NC State survived Miami's comeback bid on Sunday afternoon, but they weren't as fortunate Tuesday night against Clemson. After leading by as much as 19 in the first half over the Tigers, State (12-8, 2-4) went cold in what turned out to be a 60-50 win for Clemson (14-6, 3-3) at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Just how cold did they go? The Pack scored a season low 16 points in the second half, and shot under 40 percent for the game. Senior forward Tracy Smith was the Pack's only double-figure scorer, finishing with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
NC State is now 1-5 on the road (0-3) in the conference. There is no chance this team makes the NCAA tournament without winning a few road games- and they only have five of their final ten games remaining at home. This is about as bad of a loss as they could have possible had in the game before heading to Chapel Hill Saturday.
NC State appeared very confident early, but folded as Clemson got hot from the floor. NC State, like they do in almost every game, went through their usual slump. During this stretch Clemson went on a 16-0 run, digging themselves out of a seven point hole and putting away the Pack in the final ten minutes.
NC State is a team led by their forwards in the paint, when they don't succeed, the team doesn't either. Smith's 13 were the only thing the Pack's big men had to build off of. After scoring a career high 17 points in Sunday's win over Miami, sophomore forward Richard Howell disappeared. He would be held scoreless in 25 minutes, and was 0-4 from the floor. Sophomore DeShawn Painter scored two points, but managed to foul out in just eight minutes of play. Freshman C.J. Leslie had his worst game of the season, as he was held scoreless in 13 minutes- though he's been battling the flu the last few days and it seemed to slow him down in the game and last Sunday against Miami.
Freshmen guards Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown each scored nine points and were very instrumental in the Pack's fast start, but neither could contain Demontez Stitt on the defensive end in the second half. Stitt abused the Pack's guards en route to a game high 17 points.
The Pack's wings players, who have silently been the glue for Sidney Lowe's team, each struggled to find a rhythm in the ballgame. Sophomore Scott Wood and junior C.J. Williams both started, but were each held to just six points. Wood finished just 2-7 from the floor- all from beyond the arc. Clemson covered him and stayed in his face the whole night, and he never got a good look in his 36 minutes of play. Both of his threes were with a hand in his face. Williams shot 3-5 from the floor, but only played 21 minutes after getting his second straight start.
The Pack's RPI rating, which had gotten up to 83, could have moved up into the 70s with a win, which nears bubble team status. But the loss dropped the Pack back to 92, and in desperate need of a win Saturday. Even the most optimistic of State fans can't really expect State to win that game. They'll come in with no momentum, an 0-3 road record in conference games, and play in an arena where they have yet to win at under Coach Lowe. There's more to come on this game in a preview on Friday.
NC State has three days off to regroup and get healthy. They will need everyone to step up if they want to right this ship, and come close to meeting the expectations that were put before them coming into the season.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Good Stretch for Pack Football Recruiting
Wolfpack head coach Tom O'Brien is in the process of a recruiting tear, as he has recently added three more commitments to his 2011 class.
The big news came last night when Greenville (SC) Wade Hampton standout wide receiver Hakeem Flowers chose the Pack over Michigan, Oregon, and LSU. Flowers (6-2, 180 pounds) had 50 catches for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his senior season at Wade Hamton. He is rated as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, and a four-star recruit by ESPN. Scout.com had this to say about Flowers, who was said to have offers from eight different SEC schools: "Physically, Hakeem Flowers has all the tools to be a top flight prospect. College coaches will love his height and athleticism."
Earlier in the same day, Jacksonville (FL) Raines defensive tackle Chris Jones committed to play for NC State. Rated as a three-star prospect and the 47th best defensive tackle in the class, Jones (6-5, 260) also held offers from Iowa State, Louisville, Miami (Fl), North Carolina, Rutgers, and Tennessee. Like Flowers, Jones committed shortly after his visit to Raleigh, and is the Pack's second defensive tackle commitment in the 2011 class.
