heard the rumors, but we just recieved word, and now can confirm, that 2010 NC State recruit, Luke Cothron, will be staying in NC for his Senior season. Luke, who had previously decided to transfer to Durham Prep in Conneticut, now will instead be staying home and attending Flora MacDonald.

We are hearing that Luke's AAU coach who had be handling his recruitment, will no longer be doing so. This is a good turn of events for NC State fans, as it will keep one of their top targets right in their backyard. According to Luke, NC State will be in his top 3 to the very end. "You can quote me on that." he said.

Wolfpack Hoops/Pigskin To Work With Raycom Sports

We just wanted to inform you that we have been contacted by Raycom Sports (the official network of the ACC), and will be doing a little bit of writing for their new "NC State Blog" this football and basketball season. The blog will be part of their new network that covers each team in the ACC on a separate blog. Our articles on Raycom will be content exclusively for their site about NC State. However, nothing will be changing here, as our first priority is, and always will be, Wolfpack Hoops and Wolfpack Pigskin.

We just feel that this is a good chance to help us grow and to help us get our name out there. What we are most excited about is the opportunity to get some positive press out about all the good things going on with the NC State Football and Basketball programs. We will be contributing an article or two per week to Raycom and hope you will help support the growth of their blog network. As for us, don't worry, everything here will go on as normal and we will still be providing you with the same service that we have been for almost a year now.

We just always think it's important to keep everyone in "the loop" with what it going on behind the scenes here, since this has grown into more of a community than just a news website (something we are certainly happy about). If anyone has any questions, comments or concerns, please let us know...and again, thank you for all of your support!

**The Raycom blog network will be launched next week and can be found at Raycomsports.com

Washburn's Kids Making a Name for Themselves

Chris Washburn came to NC State out of high school as one of the top players in the 1984 recruiting class. Standing at 6'11, Chris Washburn was dubbed by, then coach, Jim Valvano as "a player that will make the program." He entered NC State along side Nate McMillan and Vinny Del Negro, giving the Wolfpack one of the most dominant recruiting classes in the nation. In his only full season with NC State, Washburn did work to the tune of 18 points and 7 boards per game.

Nowadays, Chris Washburn has a new job. A job which includes working with, and helping along his two sons, both of whom are starting to make names for themselves on the recruiting circuit.

Julian Washburn charts in at 6'8, 195lbs and is carrying a 4 star ranking. He is a top 20 wingman in the class of 2010. His brother, Chris Jr. is a sophomore, already 6'7 and may have an even higher ceiling than Julian.

According to Maxpreps.com, the Washburn brothers are on the verge of transferring out of Texas and joining 2011's number one prospect, Michael Gilchrist at St. Patrick in New Jersey.

This is a pretty exciting duo, with some good NC State connections. It will surely be interesting to see if the Wolfpack staff makes a push at the Washburns.

photo by Randy Eli Grothe

Open Thread (8 29.09)

This weekends open thread gives you another chance to get all your questions, comments and concerns out and discuss them with us and everybody else. Here are a few thoughts that we've had recently that might help spark some conversation:

- New schedule

- New jerseys

- New season ticket payment plan

Your thoughts?

Harrow's Mother Quiets Rumors

Ryan Harrow is staying at Walton. We first told you this a month ago when the rumors began that, 2010 NC State Commit, Harrow would be transferring to Raleigh's Word of God Christian Academy. However, after Ryan's brother-in-law was hired as the Coach of Word of God a few weeks ago, the rumors picked up again, and again we reported that it would be highly unlikely that he left Walton.

Now, after continuing to get emails, and calls from people claiming that Ryan is, despite our reports, heading to Word of God, we decided to talk to the person in charge of this decision in order to get the final word and clear things up once and for all.

"You can tell people you spoke directly to his mother and the answer is No! I love my son-in-law but Ryan will complete his senior year at Walton High School in GA" Ryan's mother told us via email.

So there it is. Although, many Pack fans would have loved Harrow to be playing within driving distance, the decision his mother has made is most likely the correct one. Ryan will be in Raleigh in less than a year, so spending his final year close to his family is probably a wise decision.

09's Loss Is '10's Gain

While losing top-flight guard Lorenzo Brown might have hurt the 2009 class, his addition to the 2010 class along with Ryan Harrow has NC State's class looking pretty stout. Rivals has come out with a very early ranking for the 2010 recruiting class, and NC State's class of Harrow and Brown ranks #5. While it is obvious that these rankings will change countless times between now and the beginning of the '10-11 school year, it is encouraging to see NC State ranked this high, this early in the process. Here is what Rivals had to say about the 2010 NC State recruiting class:

"The 2009 recruiting class' loss is the 2010 recruiting class' gain for North Carolina State. Brown, a highly ranked four-star combo guard, didn't make the cut academically and now joins the 2010 class. He is paired up with Harrow, who is a five-star point guard and one of the most dynamic scorers in the class despite his small frame."

Rivals 2010 Basketball Recruiting Team Rankings

1) Ohio St.
2) Syracuse
3) UNC
4) Illinois
5) NC State
6) Wake Forest
7) Maryland
8) Texas
9) Michigan St.
10) Purdue
11) Virginia
12) Dayton
13) Baylor
14) Memphis
15) FSU

Happy Birthday Lorenzo Brown!

Today is NC State commit Lorenzo Brown's 19th birthday. Zo, who was originally in NC State's '09 class, was the #28 player overall in his class according to Scout (#37 according to Rivals). NC State fans should be stoked with the 1-2 punch that the Pack has coming in in '10 with God-brothers Lorenzo Brown and Ryan Harrow. Happy Birthday Lorenzo!



ONE Entertainment gets credit for the photo.

Quick Notes from 8-26

- Media Relations has just let us know that the Georgia State game has finally been given a time and a date. The Wolfpack will host Georgia State on Thursday,November 12th at 7pm.

- Another year, another freshly designed basketball jersey. I know that there has been a lot of chatter about going retro and bringing back "STATE" to the front of the jersey. That didn't happen. Today they were released via a "TwitPic" (which is a picture on Twitter) by the Men's Basketball's Twitter page. Check them out and give us your opinion.

- Recession got you down? Wondering how in the world you're going to afford those NC State Basketball Season Tickets? Well the NC State ticket office is offering a pretty sweet deal. Introducing the Men's Basketball Season Ticket payment plan. The plan allows you to pay off your season tickets in 3 seperate payments, the first being in mid September. If you're interested, head over to GoPack.com/PaymentPlan First time buyers should call the NC State Ticket Office at (919) 865-1510.

A Note to Our Readers....

Hey Everyone,
We just wanted to address something that we feel is getting a little out of control in our comment sections. We understand that you may not like this site, or that site, or any site for some particular reason, but we have gone almost a full year here and have tried to build a positive place where people can come and discuss Wolfpack Basketball. We understand everyone wants to have their voices heard, but to come on here and bash another site honestly does no good, it just further divides the NC State fanbase, which is the very last thing we want to do.

