After last February’s 83-79 upset over UNC in men’s basketball, I sat at my computer with a smile as I typed out a commentary titled “In Lowe we trust,” expressing my view that the win over Carolina validated Sidney Lowe’s hiring as head coach. After this season’s disappointing and often humiliating season, in which State finished 15-16 and dead last in the ACC, I’m starting to wonder if that statement was premature.
Sidney Lowe has had a tough time adjusting to the college game, which entails more than a simple pick-and-roll offense, or the “offense” State often resorted to this year, which included everyone standing around, trying to find J.J. Hickson until the shot clock forced them to jack up a three pointer.
Several external factors could have taken Sidney out of his game this season, though he never admitted it, including his son’s arrest, his father’s death and his mother’s declining health. With that much on your plate, coaching can understandably take a back seat to the more important family.
Still, it seemed the addition of Hickson took the rest of the team out of their game: Costner went from an All-American candidate to a no-factor, McCauley struggled with less playing time and “team chemistry” was a problem players acknowledged all season.
This season’s failures has caused lots of fans to begin questioning why we hired a guy with no college degree (though he has one now), little head coaching experience and a poor NBA record as a head coach.
What’s worse, it’s hard not to think that maybe State shouldn’t have run Herb Sendek out of Raleigh with a lack of support. Maybe there was a better candidate out there who would have loved the job.
Of the eight coaches who led teams to the Elite Eight in this year’s NCAA Tournament, at least three were legitimate prospects for the coaching job at State in Memphis’ John Calipari, Xavier’s Sean Miller and Texas’ Rick Barnes.
And though it’s far too early to call for a change, Lowe might find his job on the ropes if things don’t turn around in the next two or three years. You have to give a coach at least four years to get “his guys” in “his system,” but I feel that Lowe’s system needs tweaking as his upcoming recruiting classes may dictate his job security.
I strongly doubt C.J. Williams and Julius Mays, next season’s additions, are program saviors. Many feel that the 2009 recruiting class could make or break Lowe’s future as head coach.
If Lowe can manage to get commitments from guards Lorenzo Brown and John Wall, a local stud at point guard who would fit perfectly in Lowe’s system, State could potentially return to the glory days and re-emerge on the national scene.
But as is, Lowe faces challenges in the college game that are completely new to him. Hickson’s entrance into the NBA draft shows that Lowe will have to work around players leaving early, as Lowe’s main recruiting pitch is his NBA experience.
In the worst scenario, State falls into a Les Robinson-type era, where losing becomes the norm and the team looks like a poor man’s Florida State of past: full of talented athletes who aren’t disciplined enough to compete and won’t be around for long.
Every time I have interviewed or been around Sidney Lowe he has relayed a genuine sense of charm and intelligence. For his sake, I hope he turns things around quickly, because N.C. State fans are not the most forgiving or patient fans in the nation — just ask Chuck Amato.