On January 19, Milford (NY) Academy defensive back Rodman Noel also chose the Pack. At 6-4, 205 pounds, Noel projects as a safety for the Wolfpack. This commitment was big for the Pack, who have had their struggles in the secondary over the last couple years, and this signing will help improve their depth at safety. Last year, Noel signed with Maryland but failed to qualify academically. After a year of prep school at Milford Academy, he improved his grades and signed on to play for Tom O'Brien and the Pack.
NC State's 2011 class now has 17 commitments, and is looking to total 20 on signing day. Still available is Wadesboro (NC) Anson five-star linebacker Stephone Anthony, who would certainly be the top recruit of the class. Anthony will make his official visit to the Pack this weekend.
As always, for breaking news on NC State football and basketball recruiting, follow me on Twitter at FirstandShort.
The big news came last night when Greenville (SC) Wade Hampton standout wide receiver Hakeem Flowers chose the Pack over Michigan, Oregon, and LSU. Flowers (6-2, 180 pounds) had 50 catches for 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his senior season at Wade Hamton. He is rated as a three-star recruit by Scout.com, and a four-star recruit by ESPN. Scout.com had this to say about Flowers, who was said to have offers from eight different SEC schools: "Physically, Hakeem Flowers has all the tools to be a top flight prospect. College coaches will love his height and athleticism."
Earlier in the same day, Jacksonville (FL) Raines defensive tackle Chris Jones committed to play for NC State. Rated as a three-star prospect and the 47th best defensive tackle in the class, Jones (6-5, 260) also held offers from Iowa State, Louisville, Miami (Fl), North Carolina, Rutgers, and Tennessee. Like Flowers, Jones committed shortly after his visit to Raleigh, and is the Pack's second defensive tackle commitment in the 2011 class.
On January 19, Milford (NY) Academy defensive back Rodman Noel also chose the Pack. At 6-4, 205 pounds, Noel projects as a safety for the Wolfpack. This commitment was big for the Pack, who have had their struggles in the secondary over the last couple years, and this signing will help improve their depth at safety. Last year, Noel signed with Maryland but failed to qualify academically. After a year of prep school at Milford Academy, he improved his grades and signed on to play for Tom O'Brien and the Pack.
NC State's 2011 class now has 17 commitments, and is looking to total 20 on signing day. Still available is Wadesboro (NC) Anson five-star linebacker Stephone Anthony, who would certainly be the top recruit of the class. Anthony will make his official visit to the Pack this weekend.
As always, for breaking news on NC State football and basketball recruiting, follow me on Twitter at FirstandShort.
Pack Faces Must-Win Sunday
Somewhere inside the Weisiger-Brown building on NC State's campus, Sidney Lowe is sitting very quietly- hopefully in deep thought. As his team lost their best chance at a signature win 92-78 to Duke at home last Wednesday night.
At the moment, a 13 point advantage over George Mason (ranked 40th in the RPI) in mid-November stands to be the Pack's only quality win of the season. When Miami comes to town Sunday, the Pack will have another shot at defeating a top 50 team. Miami (12-6, 1-3) comes in ranked 49th in the RPI, and at home this is about as easy as a top 50 win can possibly come.
State must take advantage of their new trio of big men that played well most of the second half against Duke, senior Tracy Smith, sophomore Richard Howell, and freshman C.J. Leslie. When the three are on the court together they create match-up problems for their opponents- especially Leslie who can play small forward with his incredible athleticism. It will be interesting to see if Lowe uses the three to create problems for Miami on Sunday afternoon.
NC State (11-7, 1-3) currently sits at 104 in the RPI. This week after the Pack host Miami on Sunday, they'll hit the road Tuesday to play at Clemson (86) and Saturday in Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina (24). Over the next seven days the Pack will have three chances to get another quality win to add to their resume- preferably more than one of them.