We want you all to be able to give your opinion on different topics, but it's truly putting us in a hard spot in some cases. We appreciate you guys coming to bat for us when people take shots, but in those comments, a lot of times, are negative things about other sites. We realize people talk about us on other sites, and obviously some is negative, but fighting back and forth about it solves nothing. We all may be different in our views of our coach, our athletic director, or which sites should be credentialed and which should not, but one thing that we all have in common is that we are all passionate about the Wolfpack and want to see them succeed.

The day it comes to the point where it's more about how many people come to our site, or how many hits we get, is the day we want out. That is not what college athletics are about. This is not about a business plan, and not about making a name for ourselves. This is about reporting information about NC State Basketball and Football to the fans that are passionate about their favorite team. It's really about doing the best we can do to create a positive place where anyone from the Wolfpack Family (Past players, current players, and fans) can come and get information, or come and communicate with one another.


We hope that this does not come across as preachy or us trying to censor our readers. It's just that there is a great football team about to take the field next Thursday and a basketball team that has been working their tails off all off-season to put a winning product on the floor. Those are the real stories, and the real issues that people should be concerned about.

Thank you for your time. WPH

Ryan Harrow vs. Shaq

We came across this little gem thanks to one of our readers (Pack Leader). It's 2010 NC State commit, Ryan Harrow, taking part in a charity event when he was a little kid and going one on one with Shaquille O'Neal. Ryan is the first kid interviewed, and he's wearing a headband. Enjoy.

2009-2010 Basketball Schedule Released

RALEIGH, N.C. – The 100th season of NC State men's basketball will feature a total of 17 home games, including one against each of the other three North Carolina ACC schools, as the 2009-10 schedule was released Tuesday by the ACC. The Wolfpack will have a total of 20 games against teams that advanced to postseason tournaments last year, including 13 games against teams that went to the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

“We fell like we have improved the strength of our schedule once again this season, and the fact that so many teams went to postseason plays last year supports that fact,” said head coach Sidney Lowe. “We have some tough road trips early on in the season, and it will be crucial for us to see how our young team responds to playing in those hostile environments. It is important for us to start the season off strong, and then continue that play into the ACC portion of the season.”

NC State will open its 2009-10 campaign against Georgia State. That game will either be November 12, 14 or 16 at the RBC Center, and an announcement will be made at a later date.

The Wolfpack will then pack its bags and head down to Daytona, Florida, to play in the 2009 Glenn Wilkes Classic at the Ocean Center Arena November 20-22. NC State will play three games in three days against Akron, Austin Peay and then Auburn, all three teams advanced to post season play last year.

The Pack’s non-conference schedule also features three other road contests. NC State will travel to Marquette on December 5, to Arizona on December 23 and play UNC Greensboro at the Greensboro Coliseum on December 31.

The Pack will once again play in Reynolds Coliseum in mid-December. NC State will host Georgia Southern on December 12. The Pack will also play an exhibition game in Reynolds, hosting St. Paul’s College on November 5.

NC State will get an early start to its ACC season, as the Pack will travel to Wake Forest December 20 for a nationally televised contest. The Pack will be facing, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest both home and away this season. In other ACC games, Clemson, Duke and Boston College will all be visiting the RBC Center, while the Pack will be at Boston College, Georgia Tech and Miami.

The ACC Tournament returns to the Greensboro Coliseum, and will be played from March 11-14.

2009-10 NC STATE SCHEDULE

Day Date Team Time TV
Thur. 11/5 St. Paul’s College (Reynolds - Exh.) 7:00 pm

TBA TBA Georgia State TBA
Glenn Wilkes Classic - Daytona, Florida (Ocean Center Arena)
Fri. 11/20 Akron 3:30 pm
Sat. 11/21 Austin Peay 8:15 pm
Sun. 11/22 Auburn 8:15 pm
Sun. 11/29 New Orleans 2:00 pm
Tue. 12/1 Northwestern 7:00 pm ESPNU
Sat. 12/5 @ Marquette 3:00 pm
Sat. 12/12 Georgia Southern (Reynolds) 2:00 pm
Thur. 12/17 Elon 7:00 pm
Sun. 12/20 @ Wake Forest 7:45 pm FSN
Wed. 12/23 @ Arizona TBA
Tue. 12/29 Winthrop 7:00 pm
Thur. 12/31 @ UNC Greensboro TBA
Sun. 1/3 Florida 3:00 pm FSN
Wed. 1/6 Holy Cross 7:00 pm
Sat. 1/9 Virginia 12/1:30 pm FSN
Tue. 1/12 @ Florida State 7:00 pm RSN
Sat. 1/16 Clemson 12/1:30 pm FSN
Wed. 1/20 Duke 9:00 pm Raycom
Sat. 1/23 @ Maryland 5/6 pm ESPN2
Tue. 1/26 North Carolina 9:00 pm Raycom
Sat. 1/30 North Carolina Central 2:00 pm
Wed. 2/3 @ Virginia 7:00 pm ESPNU
Sat. 2/6 @ Georgia Tech 4:00 pm Raycom
Wed. 2/10 Virginia Tech 7:00 pm
Sat. 2/13 @ North Carolina 4:00 pm ESPN
Wed. 2/17 Maryland 9:00 pm RSN
Sat. 2/20 Wake Forest 2:00 pm Raycom
Sat. 2/27 @ Miami 4:00 pm Raycom
Wed. 3/3 @ Virginia Tech 7:00 pm
Sun. 3/7 Boston College 2:00 pm Raycom
3/11-14 ACC Tournament (@ Greensboro, N.C.)

RSN - Regional Sports Network
FSN - Fox Sports Network
RLF - Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports
FSNS - Fox Sports Net South

Information Provided by NC State Media Relations

Lowe Piecing It All Together

By: WolfpackHoops Staff

When Sidney Lowe took over as the Wolfpack head coach three years ago, he was handed the formidable task of taking the NC State Wolfpack basketball program to the next level. The memories of a University once celebrated for it’s basketball prowess were growing hazier and hazier with each passing year. The emergence of basketball powerhouses such as The University of North Carolina and Duke overshadowed the once dominant Wolfpack, and left them, and their fans wondering how and who will lead them back to glory.

Enter Sidney Lowe. Lowe was the point guard whose play, under legendary coach Jim Valvano, led the Pack to their second National Championship with one of the most memorable runs in NCAA history. With Lowe, the Wolfpack had someone who understood them, who understood the rivalries and who understood the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his way. “My love for this area and for this university runs deep. My commitment here will be second to none.” Said Lowe in his first press conference. With a renewed sense of confidence, the Wolfpack fans were ready for the next great chapter in NC State Basketball history.

