“It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times? You stupid monkey!”
This week has offered up two interesting stories concerning our neighbors.
Earlier this week, sources have indicated that NC State will likely be forced to do without top recruit for the class of 2009, Lorenzo Brown. It seems that Brown(Scout: #6 SG, 28th overall) has not been made eligible by the NCAA clearinghouse and will instead spend the next year at Hargrave Military Academy getting his academic house in order. At present there is a ton of conjecture among NCSU fans as to what really happened to Brown. One assertion is that Brown met the GPA and SAT requirements but missed too many days in one class and as a result was given a failing grade by a particular teacher which is the polar opposite of what happened to Kansas’ Darrell Arthur. Much of the ire from Wolfpack Nation is being directed at this one teacher but there is also plenty of dirty looks being thrown in Sidney Lowe’s direction for not ensuring his key recruit and probable impact player on the 2010 team makes it to campus on time. Was this something outside of Lowe’s control? Sure it was but plenty of crap happens in major programs that are outside the coaches’ control. Just take a look at all the unfortunate circumstances that graced the 2009 Tar Heel. Yes they still won the title but it does not mean multiple events unfolded during the course of that run which stood to derail the whole thing. Granted, Lowe is not operating with that kind of talent pool nor is he the caliber of coach Roy Williams is, especially in terms of being experienced in the college game. However, Lowe is in year four of a program that has basically been going nowhere fast. Lowe has such a thin margin of error at this point, he cannot afford to have a hiccup like this. Again, it is not his fault and it sucks like getting a root canal but it also lands squarely on his shoulders as another setback to a program that really needs to build some winning momentum in effort to ascend the ACC standings.
Contrast that, if you will, to the news out of Durham this morning. Duke, which was starting out going through the 2010 season with Kyle Singler as the third string PG, could be close to receiving some immediate, unexpected help. Sources close to 2010 recruit Andre Dawkins(Scout: #3 SG, 22nd overall) are saying that Dawkin is eligible now for Duke and may go ahead an enroll this fall to begin his college career. According to The Devils Den, Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports is calling it a done deal(take it for what it’s worth.) Dawkins father has said that the rising high school senior has completed his core requirements and could be clear to play by the NCAA. Based on his rating as a five star recruit, Dawkins could step into the void left when Elliott Williams transferred to Memphis. The question is whether he is physically ready to play at the college level since he is a rising senior. Also, his Scout rankings are based on his place in the class of 2010, if you move him to the class of 2009 that likely knocks him down a few notches. In short, Dawkins might not necessarily be an impact player but could at least cover for the loss of Williams. There will still be issues of his adjustment to the college game as well as maturing as a player and person. At any rate it would afford Duke some depth at guard and relieve the pressure on Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith.
At the end of the day it seems that NC State continues to operate under a huge black cloud and Duke, while not operating at the level they did 10 years ago, still manages to have certain issues work out in their favor. Conspiracy theories anyone?
Update: It seems that Dawkins repeated his freshman year because he switched schools. He finished at one school then decided to do his freshman year over at the new school. That means he has been in high school for four years. That being the case it possible he has finished all of the course classes which is totally plausible since he is said to have a 3.2 GPA. As for the rest of it, you be the judge. I personally do not think Mike Krzyzewski pressured Dawkins into making this decision but I suppose anything is possible.
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Soooo many conspiracy theories…
There is no way that Dawkins is really going early. I really hope this is just a rumor put out there by the dookies so they don’t seem as worse off as they are.
It is not a rumor and if it is just a rumor it does not appear to be coming from Duke. The main thrust of the information is coming from Dawkins’ AAU coach and also his father. Secondly, it also appears this is being driven by those same folks and the player himself. It would take a lot to convince me Duke is out there trying to pull kids in a year early. Apparently Dawkins and his father were talking about having him attend Hargrave for a season so he could play against better competition and then he could go to Duke. As it turns out, his core requirements might be in order and if the NCAA clears him then he will show up a month from now.