As the team poster says in all capital letters, "The stage is set." It sure is at the moment, the Pack have a chance to crawl out of their 1-3 ACC hole and pick up some quality wins in the process. It all comes down to execution at both ends of the floor, especially on defense where the Pack are giving up more points per game than everyone in the conference, with the exception of Wake Forest.
According to reports, morale was fine after the Duke game, and the guys held their heads high. We'll see what they're made of this week, and if they have what it takes to get back in contention for a NCAA tournament bid.
At the moment, a 13 point advantage over George Mason (ranked 40th in the RPI) in mid-November stands to be the Pack's only quality win of the season. When Miami comes to town Sunday, the Pack will have another shot at defeating a top 50 team. Miami (12-6, 1-3) comes in ranked 49th in the RPI, and at home this is about as easy as a top 50 win can possibly come.
State must take advantage of their new trio of big men that played well most of the second half against Duke, senior Tracy Smith, sophomore Richard Howell, and freshman C.J. Leslie. When the three are on the court together they create match-up problems for their opponents- especially Leslie who can play small forward with his incredible athleticism. It will be interesting to see if Lowe uses the three to create problems for Miami on Sunday afternoon.
NC State (11-7, 1-3) currently sits at 104 in the RPI. This week after the Pack host Miami on Sunday, they'll hit the road Tuesday to play at Clemson (86) and Saturday in Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina (24). Over the next seven days the Pack will have three chances to get another quality win to add to their resume- preferably more than one of them.
As the team poster says in all capital letters, "The stage is set." It sure is at the moment, the Pack have a chance to crawl out of their 1-3 ACC hole and pick up some quality wins in the process. It all comes down to execution at both ends of the floor, especially on defense where the Pack are giving up more points per game than everyone in the conference, with the exception of Wake Forest.
According to reports, morale was fine after the Duke game, and the guys held their heads high. We'll see what they're made of this week, and if they have what it takes to get back in contention for a NCAA tournament bid.
'Desperate' Pack Can't Keep Pace With Duke
NC State's chance for a quality win over a top ten team was unsuccessful, as Duke seemingly scored at will en route to a 92-78 victory over the Wolfpack Wednesday night at the RBC Center.
The Wolfpack (11-6, 1-3) lost their third straight ACC game, and once again it was defense that doomed them. After being down 14 at the half, the Pack played well to cut the Blue Devil lead down to five, but could not get a stop as Raleigh native Ryan Kelly buried a three from right in front of Duke's bench to stretch the lead back to eight. The Pack would not get closer than six the rest of the way, and every time they got some momentum Duke answered like you would expect a top five team to do.
It has been a tough 16 years for the Pack against the Blue Devils, as they are just 5-29 against Duke since 1995. Surprisingly though, Sidney Lowe has beaten Coach Krzyzewski twice since he took over at NC State (2-5) five years ago, a feat that looks pretty good compared to his predecessor Herb Sendek's 3-21 in ten seasons.
When expectations were sky high coming into the season- then starting out 1-3 in the conference, finding morale victories is a stretch. If anything one could say State played one of their better halves of the season in the second half against Duke, and yet, the Pack only managed to tie the Blue Devils at 50 points a piece.
In my opinion there is really only one way to upset Duke; you must get out the gates quickly and build up a lead on the Blue Devils. When Duke makes their inevitable run that they get every second half, you just have to hope that lead was enough. It is seemingly impossible to beat Duke while playing from behind, they just shoot too well for that. When Florida State knocked off Duke over a week ago, they led by 11 points in the second half before Duke made their run, ultimately coming up short. A year ago today when the Pack beat Duke at the RBC Center, State led the whole way, as Duke could not sustain a long enough run to overcome the Pack's double-digit lead.
The offense was there for the Pack, as five State players scored in double figures (Tracy Smith, 19, Ryan Harrow, 15, Scott Wood, 15, C.J. Leslie, 13, Richard Howell, 10). Coach Lowe is often criticized for his substitution pattern, and deservedly so, but I believe he may have found a line-up combination that woks well. He started playing with a big line-up, using three big men, senior Tracy Smith, sophomore Richard Howell, and freshman C.J. Leslie to find points in the paint against Duke.