Fast forward to 2009. Sidney Lowe has an overall record of 51-46 and a less than stellar conference mark of 15-33. With three seasons under his belt, some Wolfpack fans are beginning to grow impatient. The win-now mentality that had harbored in Raleigh in years past is starting to rear its head again. However, if you look past the record, and examine the program a little closer, if you listen to the players when they speak, you find that there is something a little different going on this off-season. Players are maturing, they are starting to take it upon themselves to make sure they are prepared to go the places they want to go this season. The pieces may just be starting to come together. This will be the first season that Sidney Lowe will have a team entirely made-up of his players (with the exception of Senior forward Dennis Horner), so he will finally have his tools to work with. These players are the ones that bought in to what was pitched to them as recruits, players that are hungrier than ever to change the culture in Raleigh.

“I think people are really ready to turn this thing around. I mean, we have a lot of people in here that are just all about winning. Nobody is about themselves and everybody is about the team. None of us like losing, and we've seen, in spurts last year, how good we could be, but we let games slip away and we're just tired of that. We just really want to win games. " said Sophomore Julius Mays

Mays is just one Wolfpack player that has seen a drastic change in off-season work outs and team togetherness. Sophomore guard CJ Williams also expressed a new attitude and a new commitment to putting in the extra work to get better.

“Probably the biggest difference between this team and last years team is that you see a lot more guys working out on their own. There were guys that did that last year, but not as many. I mean, every day you see Javi, Johnny, me, Julius, Dennis, Tracy in the gym. Now we are all working out but it’s on our own. One is shooting, one is lifting, one might be relaxing and then we have a little chain going. When one person is done shooting someone else will go shoot and another person will go fill his spot in the weight room. It’s just that there are a lot more guys taking it upon themselves to get better. I really like that and I like that idea and I think because of that, things are definitely going to change.”

Since day one, Coach Sidney Lowe has preached mental toughness, and that hard work will earn court time. It seems as if that message is starting to sink in, as players are now understanding what those monikers really mean. It’s apparent to the players that a change is in order, and it’s beginning to open the eyes of the coaches, especially Sidney Lowe.

"(the goal this off-season was) to get better at everything and I feel very comfortable and confident in that. I don't know if you've seen any of our guys, but if you haven't, you'll see. They're different, they're just different. Their expressions are different, their mindsets are different, their bodies are different. Dennis Horner likes to walk around with his shirt off for the first time. It's interesting. He's proud of his work. When you see our guys you'll be able to see and it's because of the extra work they're putting in. No one is telling them to be in the gym at 6:30am. They're in there working out, that's what they are doing." Lowe said.

When a team starts to understand work ethic, you know they’ve begun to understand winning and what it takes to become a winner. Obviously, every team “wants to win”, but just how badly a team wants it can only be measured in the preparation and hard work they put in during the off-season. Sidney Lowe is still in the process of building the NC State program, but if this summer was any indication, he is on the right track and the pieces may just now be starting to fall into place.

Harrow and Leslie Make the Summer's Top 15

Our friends over at one entertainment, have come out with another one of their famous top 15 countdowns. This one is from the summer and features NC State commit Ryan Harrow and Pack recruit CJ Leslie. Enjoy.

Open Thread: 8/23/09

Sorry we're a little late today with the open thread. As you can see, we're making it a weekly occurrence to have at least one open thread a week. We'll try to keep it on Sundays, since Sundays are usually the slowest, news wise.

Here are a few things we've been discussing, and now we want to get your take.

-Should NC State kick off the basketball season with a Midnight Madness? Would it be popular enough to draw a big crowd? Should it be held at Reynolds or the RBC? Should the Pack just stick with the Red/White game?

-Is there any, living, former NC State players that you'd like us to cover in our "Where are They Now?" ...We are now taking suggestions.


Feel free to let your questions, comments or concerns be heard. Have at it!

Ced Simmons to Greece?

According to "The Hoop" blog, Ced Simmons is on the move to Greece to join Peristeri. Simmons left NC State after his Sophomore season to jump to the NBA, where he was drafted 15th overall by the New Orleans Hornets. After not being able to find a true role with New Orleans, he moved around, landing in Cleveland, Chicago and finally Sacramento. After fighting through an ankle injury last season, Ced was looking to catch on some place this summer. With basketball growing like crazy overseas, and the opportunity to make some good money while getting some good exposure, the move to Greece would be a no-brainer for Simmons, who is still young enough to make his way back to the NBA at some point.

Peristeri is in the A1 League this season, which is the top league in Greece. We'll keep you updated on his progress and hopefully be able to catch up with him and get his thoughts on the move overseas.

Rodney Hood Highlight Reel

Rodney Hood is an NC State target in the '11 class out of Mississippi.

Big Ben Lands In France

We've received word that Ben McCauley has signed on with Strasbourg IG squad in France, and jumped on the plane yesterday. Big Ben will be playing alongside of Tremmell Darden (Niagra), David Simon (Indiana University-Purdue University-Ft.Wayne) and Rob Lewin (Troy State). Ben will hopefully help Srasbourg jump into the top half of the French ProA league. Last season they struggled a bit and landed directly in the middle of the pack, finishing 8th out of 16 teams in the French ProA league. Ben and the Strasbourg crew will get their season started on October 3rd against Le Mans. We wish Ben the best of luck and look forward to supporting and tracking him this upcoming season.

ACC Time Capsule: NC State's 1959 ACC Championship

In 1959 NC State won its 4th ACC title in the 6th year of the conference’s existence. NC State finished the season with a 22-4 record (12-2 in conference play). The Wolfpack’s 12-2 conference record earned them the regular season title and the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament. The Pack’s road to the championship game was no cakewalk. The first round matchup against #8 seed South Carolina was a little tighter than most ACC fans were expecting, with NC State squeaking out a 75-72 victory in OT. The semi-final game wasn’t that much easier, with NC State defeating the University of Virginia 66-63. The only game of the tournament that the Pack glided through with great ease was the championship game, which to the delight to the Wolfpack Nation, was against the North Carolina Tar Heels. This was the championship game that ACC fans wanted to see. Both teams entered the tournament with a 12-2 conference record. These were the only two teams from the conference that had made it into the National rankings throughout the season. It was the #1 seed vs. the #2 seed. Well, the game wasn’t the nail-biter that everyone anticipated. NC State thrashed UNC 80-56.

The Wolfpack championship team walked out of the tournament with 3 guys on the 1st team All-Tournament team (Lou Pucillo, John Richter and George Stepanovich) and one on the 2nd team (Bob MacGillivray). John Richter was the MVP of the tournament, averaging 13.7 points in the three games. Even though Richter led the ACC in scoring (17.0) and rebounding (14.2), it was Lou Pucillo (14.7 ppg) who brought home the ACC Player of the Year award and was also elected to the 2nd Team All-American team (AP). When the season came to an end Pucillo and Richter were both on the 1st Team All-ACC team and Stepanovich was on the 2nd Team.

Unfortunately for the second time in the 50’s, NC State was held out of the NCAA tournament due to being on probation, and UNC went on to represent the ACC instead. NC State was serving a 4-year probation that began in 1957 for the recruitment of Louisiana high school star Jackie Moreland.