Lowe at least gets credit for putting the young man’s future first. Lowe is trying to build the program by doing the right thing and not cutting corners. I’m sure he could have found a way to make Zo Brown eligible. Someone somewhere would give him a diploma. That’s how things work. But Lowe decided to sacrifice the short term for the long term good of NCSU. He may get his head handed to him on a silver platter by the win-now-or-go-home wing of the NCSU fans, but at least Lowe consistently has shown he is willing to do things right. (He lost at least 1, maybe 2, games last year with coach’s-decision DNPs given to people who screwed up academically.) Sure, Brown could have qualified, but he wouldn’t be ready for college and it would have snowballed.
Next year is the first year in Lowe’s tenure where losing ONE GUY won’t make the difference between 10-6 and 6-10. I personally don’t think Lowe is as bad as people make him out to be. He was very, very unlucky to inherit a team with one point guard, period (Engin Atsur) and defeated us and made the almost-miracle run in the ACC tournament with Atsur playing almost every minute in extreme pain. The next year he lost his starting point guard to an ACL tear the game before the ACC tournament, and “chemistry issues” took over because there wasn’t an ACC-ready backup. Last year he had a Hobson’s choice between inexperience and injury at both guard positions, and should not have won 6 games with that team which overachieved based on their potential.
Just saying that Lowe has never had a single season yet with a full house that can absorb a key player loss, and he hasn’t gotten a break yet. I kind of admire what he has managed to do in 3 years. He’s tried a lot of unorthodox stuff (you do NOT play box-and-one for huge minutes in the ACC unless you are desperate) to coax out improbable wins.
If Lowe ever gets a full house of healthy players, I’d start getting worried about what he would be able to do in the ACC, because he has (1) shown he can recruit unsung talent and develop it (imagine NCSU last year if Degand had not blown out his knee!) (2) turn role players like Dennis Horner into valuable contributors and (3) come up with Xs and Os to help a lesser team win. He just hasn’t quite had a full ACC roster yet.
apparently dawkins repeated 9th grade, which i assume means he has 4 years of high school and can graduate? either way, seems a bit odd to me, i’m interested to hear duke’s official statement.
I know it’s an ivory tower situation where we will still win a lot of games even with injury or issues because we’re a national title contending program, so our situations are vastly different from the plight of NC State. I for one am not scared of sid lowe getting a full stable of healthy players…anyone can beat anyone in the ACC, but NC State has just been miserable. I think personally this should be the last straw for Lowe. Anyone would have an extreme uphill battle in recruiting with us, Duke, and Wake, but to not make sure your job saving recruit goes to class? this alone would not get anyone fired, but how many disappointments does a fan need. I’m not even an NC State fan but i at least want them to be respectable and represent the ACC well.
I agree that it’s not his fault, but that’s the risk you take as a coach, you have to take the blame. The comment “he was a goood coach to even win 6 games last year” is too much like an oxymoron, a good coach would not have a team that is not capable of winning less than 6 games.
I just updated the post with that info. I am a little foggy on the core requirements but I do know you need four units of English. I suppose they see Dawkins as having that if he did four years.
Like the case of Lorenzo Brown not being eligible there is not enough info out there to make a reasonable judgment on what is really going on here.
i can’t imagine them counting freshman year english as a replacement for senior year english…but this is why we read and comment, so we can speculate. but if he’s a smart kid, i could see him being ahead in other subjects where you can advance or test out of courses like algebra and calculus. interested to see how this plays out.
Whatever the case, the Dook situation reaks of the oldtime belief that if K wants something, he gets it. However, these aren’t the 2001 Dookies, and this kid isn’t Jason Williams. ‘Nuff said.
Unfortunately for us, we’re not in a position to pick and choose from the elite pool. Lorenzo isn’t a model student, but those that are and can play at a top level can be counted on one hand each year.