Those three would combine for 42 of NC State's 78 points, while pulling down 24 of the Pack's 32 rebounds. Nearly all of the other 36 points for the Pack came from sophomore sharp-shooter Scott Wood, who finished 4-7 from three-point land, and freshman point guard Ryan Harrow, who played 36 minutes off the bench for the Pack. Wood and Harrow scored 15 points each, and really fueled some of NC State's second half runs. The other six points came from starting point guard Javier Gonzalez, who scored four points in only four minutes of play, and sophomore C.J. Williams who added two points on a first half jumper.
If State can play offense like this (granted they only shot 36 percent from the floor, but had 17 offensive rebounds) against Miami on Sunday in front of a crowd that will undoubtedly be thousands fewer than last night's game, they should win easily. State's offense was good enough to beat anyone else in the conference, but the defense must sharpen up if they are going to beat a top team like Duke. The Pack need to tighten up their defense, Duke will still beat you shooting just 35 percent from the floor, at 50 percent you really don't have a chance, especially if Duke wins the battle on the boards easily at 42-32, like they did Wednesday night.
The Wolfpack were said to be "desperate" going into their match-up with Duke, so I'm not even sure of a word they would use to describe how badly they need to beat Miami Sunday at noon. For all intents and purposes, Sunday is the season. A loss and you can pretty much chalk this year up as a failure and another NIT appearance, even as a Lowe supporter I feel a loss on Sunday should just about do it for his time in Raleigh. After Sunday's bout, the Pack will travel to take on Clemson just two days later, in what is probably another must-win for the Pack to keep their Bid Dance hopes alive.
The Wolfpack (11-6, 1-3) lost their third straight ACC game, and once again it was defense that doomed them. After being down 14 at the half, the Pack played well to cut the Blue Devil lead down to five, but could not get a stop as Raleigh native Ryan Kelly buried a three from right in front of Duke's bench to stretch the lead back to eight. The Pack would not get closer than six the rest of the way, and every time they got some momentum Duke answered like you would expect a top five team to do.
It has been a tough 16 years for the Pack against the Blue Devils, as they are just 5-29 against Duke since 1995. Surprisingly though, Sidney Lowe has beaten Coach Krzyzewski twice since he took over at NC State (2-5) five years ago, a feat that looks pretty good compared to his predecessor Herb Sendek's 3-21 in ten seasons.
When expectations were sky high coming into the season- then starting out 1-3 in the conference, finding morale victories is a stretch. If anything one could say State played one of their better halves of the season in the second half against Duke, and yet, the Pack only managed to tie the Blue Devils at 50 points a piece.
In my opinion there is really only one way to upset Duke; you must get out the gates quickly and build up a lead on the Blue Devils. When Duke makes their inevitable run that they get every second half, you just have to hope that lead was enough. It is seemingly impossible to beat Duke while playing from behind, they just shoot too well for that. When Florida State knocked off Duke over a week ago, they led by 11 points in the second half before Duke made their run, ultimately coming up short. A year ago today when the Pack beat Duke at the RBC Center, State led the whole way, as Duke could not sustain a long enough run to overcome the Pack's double-digit lead.
The offense was there for the Pack, as five State players scored in double figures (Tracy Smith, 19, Ryan Harrow, 15, Scott Wood, 15, C.J. Leslie, 13, Richard Howell, 10). Coach Lowe is often criticized for his substitution pattern, and deservedly so, but I believe he may have found a line-up combination that woks well. He started playing with a big line-up, using three big men, senior Tracy Smith, sophomore Richard Howell, and freshman C.J. Leslie to find points in the paint against Duke.