Quinn Cook Highlight Reel

Cook and Lowe Share The Dematha Heritage

Ever since Sidney Lowe arrived in Raleigh, people have wondered when his connection with Dematha Catholic High School would come in handy. Lowe played his high school ball at the prestigious Dematha Catholic High School under the legendary head coach Morgan Wooten. Coach Wooten helped turn Dematha into not only one of the best basketball programs in the D.C. area, but also one of the most recognizable names on the nationwide scale as well.

In Coach Lowe's three years he hasn't heavily recruited any players out of Dematha. Many expected him to develop a recruiting pipeline out of there, similar to what he has seemingly done down in the state of Georgia. It was only a matter of time before a player wearing the Dematha jersey became a high priority for the NC State coaching staff, and that time is now.

Quinn Cook is budding star in the 2011 class. Cook is a 6'1" point guard that steps on the scales at 180lbs. This consensus 4-Star player is already a mature leader on the court at a young age. Cook is already seeing a steady flow of traffic when it comes to his recruitment, with one of those schools being NC State.

"I'd say right now NC State is showing me mid-level interest right now," Cook said. "I talk with Coach Strickland from time to time and I'm hoping to talk with Coach Lowe soon. He has come up here a couple of times, but I wasn't around when he came."

Cook is looking for a school that has a great tradition and a great academic program. "I want to go somewhere where I will get along with the coaches and be able to make an impact as a freshmen," Cook said. "But I'm not in a rush to commit to a school. With that being said, I would like to make my decision before my Senior year."

Quinn describes himself as a pass-first point guard that loves to get his teammates involved. While he models his game after Chris Paul, he might have been impacted more by growing up watching Kobe Bryant.

"More than anything I love to win and hate losing. I grew up watching Kobe Bryant and he has inspired me to be the player that I am," Cook said. "He is tremendously competitive and has an incredible work ethic."


While Cook says that every school is coming at him at the same level right now, Ohio State is coming at him the hardest. In fact, according to Rivals, they are the only school that have offered him a scholarship at this point. With that being said, Cook is planning on taking a couple of unofficial visits in the near future with Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and UNC being first in line.

Numbers From The Jimmy V Classic

This past weekend marked the 16th year of the Jimmy V Golf Classic. According to WRAL, the Classic has raised and donated $14 million over the past 15 years to the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Coach Valvano's brother, Nick, told WRAL that 11,000 people made it out the Classic this past weekend and that $500,000 was raised as well.

Coach Lowe was excited to have the Classic back in the Raleigh area. The Classic took a two year hiatus down in Pinehurst, but returned to the area this year playing for the first time on the newly opened Lonnie Poole Golf Course, which is located on NC State's Centennial Campus.

“It’s back home,” N.C. State head coach Sidney Lowe told WRAL during his round Sunday afternoon, “and it’s where it should be…I’m excited that N.C. State and Jimmy V are together.”

We concur with Coach Lowe. It's good to have the Classic back in Raleigh, especially on NC State's campus. It is encouraging to see the great work that this Classic has done over the past 16 years for Cancer research.

Bowling At "The Alley" For Jimmy V

Since it's glory days, Hillsborough Street has seen a steady decline in business and foot traffic from NC State Students. Maybe it's the lack of parking, or the lack of visual appeal that has people flocking elsewhere for fun on a Friday night, or maybe it's jut that there is nowhere fun to go anymore. That is about to change. With Hillsborough Street undergoing a massive reconstruction process (creating round-a-bouts and putting all the power line and telephone lines underground) it is also getting what is about to be the hippest new spot on the old road. In case you weren't aware,the old landmark, Western Lanes, was bought by Jimmy and Katie Poole who are in the process of renovating the lanes into a hopping "Bowling Bar", a concept which is sweeping the country (think Lucky Strike Lanes, with a sports bar twist). They've re-named it "The Alley" and we think this is a perfect idea, and is just the type of place that could help bring Hillsborough Street back to life.

Although the renovation is not yet complete, this past Thursday, "The Alley" put on a "Jimmy V: Bowl for Cancer Research Fundraiser" with all proceedes going to The V Foundation. The Poole's have a good relationship with NC State and a few tie-ins with the basketball program, giving them the opportunity to throw this celebrity-studded event.
Hosted by Chris Corchiani and Levi Watkins, many past NC State Basketball players were on hand to help support the V Foundation. Will Roach, Josh Powell and Courtney Fells all showed up and bowled for the cause. Tickets were $50, and included food, drinks and a spot in the bowling tournament and ALL the money was given to the V Foundation.

Team Corchiani finished 3rd with a combined score of 512, while Will Roach wow'd the crowd on his was to a better than pedestrian, 184. Over 200 people came out to support the V Foundation and get their first taste of "The Alley," which was a good turn out. We'd like to thank the Poole's for all their cooperation and we'd like to encourage you to take a night and check out "The Alley."

Although the renovations of the old Western Lanes may take some time, the vision for the place is outstanding. They have added flat screen TV's to every lane and put up a fresh coat of paint that makes the lanes really pop. Next up is the renovation of the old snack area, which has plans to become a real time sports bar. And word is, there might be plans to bring electronical scoring to "The Alley," a much debated topic during the Western Lane days, but surely better for business. So next time you're looking to bowl, check out "The Alley" and help support a business that supports the Wolfpack!!

Luke Cothron Update

We just told you that, 2010 NC State Recruit, Luke Cothron will be transferring up north to Durham Academy in Connecticut. So, what does this mean for NC State? Many media sources have made this out to be a big blow to the recruiting efforts of the Wolfpack, and a big plus for northern schools such as UCONN. We spoke with Luke to clear some of those questions up and let him talk about the move.

I am moving to a new school. It's called Durham Prep in Durham, Connecticut. As far as what would change with my recruitment is that I will now get to see a few more schools up North like UCONN, but as far as NC State is concerned, it has really impressed me and I still really like State a lot.

We'd also like to clear up a conflicting report that Cothron has now played at five different schools, when the correct number is four. Luke has played at Butler High, Nashville Christian, Flora MacDonald and now Durham Prep.

NC State is still hot on Cothron's trail and will continue to pursue the highly touted big man. We'll keep you updated on Luke's status throughout the season.

Luke Cothron Making A Move

HoopsReport.com is reporting that NC State recruit Luke Cothron will be transferring to Durham Academy in Connecticut for his Senior year. Luke spoke with HoopsReport.com and had the following to say:

"Yeah, its official. I'll be going to the Durham Academy in Connecticut...It's just a better place. It's a good move for me at this time," Cothron said on Monday.


According to their report, Cothron plans on cutting his list down in the middle of September.

We'll try to check in with Luke ASAP.

WolfpackHoops Catches Up With Coach Lowe

We had the privilege of catching up with Coach Lowe this past Saturday at the practice round for the Jimmy V Classic. We greatly appreciate Coach Lowe taking time in between shots to allow us to ask a few questions.