Sadly, for a program with two national championships and 10 ACC titles but with no recent success, it’s the position we’re in at the moment…taking chances on players that can play that might run the risk of not qualifying. And let’s not pretend that State was the only major program vying for his services — there were plenty of other top schools trying to land a top-25ish guard (Texas, Florida and Calipari/Memphis, among them). Presumably any of these major programs would’ve been dealt the same blow State has with this situation.
IF State struggles this season (bottom third), the big question becomes what do you do with Sidney. He’s got a ready-made backcourt ready to arrive in 2010, but do you retain a guy based on the strength of his incoming recruits? We did the same thing with Herb after his fifth year when, with a losing record (13-16) and five years under his belt to “get it done,” it certainly would’ve been a justifiable firing. Instead we keep him on because of landing Hodge, and the rest is tragic history.
I’m usually the last person off the bandwagon with a coach…if I’m calling for his firing, it’s bad. So I’m still in Lowe’s camp and, like the previous poster stated, feel like we haven’t seen what Lowe can do with a full, healthy roster of his players. I’m also a bit more lenient because of Lowe’s inexperience in the recruiting game. It sure is easy to say “Well, why hasn’t he recruited a balanced team yet?” I imagine — given all the factors involved — it’s a good bit harder than it looks. This Lorenzo Brown situation is proof of that. So I’m still in his camp, as are many State fans, but if year four doesn’t show promise and improvement over 2008-09, then we’ll be in a very tough position with tough decisions to make.
One further point that I don’t think folks outside the program are considering WRT to retaining/firing Lowe: Lee Fowler is still our AD. No one wants him heading up another coaching search as badly as the last one went. So fire Lee, then fire Sid, right? Well, we currently have an interim chancellor because of all that Mary Easley stuff. No interim chancellor is going to fire an AD, and I highly doubt the new chancellor will in their first year, either, barring Lee does something monumentally stupid (fingers crossed) to him/her. So we’re likely stuck with Lee at least another two years, and since Lee’s job is tied to Sidney’s, I don’t see either going anywhere soon.
‘t’ain’t easy being a State fan…
“but do you retain a guy based on the strength of his incoming recruits? ”
That kind of mentality keeps Paul Hewitt employed though in Hewitt’s case he did coach in a national title game in 2004 so that helps some.
That, and that big, fat self-renewing contract he signed after that game that makes it a HUGE expense to can the guy.
James what NC State needs is a few more Shacklefords and Washburns. Those guys played with intensity, and they had a kind of edge about them that other players feared. You didn’t want to cross those guys the wrong way. Current roster seems to be filled with much more passive personalities. You get those two guys, throw in a Corchiani and Del Negro, and there’s a recipe for success.
I’d rather have a Cedric Simmons or a Josh Powell elect to stay four years than deal with the drama that comes with a Shackleford or Washburn. I’d take a Chris Corchiani any day of the week (Corch still holds the ACC per-game assists record…Hurley played in a lot more games than did Corch over his career).
Corchiani was a beast, AND he chose State (more like Valvano) over Dook.
This Dawkins stuff has legs right now, but aren’t Dookies (on the ESPN and other blogs) getting a wee-bit too giddy here? If Dawkins comes in next year, and it looks like he very well could, then that depletes the recruiting class for 2010, when Curry and the other kids come in. The 2010 class may very well be K’s last hurrah. They are throwing all the cards in, as K, Wojo, and Collins all made an appearance to check out Harrison Barnes. Am I concerned? Not as much as I would be had K decided to not sit back and watch…I mean, coach Team USA once more. There is only so much recruiting K can do, and the rest is up to Wojo, Collins, and Nate James. I still say that K should have put someone on his staff who can challenge his opinions, and not say “yes, Coach K” all the freakin’ time. Whatever. I just think that when you get to that “cat chasing it’s own tail” stage, it’s time to get innovative. Well, they can’t all be Dean Smith
Dean,
I argued that on another blog. Dawkins has already been factored in to Duke’s future. There is an advantage to getting him now and getting a year of experience before Scheyer, Thomas, Zoubek and Singler all leave after next season. It also helps mitigate the loss of Elliot Williams to some extent but no one can say for sure how much. In short, this helps Duke but it is not a windfall like if Harrison Barnes committed and decided to come early or if John Wall decided to switch from UK to Duke.