Those three would combine for 42 of NC State's 78 points, while pulling down 24 of the Pack's 32 rebounds. Nearly all of the other 36 points for the Pack came from sophomore sharp-shooter Scott Wood, who finished 4-7 from three-point land, and freshman point guard Ryan Harrow, who played 36 minutes off the bench for the Pack. Wood and Harrow scored 15 points each, and really fueled some of NC State's second half runs. The other six points came from starting point guard Javier Gonzalez, who scored four points in only four minutes of play, and sophomore C.J. Williams who added two points on a first half jumper.
If State can play offense like this (granted they only shot 36 percent from the floor, but had 17 offensive rebounds) against Miami on Sunday in front of a crowd that will undoubtedly be thousands fewer than last night's game, they should win easily. State's offense was good enough to beat anyone else in the conference, but the defense must sharpen up if they are going to beat a top team like Duke. The Pack need to tighten up their defense, Duke will still beat you shooting just 35 percent from the floor, at 50 percent you really don't have a chance, especially if Duke wins the battle on the boards easily at 42-32, like they did Wednesday night.
The Wolfpack were said to be "desperate" going into their match-up with Duke, so I'm not even sure of a word they would use to describe how badly they need to beat Miami Sunday at noon. For all intents and purposes, Sunday is the season. A loss and you can pretty much chalk this year up as a failure and another NIT appearance, even as a Lowe supporter I feel a loss on Sunday should just about do it for his time in Raleigh. After Sunday's bout, the Pack will travel to take on Clemson just two days later, in what is probably another must-win for the Pack to keep their Bid Dance hopes alive.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
After Loss to Seminoles, Doomsday Clock Continues to Tick in Raleigh
Let me open with this: Thank God for Wake Forest. Without arguably the worst ACC basketball team of all time, NC State could find themselves losing every conference game this season.
The Pack (11-6, 1-2) just don't seem like they want to win. Complain all you want about coaching, but at some point the players themselves need to get it. I could go on and on about how head coach Sidney Lowe has lost control of this team, and how I'm so excited about how new athletic director Debbie Yow will bring the axe on Lowe and bring in a top-tier coach, but honestly I like Lowe. People in Raleigh do want him to succeed. He won a National Title as a player for the Pack (and when you've only won two, that is a big deal) and he clearly bleeds red and white. He just might be in over his head and not fit to be a college coach.
At some point in the second half when Florida State was still perfect from the floor for the half, it seemed as if the Wolfpack players could care less on the defensive end. Florida State (13-5, 3-1) would go on to win 84-71, but that score is closer thanks to some garbage points at the end for the Wolfpack.
The Pack might be in the top three of the most talented teams in the ACC, but that means nothing if there is no hustle, and no passion shown on the court. State's start against Florida State Saturday afternoon was indicative of how this season has gone to this point.
Looking to put the first points of the game on the board, star senior forward Tracy Smith went up for an uncontested layup- and missed. This season is right there for the taking for this team, with their talent and experience (aside from the three freshman, who certainly have the talent) they should not find themselves below .500 in ACC play, it is just unacceptable.
The bright spot for the Pack was out-rebounding the Seminoles, a strong team, 34-29. That- and freshman point guard Ryan Harrow. In his first collegiate start, he scored 17 points and handed out three assists in just 21 minutes played. He hustled the whole game but was clearly out-matched on the defensive end, as he is not big enough yet to be a good defender in the ACC. The Pack also received double-digit scoring from Tracy Smith, who led he team with 19 points, and Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie, who each scored 10.
Florida State received double-digit scoring from five players and eight from one off the bench in limited time. That is an indication of a lack of team defense. This shows a complete dominance at that end of the court for the opponent. The Seminoles shot 54.5 percent from the floor, many of which were uncontested dunks down low. I can understand getting beat by one guy who you seemingly can't find an answer to (like J.J. Redick back in the day would always do to State, and many other teams), but when the whole team is scoring at ease there is a problem.