Sharing The Wealth: "Lowe Looks Back in Effort to Go Forward"

The N&O ran a pretty good article today talking about Sidney Lowe's new addition to the NC State program. Wright Wayne, the Pack's strength and conditioning coach during the 1983 National Championship season has accepted the position once again.

"I know he can make our guys better in the weight room, but it goes beyond that," Lowe said. "His vision is being the best, and he can talk to the guys about that, from experience. ... He can tell the players about what it takes, all that we did and how hard we worked [when we won the NCAA title]. And they'll listen." said Lowe

This was a great ready with a lot of good, detailed information, such as this excerpt:

Wayne's focus during the off season was building a strong base of power for the players, while trying to limit the wear and tear on their knees.

He mapped out a 151/2-week summer program where he had them pedaling stationary bikes and sweating on treadmills to increase endurance, with individualized weight programs to build strength.

If you look closely, you can start to see a real trend in Coach Lowe's tenure. He is surrounding the program with proven winners from top to bottom. Whether it be players, coaches, or training staff, Lowe is making sure everyone is dedicated to the same thing...not only winning, but being the best.

Open Thread: August 15, 2009

Hey everyone. We'd like to apologize for the lack of articles the past few days. We have been working very hard on the new Wolfpack Hoops website which should be launching sometime before basketball season. It will be complete with forums and and a few new features that should make the interaction aspect of the site a lot easier as well as more aesthetically pleasing. We will also be looking for a few moderators to help us keep the message boards as positive as possible. We certainly do not mind people speaking their opinions and voicing their concerns, but our message board rules will be much like our current rules on comments. We will not tolerate bashing of our players, coaches or University. We've built a pretty good following of people who understand the vision we have and understanding that there is certainly a difference between objectively voicing your opinion (positive or negative) and just flat our bashing the players or the program. Remember that some recruits, current players, and a great deal of former players visit this site and we'd like to keep this as a place for everyone in the Wolfpack family to come and feel welcome.

This week, you can look forward to an a recap of this weekends "Jimmy V" festivities :

- Coach Lowe talks to WolfpackHoops.com about how Coach Valvano impacted him as a person, and his strategy to win the Jimmy V Golf Classic.

- A recap of the "Bowling for Cancer Research" Jimmy V Fundraiser which was held at The Alley on Hillsborough St. (We have the bowling scores from former NC State walk-on Will Roach and Wolfpack great Chris Corchiani, who finished 3rd in the event.

- An article outlining the life of Jim Valvano and the impact he had on the ACC, NC State and current head Coach Sidney Lowe

We will also have a few new interviews with some Wolfpack recruits. Some of which are new on the Wolfpack radar. We also are working on editing some 2010 recruit Bo Ingram footage, and have an update on his status.

Be ready for an information packed week on Wolfpack Hoops, and keep checking back for the most up to date recruiting and team news that we can provide.


That being said, we'd like to open up some conversation with our weekend open thread and give you a chance to ask questions, voice some opinions or give us some suggestions.

Have at it!

A Look Ahead to the Jimmy V Weekend

In case you didn't already have it marked on your calander, today is the beginning of a weekend dedicated to the late, great Wolfpack coach, Jim Valvano. The V Foundation for Cancer Research is putting on it's annual "Jimmy V Golf Classic" on Sunday. The event which is packed with celebrities and TV personalities will be hosted at NC State's new Lonnie Poole Golf Course (designed by Arnold Palmer). Although the Golf Classic is the biggest, and most publicized event. There are also a few other things you may be interested in knowing about.

Thursday
Bowling for V Cancer Research: "The Alley" which just opened in place of Western Lanes on Hillsborough St. is hosting a Jimmy V Fundraiser. Eat and bowl with some past NC State stars such as Chris Corchiani and Levi Watkins.

Saturday
8:30 a.m. Racquets for Research: Tennis enthusiasts from around the triangle can gather together for a day of fun and philanthropy at the Raleigh Racquet club.


9 am "The 4th annual Nike Cup Presented by Nike Golf": A competitive round of golf played by the golfing sponsors and celebrities. This tournament is closed to the public. Location: Lonnie Poole Golf Course, NC State University, Raleigh



10:30 a.m. Scientific Symposium & Exhibition: Doctors and researchers will speak about developments in cancer research made in our very own community. Speakers will include members of The V Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board, a panel of the best scientists, doctors, and PhDs in the cancer research field. Location: Raleigh Civic & Convention


Sunday:
The Jimmy V Golf Classic....which will be starring the Wolfpack head coach Sidney Lowe.

Leader of the Pack: The Legacy of Legendary Coach Kay Yow

Six months after Hall of Fame Coach Kay Yow’s death, 35 of her former players joined together to keep her memory alive. Their contributions and memories have been collected in the inspirational book Leader of the Pack: The Legacy of Legendary Coach Kay Yow, written by Stephanie Zonars.

Authorized by Coach Yow prior to her passing, Leader of the Pack chronicles her remarkable life through the eyes of Wolfpack women(including basketball greats like Trena Trice, Chasity Melvin and Summer Erb) whose stories tell the lessons they learned from Yow. Each lesson ties to an inspirational story from the Bible, demonstrating how all that Coach Yow taught and modeled was rooted in timeless wisdom she garnered from her faith. A portion of the book’s proceeds will benefit the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund®.

Leader of the Pack gives women who face life’s toughest challenges hope and inspiration. Pat Williams, Senior Vice President of the Orlando Magic says, “Coach Yow continues to inspire us and always will. This collection of stories will add a huge dose of inspiration, motivation and hope to your life journey.”

Stephanie Zonars met Coach Yow in 1993 and in recent years became passionate about helping her legacy live on in written form as a remembrance to those who knew her and an inspiration to those who did not. She is published in Chicken Soup for Soul: Basketball Edition(2009) and authored Timeout: Moments with God for Winning in Life (2008).

Leader of the Pack (ISBN: 978-0-9821652-4-9) retails for $15.99 and is scheduled to be available for purchase in bookstores and online retailers in early September, 2009. NC State fans wishing to obtain an early copy of the book can find it in stock now at the GoPack Store in Ridgewood Shopping Center (3526 Wade Avenue, Raleigh, NC) or in the online store at GoPack.com.

Information provided by NC State Media Relations

Costner Signs With Top Team In Belgium

We talked with Brandon Costner yesterday and he told us that he signed on with Dexia Mons-Hainaut, which is one of the best teams in Belgium. Dexia has had a lot of success as of late, finishing last season as the regular season runner-up and making it to the league finals. The last time that they won the Belgian Cup was in '06 and they made it to the Cup finals in '08. Costner will be suiting up with Justin Gage (Xavier), Craig Callahan (UNC-W), Kelvin Torbert (Michigan St.) and Dominique Coleman (Colorado) along with others. Brandon and crew will begin their season on October 20th. We are excited for Brandon and look forward to tracking him next season.

ONE Entertainment: Power Dunker Dezmine Wells Mixtape 2008-2009

Check out ONE Entertainment's latest on NC State recruit Dezmine Wells.