so there wasnt even a peep of the kid coming to Dook early BEFORE elliot williams left?
on the surface, its just amazingly convenient. Dook needs a pg, and the one recruit that could enroll early IS a pg.
but we’ve seen many many many freshman for Dook that we thought were a cinch to play, not play much or not play at all. K had bodies this past year, and all but refused to play them even to save his starters. thats how you get guys that can run a marathon with 4% body fat, but can’t bench press a basketball.
Bottom line James, i feel your pain. while i still want to beat everyone, i want to see the acc’s teams rise to power once again, as long as it’s not Duke. you made a good point about the conglomeration of issues facing the program, the athletic department, and the school. in recent memory, i liked guys like julius hodge, he was a hard nosed winner mentality, didn’t outshine people on recruiting trails, but a great 4 year building block. time will tell, if state adds some pieces, gets a good class in 2010 and then can somehow find a star, it will be nice to see them back up and running to complete the area’s dominance of college hoops.
again, i love that we have the luxury of the ivory tower cliche, but it does make our POV’s a bit skewed. My comment on Duke is that their day in the sun has come and gone, b/c as one previous poster mentioned, chris collins, wojo, and nate james aren’t exactly blowing people away with caliber on the recruiting trail. if those are the trusted hands that K is leaving his recruiting in while he coaches the olympic team again, then this rivalry is going to continue to diminish. but oh well. I’m content w/ rising above petty duke carolina arguments and focusing on getting Roy 2 more rings. 2011, ed davis and john henson both buck the NBA again to develop their games, Zeller turns into a beast, LD2 becomes a bobby frasor type contributor, Leslie Mac, and the Wears become stat stuffing subs, Dexter Strickland proves to be an explosive 90 foot sprinting machine, and Kendall Marshall and Reggie Bullock come in for instant PG and SG firepower…..not buying a final four ticket, but hey, it could happen right?
I just read on ESPN an article called “5 freshman ready to step in right away”. One of the comparisons was, Dexter Strickland replacing Wayne Ellington at North Carolina.
Something the author said which floored me was.. “He (Strickland) will also be much better in transition (than Ellington).”
What the what. This proves either the author never watched a Carolina game in the last two years or we Carolina fans are in for a real treat because Ellington ran the break as well as anyone I can remember.
Seriously? How many times did we see Lawson hit a streaking Wayne Ellington on the break for a dunk or layup? Heck the signature moment of the title game was when Ellington went down for a wide open dunk that broke the first half record for points. Ellington was like a freaking gazelle on the break. He made great use of his stride and often times broke open like a WR with speed. Dexter Strickland is going to be something else if he is better than Ellington in transition.
I know, he hit another gear when the ball was going the other way off a tip or a steal.
Ellington was great (and very underrated) in transition, but Strick does have a different gear. He’s as good an wing athlete as UNC has had since VC.
there are a lot of people that don’t realize how good you’ve got it (had it) til it’s gone. wayne was always underrated in terms of his athletic ability and his ability to run the floor. i think/hope what the author of that article was saying really relates to Strick’s ability to get out in transition by running the floor AND pushing it up himself off the dribble. wayne was more of a no dribble straight to layup/dunk guy. so strick might hopefully bring some versatility by being able to run the wing or push it himself, which we’ll need since we don’t have Lawson.
Yeah Ellington always took a knock because he wasn’t a slasher. So what. He ran the break with as much athletic ability as anyone.
C. Michael as athletic as VC? The young man has big shoes to fill then.
As athletic as VC? Yes, the argument can be made. But… Strick is 6’2, while VC was 6’7, so I’m certainly not saying that the overall comparison should be made or is fair. Needless to say, I’m comfortable that Strick will make us say, “Wow!” on more than one occasion.
Sweet, too bad we have to wait till Nov.