The Pack (11-6, 1-2) just don't seem like they want to win. Complain all you want about coaching, but at some point the players themselves need to get it. I could go on and on about how head coach Sidney Lowe has lost control of this team, and how I'm so excited about how new athletic director Debbie Yow will bring the axe on Lowe and bring in a top-tier coach, but honestly I like Lowe. People in Raleigh do want him to succeed. He won a National Title as a player for the Pack (and when you've only won two, that is a big deal) and he clearly bleeds red and white. He just might be in over his head and not fit to be a college coach.
At some point in the second half when Florida State was still perfect from the floor for the half, it seemed as if the Wolfpack players could care less on the defensive end. Florida State (13-5, 3-1) would go on to win 84-71, but that score is closer thanks to some garbage points at the end for the Wolfpack.
The Pack might be in the top three of the most talented teams in the ACC, but that means nothing if there is no hustle, and no passion shown on the court. State's start against Florida State Saturday afternoon was indicative of how this season has gone to this point.
Looking to put the first points of the game on the board, star senior forward Tracy Smith went up for an uncontested layup- and missed. This season is right there for the taking for this team, with their talent and experience (aside from the three freshman, who certainly have the talent) they should not find themselves below .500 in ACC play, it is just unacceptable.
The bright spot for the Pack was out-rebounding the Seminoles, a strong team, 34-29. That- and freshman point guard Ryan Harrow. In his first collegiate start, he scored 17 points and handed out three assists in just 21 minutes played. He hustled the whole game but was clearly out-matched on the defensive end, as he is not big enough yet to be a good defender in the ACC. The Pack also received double-digit scoring from Tracy Smith, who led he team with 19 points, and Scott Wood and C.J. Leslie, who each scored 10.
Florida State received double-digit scoring from five players and eight from one off the bench in limited time. That is an indication of a lack of team defense. This shows a complete dominance at that end of the court for the opponent. The Seminoles shot 54.5 percent from the floor, many of which were uncontested dunks down low. I can understand getting beat by one guy who you seemingly can't find an answer to (like J.J. Redick back in the day would always do to State, and many other teams), but when the whole team is scoring at ease there is a problem.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Pack Pounds Wake in ACC Opener
For the first time this season, NC State (11-4, 1-0) scored 90 points in a game, and it was plenty to beat Big Four rival Wake Forest. The Pack dismantled the Demon Deacons 90-69 behind 23 points and 11 rebounds from senior forward Tracy Smith in the ACC opener for both teams.
NC State moved to 1-0 in ACC play for the first time under head coach Sidney Lowe, as they shot 51 percent from the floor and 5-10 from behind the arc which helped them put away the Demon Deacons in the second half. The hot shooting continued at the free-throw line as the Pack shot an unusually successful 17-19. This led to the high scoring for the pack, as four players (Smith, 23, C.J. Leslie, 19, C.J. Williams, 16, Scott Wood, 11) finished the game in double-figures.
The most surprising of those scorers was junior guard C.J. Williams. Though I am often made fun of for this, I feel that Williams can be a valuable role player for the Pack. He can often provide a spark for the Pack when they start slowly and should help the Pack during tough ACC games. Williams brought the crowd of over 16,000 to their feet after he received a behind-the-back pass from Scott Wood and finished it with a one-hand slam- this brought a rare smile to the face of Sidney Lowe. Williams also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out three assists while shooting 7-8 from the floor and 2-2 from the free-throw line.
Complimenting the team's hot shooting was NC State's dominating performance on the boards. It was a total team effort as he Pack held a 43-20 advantage in the rebounding column as nine different players recorded a rebound for State. Ever since Tracy Smith returned from his knee injury, the Pack have been more aggressive on the boards.
There was a worry that the three stellar freshmen for the Pack (C.J.Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Ryan Harrow) would start slowly due to nerves from their first ACC game, but those worries were put to rest. The three combined for 32 points and 13 rebounds, most of those (19 points, 6 rebounds) were recorded by Leslie, who earned ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance.