Ryan Harrow Re-Run

Some of you may have already seen this video earlier this summer, however, there was a situation with the audio and we had to take it down. We've just recently re-uploaded it and wanted to give you another chance to see the finished version. This is from the Bob Gibbons Tournament this summer and one of the more impressive games we've seen Ryan play.

Cothron On the Mend

2010 NC State recruit, Luke Cothron, shot us a text today and updated us on his recovery from a knee injury he suffered a few weeks back in Vegas. For those unaware, Luke had been playing alongside 2010 Wolfpack commit Ryan Harrow with the Atlanta Celtics. While playing in Vegas Luke suffered a knee injury that had many extremely worried about how it may affect his recruitment, as he is one of the major targets that the NC State staff is hoping to land in 2010.

"Things with my knee are going good. I'm doing physical therapy now and should hit the court in one more month." Cothron told us.

This is very good news for Cothron those recruiting him, as we are told it was a very scary scene when he went down. We will continue to cover Luke's progress and play once the high school season gets back up and running.

Sharing The Wealth: SLAM Online Talks Mychal Parker

Yesterday, SLAM Online ran a small tidbit on NC State prospect Mychal Parker. Here is what they had to say:


Mychal Parker | 6-6 | SG | Ohio Basketball Club | 2010


"When you take a first glimpse at Parker, it appears that he’s a can’t miss guy. With killer size, the ability to shoot from beyond the arc, and a blazing first step, it’s clear why he’s one of the top wings in the country. The problem is that his performance doesn’t always mirror the talents that he has. A 20+ point outing will be followed by a single digit performance, which explains why he’s taken a tumble in the national recruiting rankings as of late. Once Parker puts it all together and gets a little more polish to his game, he’s got a chance to do some serious damage in college."

Sharing The Wealth: Q&A With Googs

Kurt Pfannenstiel of Suns.com recently had the opportunity to catch up with former NC State Forward Tom Gugliotta. 'Googs' is the 14th All-Time leading scorer in the school's history and he also ranks 8th in rebounds. At 6'10", Tom had Nowitzki-esque game, leaving NC State as one of the best three-point artists in the schools storied history. His 183 treys rank 6th in school history and his 40.8% from deep range is the 7th most accurate stroke. Here is the interview portion of Pfannenstiel's article, but make sure to check out the whole thing.

Suns.com: Basketball was such a big part of your life, so do you still go out and play pick-up games? Do you have any intention in pursuing a career in broadcasting or coaching?

Tom Gugliotta: I don’t go out and play anymore because of the injury I had with my knee. It has also affected other parts of my body. I just had a back procedure, not surgery… called an epidural injection to try to ease some pain that I have been having in my back. Playing basketball is out of the question, but I do some things with the Boys and Girls Club. I run some camps and try to get involved with the kids. I just try and teach them the fundamentals of basketball.

As soon as I got done with basketball, I started to pick up golf. I’ve really enjoyed learning how to play the game. It’s pretty tough.

Suns.com: Do you keep up with the Phoenix Suns at all?

Gugliotta: Oh, yes. I’ve been good friends with their training staff. Obviously towards the end of my career, I was in there a lot. I’ve made some good friendships with head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson and assistant athletic trainer Mike Elliott, so it’s always fun to see them when they come in to town.

Suns.com: Are there any former teammates on the Suns that you still keep in touch with?

Gugliotta: I briefly keep in touch. I still keep up with the players when they come into town like former Sun Shawn Marion and other guys I played with. We don’t speak regularly, but I try to get to some games especially when they come into town. It’s always fun to see the guys that I used to play with.

Suns.com: You had a long NBA career playing for seven different teams. Which city did you most enjoy playing in over the years?

Gugliotta: I would have to say one that really sticks out, and people think I was crazy for saying this, but I really enjoyed playing in Minnesota. For people that live there, it’s a beautiful place to be and we had a very good basketball team at the time. I had an opportunity to live in San Francisco, while I played for the Warriors. Living in Washington, D.C., the Maryland area was good, too. Of course, Phoenix was just a beautiful place. The weather was always great and that was certainly one of my favorites. It’s really hard to pick a favorite because I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to live in all of those different cities.

Suns.com: In your first 11 seasons in the league, you averaged double digits in points and never less than seven rebounds per game. Who had the biggest impact on your game over those years?

Gugliotta: I was fortunate enough to get a lot of playing time when I was really young. I didn’t play on very good teams, but I think for an individual to get out and play rather than sit and watch while you’re on a good team, it helped me develop more quickly. I would say the two best teammates I had were Terry Porter and Sam Mitchell. They came while I was in Minnesota and still a young player. It was nice to have guys that had been on winning teams to show you and tell you what it takes to win. I certainly needed that because it wasn’t just on the court, it was a mental thing, as well. They were the ones who really showed me how to go about winning and playing professionally every night.

Suns.com: Who was the best NBA player that you ever matched-up against?

Gugliotta: There were so many that it is hard to pick one, but when I look at Karl Malone and Charles Barkley as the toughest. When they came to town and you were expected to defend them, that was a big chore. You knew that you’d better be ready especially with Karl Malone. You’d turn your back on him and he is cutting to the basket and John Stockton is delivering him the ball for a lay-up. Those two guys were tough to guard. I look at Shawn Kemp, too, because he was as tough as anybody when he was in his prime.

Suns.com: Which current NBA basketball player most reminds you of yourself?

Gugliotta: Well, that’s a good question. There are more and more guys doing what I was good at, which was big guys being able to shoot the basketball and play a face-up to the basket style. It’s hard to say who best represents me. The person that I look at, but who has had much more success throughout his career, is Dirk Nowitzki. He’s a better shooter, too, but he is a big guy who can face the basket and pass the basketball around a little bit, but he does it at a higher level. I couldn’t name somebody who played exactly like I did, but we two are kind of similar.

ONE Entertainment: NC State's Next Big Star Ryan Harrow

Credit must be given. With this video, ONE Entertainment has put out the best Ryan Harrow video to date. This video highlights Ryan's handles and passing ability better than anything else that has been put out. Great work Webb!

Christmas Trims His List and Other Recruiting Tidbits

IDS News is reporting that 2011 prospect, Rakeem Christmas has trimmed his list to 8. Baylor, Florida, Georgetown, Indiana, Ohio State, Oklahoma,Texas and Villanova are the schools he will be choosing from. The 6'8 Philly product is thought to be the top center in the '11 class and was drawing interest from the NC State staff. This is not a big blow to the Wolfpack as they had only recently begun tracking Christmas.

Right now, the focus is still on the final scholarship available in 2010. The big names on the board for the Pack are CJ Leslie, Luke Cothron and Mychal Parker, all of whom would be gigantic additions to an already stellar class of PG Ryan Harrow (5 star) and Lorenzo Brown (4 star). A sleeper in this class is Tobias Harris, a perimeter oriented 6'8 forward who has brought high energy and intensity to the floor every time we've seen him. He has a connection to the staff, but is being recruited very heavily by Kentucky and Tennessee.

2011 should be an exciting class to follow as the staff is recruiting two local products in Dezmine Wells and Quincy Miller.

We'll keep you updated on any new developments.

Jerseys In The Rafters: Bobby Speight (1951-53)

Most likely one the greatest NC State players you have never heard of, Bobby Speight led the Wolfpack to back-to-back Southern Conference Championships in 1951 and '52. A 6'8 rebounding machine, Speight still sits 4th on the All-Time NC State Rebounding List with 1,057. In 1952 and '53 he earned All-Conference honors and was also named as a 2nd team All-American in '53. Speight was just the 3rd player in NC State history to score more than 500 points in a season as he ended his career with 1,430 points.

Bobby Speight was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1953, with their 2nd pick. After 2 years in the NBA, Speight's career ended when he enrolled in the Army.

Speight passed away in 2007 after a long battle with cancer. Today, NC State remembers him by having their basketball practice facility's lobby named after him and by hanging his Jersey in the Rafters.

Watch Ryan Harrow Tonight, Live at 6:30PM ET

Over at AdidasNation.com, they are streaming live video of the final games today. Ryan is supposed to be playing at 6:30pm ET. Sorry about the late notice as we weren't aware of the stream until one of our readers brought it to our attention. Thanks Greg!
**click the picture above to watch his game**

Open Thread: Saturday, August 8

Here is your chance to ask us anything that might be on your mind, as well as discuss a topic we might not have covered. Remember to keep everything objective, and no bashing anyone. You guys know the drill.

Here's a few things that have been on our mind:

-The N&O recently ran an article about how "Being an alum of a school can give coaches an edge." It's a good read and brings up a good point, however we were over here having the discussion about how risky it can be for an alum to take over as head coach. There are certainly 2 sides to this one, so what do you think?

- What can we do better? We are always looking to improve and to meet all your NC State Basketball needs, so let us know if there is anything you'd like to see us do, or do better.

- Baseball. I know, I know, this is a basketball site. However, we wanted to gage interest in the NC State Baseball program. I am a huge baseball fan and grew up playing/watching it. We wanted to know how many people would actually be interested if we took on a site covering the NC State Baseball Team. Would it be something that everyone keeps up with or there simply not a big enough market for that?


Have at it.

Update From The Adidas Nations

Just got word from NC State commit Ryan Harrow that Team USA's 2010 team went 1-1 yesterday. They defeated Team Africa in the morning game 102-70 and Harrow had 10 points and 13 assists. In the afternoon game, both of the USA's teams faced off against each other with the young guns stealing the glory. The 2011 squad defeated the 2010 crew 78-73. Harrow had 7 points and 10 assists. That makes three games played in Dallas, and three games in which Ryan Harrow had double-digit assists.

Complete Boost Mobile Elite 24 Roster

The complete rosters for the Boost Mobile Elite 24 game up in Rucker Park. There are a few names on the roster that should spark the interest of NC State fans. For starters, C.J. Leslie of Word of God Academy will be representing the Raleigh area up in New York. Also, Tobias Harris will be one of the hometown favorites at the game. Harris is a guy that the Pack has shown interest in for quite some time now, and we know that the coaching staff was watching him closely this summer. Rakeem Christmas is a name you probably aren't accustomed to hearing in the NC State recruiting discussion, but that could soon change. Christmas' is a consensus Top-5 player in the 2011 class (#1 Center) and he is arguably the best shot blocker the country has to offer currently, regardless of class. We know that the NC State coaching staff has shown some interest in Christmas this summer.

Roster:

Austin Rivers Winter Park (Winter Park, Fla.)
C.J. Leslie Word of God (Raleigh, N.C.)
Cory Joseph Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
DaJuan Coleman Jamesville-DeWitt (DeWitt, N.Y.)
Dion Waiters Life Center (Burlington, N.J.)
Doron Lamb Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Harrison Barnes Ames (Ames, Iowa)
Jared Sullinger Northland (Columbus, Ohio)
Joe Jackson White Station (Memphis, Tenn.)
Josh Selby Lake Clifton (Baltimore, Md.)
Josh Smith Kentwood (Covington, Wash.)
Kendall Marshall Bishop O'Connell (Arlington, Va.)
Kyrie Irving St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.)
Myck Kabongo St. Benedict's (Newark, N.J.)
Perry Ellis Wichita Heights (Wichita, Kan.)
Phil Pressey Episcopal School (Dallas, Texas)
Rakeem Christmas Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, Pa.)
Roscoe Smith Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.)
Terrence Jones Jefferson (Portland, Ore.)
Terrence Ross Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.)
Tobias Harris Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills, N.Y.)
Tony Wroten Jr. Garfield (Seattle, Wash.)
Tristan Thompson Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.)
Will Barton Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, N.H.)


The game will be televised on ESPNU on Saturday, August 22nd at 7pm.

Harrow Has A Double-Double In Victory Over Latin America

NC State commit Ryan Harrow just texted us and let us know that Team USA defeated Latin America 68-63 in the first game of the Adidas Nations. Double-Double's have become quite routine for Ryan, and he continued the trend tonight with 10 points and 15 assists in the victory.

Harrow At Adidas Nations

We talked with NC State commit Ryan Harrow last night and he told us that he will be playing at the Adidas Nations in Dallas, Texas this week. Adidas Nations is a global exhibition in which the world's elite players 18-and-under from seven international teams (Africa, Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, US 2010 and US 2011) come and learn more about the game of basketball and get to play against the best the world has to offer. Ryan told us he will be playing with Trae Golden, Josh Smith, Jordan McRae, Trey Zeigler, Josh Hairston, Nate Lubick, Dominique Ferguson, Justin Martin, Jared Sullinger, as well as a few others. They will go through drills and teaching for most of the day and will play their first game at 4:45.

The Adidas nations will be held at the Integrated Athletic Development facility in Dallas from August 4-9. Fourteen current stars and highly esteemed NBA veterans join the global program as Head Coaches and NBA Mentors for the adidas camp attendees, and twenty-four collegiate players will reinforce the coaching as camp counselors.

NBA players Jerryd Bayless, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, Eric Gordon, Serge Ibaka, Brook and Robin Lopez will be on-site to assist the young players and mentor them throughout the camp. NBA veterans Eddie Johnson, Frank Johnson, Larry Krystkowiak, Eric Musselman, Ed Schilling, Detlef Schrempf and Reggie Theus will act as regional Head Coaches. The goal of adidas Nations is to emphasize and focus on adidas’ core belief that real success in the game of basketball comes from playing as a team. The multi-faceted international curriculum will include expert training and strategy tips, comprehensive workout sessions and scrimmages. Off-court elements essential to all athletes’ success, such as nutritional education, global interactions, leadership and philanthropy, will also be woven into the program’s agenda. Athlete’s Performance Institute (API), a leader in sports training, will be on-site to direct and engage the players through advanced programs to supplement their on-court training and provide them training tools for their future basketball careers at the collegiate and professional level.