The Pack will now face a difficult stretch of conference games. They will head to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College Tuesday night, then have a few days off before hitting the road to play Florida State January 15. Once they return from two games away from home they'll face the nation's top team, Duke. If the Pack can play well in these three games, the sky is the limit for this team. That is a big if, though.
NC State moved to 1-0 in ACC play for the first time under head coach Sidney Lowe, as they shot 51 percent from the floor and 5-10 from behind the arc which helped them put away the Demon Deacons in the second half. The hot shooting continued at the free-throw line as the Pack shot an unusually successful 17-19. This led to the high scoring for the pack, as four players (Smith, 23, C.J. Leslie, 19, C.J. Williams, 16, Scott Wood, 11) finished the game in double-figures.
The most surprising of those scorers was junior guard C.J. Williams. Though I am often made fun of for this, I feel that Williams can be a valuable role player for the Pack. He can often provide a spark for the Pack when they start slowly and should help the Pack during tough ACC games. Williams brought the crowd of over 16,000 to their feet after he received a behind-the-back pass from Scott Wood and finished it with a one-hand slam- this brought a rare smile to the face of Sidney Lowe. Williams also pulled down seven rebounds and dished out three assists while shooting 7-8 from the floor and 2-2 from the free-throw line.
Complimenting the team's hot shooting was NC State's dominating performance on the boards. It was a total team effort as he Pack held a 43-20 advantage in the rebounding column as nine different players recorded a rebound for State. Ever since Tracy Smith returned from his knee injury, the Pack have been more aggressive on the boards.
There was a worry that the three stellar freshmen for the Pack (C.J.Leslie, Lorenzo Brown, Ryan Harrow) would start slowly due to nerves from their first ACC game, but those worries were put to rest. The three combined for 32 points and 13 rebounds, most of those (19 points, 6 rebounds) were recorded by Leslie, who earned ACC Rookie of the Week for his performance.
The Pack will now face a difficult stretch of conference games. They will head to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College Tuesday night, then have a few days off before hitting the road to play Florida State January 15. Once they return from two games away from home they'll face the nation's top team, Duke. If the Pack can play well in these three games, the sky is the limit for this team. That is a big if, though.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Luck Not on Panthers' Side
With Thursday's news that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will remain in school, many questions arose for the Carolina Panthers.
As the consensus number one overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Panthers had already announced that they would draft Luck with the first pick if he declared for the draft, but he didn't, and now the Panthers have some decisions to make.
1. Who will be the next head coach of the Panthers?
It is anyone's guess, but reports have said that Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell seems to be the front-runner for the job. It would be a good hire for the Panthers, and Fewell in a North Carolina native.
2. What do the Panthers do with the number one pick?
ESPN's draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr. predicts that the Panthers will now take Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers. Bowers could be the guy who finally adequately replaces Julius Peppers and revamps the defensive line.
3. Without Luck, now what at quarterback?
The Titans have announced that they will part ways with Vince Young, and if the Panthers are patient they can pick him up as a free agent in February. This gives Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore some competition. He has shown that he can win in the NFL.
The Panthers will have their work cut out for them, but there is hope for this team, because with a little luck (sorry), this team could turn it around.
As the consensus number one overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Panthers had already announced that they would draft Luck with the first pick if he declared for the draft, but he didn't, and now the Panthers have some decisions to make.
1. Who will be the next head coach of the Panthers?
It is anyone's guess, but reports have said that Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell seems to be the front-runner for the job. It would be a good hire for the Panthers, and Fewell in a North Carolina native.
2. What do the Panthers do with the number one pick?
ESPN's draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr. predicts that the Panthers will now take Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers. Bowers could be the guy who finally adequately replaces Julius Peppers and revamps the defensive line.
3. Without Luck, now what at quarterback?
The Titans have announced that they will part ways with Vince Young, and if the Panthers are patient they can pick him up as a free agent in February. This gives Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore some competition. He has shown that he can win in the NFL.
The Panthers will have their work cut out for them, but there is hope for this team, because with a little luck (sorry), this team could turn it around.
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