Some of the information from this article came from the Adidas Nations website.

Quincy Miller To Visit NC State Next Week

We just got off of the phone with Quincy Miller's Uncle and he informed us that Quincy would be visiting NC State next week on either the 12th, 13th or the 14th. He also told us that Pete Strickland has been handling NC State's recruitment of his nephew. Quincy Miller is a 6'8 Forward who plays for Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Rivals ranks Miller as the #3 player overall in the 2011 class and Scout ranks him as the #3 Power Forward. While many think that NC State is going to have a lot of work on their hands jumping into Miller's recruitment, there is a lot of time between now and when he graduates. From what we know, Quincy's high school coach is big on NC State. That is no promise that he will commit, but it can't hurt can it.

Powell Catching Alley-Oops From The Kids

Here recently the youth of Los Angeles have had the opportunity to live a dream. These kids got to live a lavish life staying at Tropicana Gardens which featured a camp store, a recreation room and an all-you-can-eat buffet. They also received teaching from some of the best coaches that the high school and college ranks have to offer. Not to mention the fact that they received instruction from Laker Assistant Coach Jim Cleamons and got to hang out with 5 Laker players in Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, D.J. Mbenga, Sasha Vujacic and former NC State Forward Josh Powell. Josh acted as the spokesperson for the Laker representatives at the camp when he spoke with Mike Trudell, who writes for the Lakers Official Website.

"I can speak for my teammates when I say that we had a great time helping out the camp's instructors, who really knew what they were doing," added Josh Powell. "But more than anything else we just had a lot of fun hanging with the kids. My personal favorite part of the camp was catching alley-oops from the campers, and it's always cool to give back when you've been as fortunate as we have as NBA players."

"I think winning the title brought a little bit extra to Camp Lakers because the experience taught us a great deal," Powell continued. "And hopefully we were able to pass on some of that knowledge to the kids."

I know many kids that wouldn't be covetous at the opportunity to attend an event like Laker Camp. I probably wouldn't ever forget the fact that an NBA player took time out of his schedule to come pour into my life. Josh Powell just continues to make NC State fans proud.

Sharing The Wealth: Quincy Miller, Sin City Sensation

Slam Online just ran a nice little snippet on 2011 recruit, Quincy Miller, recapping his game from the Vegas Tournaments. Obviously, Miller is a top notch recruit and is really starting to turn heads.

Miller has a similar body to NBA star Kevin Durant gives off a little bit of a Durant feel to his game. He’s a lanky 6-8 forward who can bomb from deep, but also give you the business inside. Like KD, he’s long, athletic, and has tons of potential down the road. Now he’s nowhere near as polished as the former rookie of the year was his junior year, but there are certainly a number of similarities. Like many kids, the Chicago native bounced to a North Carolina prep school and reclassified a couple of years, so he’s a little older than his pals in the Class of 2011.

While we certainly agree with the Kevin Durant comparison (his stroke and the way he plays are reminiscent of a young Durant), he is only 15 years old, so he actually is a lot YOUNGER than most of his pals in the 2011 class. As his recruitment heats up even more, you can expect a lot more attention and hype. It has been an extremely fast rise for Miller, who entered the summer as somewhat of an unknown. However, if you remember back to the Boo Williams, we mentioned him as a certain force in the 2011 class.

While some are reporting that the Wolfpack staff is not heavily involved with Miller, we've heard otherwise and expect Coach Lowe and company to make a hard push for the local sensation. We'll keep you updated and should be bringing you a Quincy Miller exclusive interview sometime in the near future. Stay Tuned!

ACC Time Capsule: NC State's 1956 ACC Championship

In 1956, the NC State Wolfpack solidified themselves as the king of the ACC, winning their third straight ACC title. The Pack entered the '56 ACC Tournament as the #1 seed after going 11-3 in conference play. NC State's victims in the tourney were Clemson in the Quarter-finals (88-84), Duke in the Semi-finals (91-79) and Wake Forest in the Finals (76-64). The Wolfpack had three players make the All-Tournament Team, with Vic Molodet and John Maglio making the 1st team and Ronnie Shavlik making the 2nd team. Molodet walked off with the MVP award with numbers that people only put up on PS3. His tournament averages were 26.3 points and 14.7 rebounds per game. Ronnie Shavlik also created ACC history when he became the first player to earn consensus All-American in the conference's brief history. Shavlik also earned the ACC Player of the Year award after averaging 18.2 points and 19.5 rebounds (7th in the nation) on the year. Ronnie Shavlik and Vic Molodet were both selected to the All-ACC 1st team.

1956 was a big year for the ACC. For the first time, the ACC had four teams to finished ranked in the final AP poll. NC State topped the list finishing 2nd in the nation, while UNC (15th), Wake Forest (18th) and Duke (19th) also made the cut.

NC State went on to represent the ACC in the NCAA tournament and lost to Canisius in the first round of the tourney. To this day, many consider this game to be one of the Top-10 biggest upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament. It also holds a record for the most overtimes in tournament history as well with four. After four extra periods, the Pack fell 79-78.

Wolfpack Pigskin Has Arrived!

We are proud to announce that WolfpackPigskin.com has finally arrived in full-force. Make sure to go ahead and click on over to the site because we launched the site with an interview with Coach Petercuskie. Today is also the first day of practice for the Pack and we will be out there getting you the scoop. You can also look forward to video interviews with many Pack players.

We are so thankful for all of the support that you have shown us here at Wolfpack Hoops and we hope to have it with Wolfpack Pigskin as well.

ONE Entertainment: Next In Line: The Young Truth Quincy Miller

This is the second video of the day that we promised from ONE Entertainment. This one features 2011 stud Quincy Miller. He is at the top of most college programs wish list, and we can only hope that we are on his.

ONE Entertainment: The Official C.J. Leslie Mixtape (2008-09)

Today we will be featuring 2 videos from ONE Entertainment. The first video is their newest on C.J. Leslie. It is a comprehensive video of his past year including this past season with Word of God, post-season showcases and the AAU circuit. You can support our friends at ONE Entertainment by subscribing to their videos by clicking here.

Get Ryan to Rucker!!

Looks like Mark Edwards, the guy that trained And 1's Hot Sauce and now NC State commit Ryan Harrow, is making some calls to try to get Ryan picked up at the elite 24 in NYC. This is a big time media event and would get Ryan a lot of good publicity for himself and NC State.

The Elite 24 is an annual streetball game held at Rucker Park on August 22nd at 7pm. Apparently, the guys at "Bounce Magazine" think Ryan might have a shot and are running a peice on him on their site.

I think this would be as good a time as any to get over there and let them know that you too think Ryan should be invited to the Elite 24 in NYC. If Ryan is chosen to participate, we will be heading up to New York for the game.

Read the short article at "Bounce Magazine" and leave a comment urging them to pick up Ryan for the Elite 24.