Track & FieldTeam set for New Balance Games

The men’s and women’s track and field teams will send competitors to New York City today for a three-day track and field competition hosted by New Balance. The event, celebrating its 10th anniversary, will host more than 5,000 athletes from around the world, according to newbalance.com. The meet will host high school, college and international professionals.Other team members will return to Chapel Hill, where the team competed in the UNC Fast Times meet this past weekend for a conference match against rival North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 3.

-Langdon Morris

FootballO’Brien hire recieves recognition

Sporting News writer Tom Dienhart named N.C. State’s hiring Tom O’Brien as the best head coaching acquisition among all Bowl Championship Series schools.”Sure, he has the pizzazz of a rice cake, but I dare you to find a better coach,” Dienhart said in his SportingNews.com ratings article. “You can’t, so don’t try. And all it took to get O.B. out of B.C. was to pay him what he’s worth — something BC refused to do. I pity the Eagles. I really do.”Rounding out the top five acquisitions on Dienhart’s list was Alabama’s Nick Saban, Louisville’s Steve Kragthorpe, North Carolina’s Butch Davis, and Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly.Athletics Director Lee Fowler named O’Brien coach on Dec. 29, 2006 after firing former coach Chuck Amato one day after a 21-16 loss to East Carolina on Nov. 25.O’Brien, the 33rd coach in State’s history, completed his staff on Jan. 25 with the hiring of linebackers coach Andy McCullum and defensive backs coach Mike Reed.The team is scheduled to begin spring practice on Wednesday, March 13.

-Langdon Morris

Pro BasketballHodge’s minutes nonexistent

Since playing five minutes in the Milwaukee’s Bucks 115-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 23, former N.C. State forward Julius Hodge has not played in his team’s previous five games.In his first six games with the Bucks, he participated in four. In a Jan. 19 game against the Seattle Supersonics, he played 10 minutes while going 2-of-4 shooting for four points with two rebounds and one turnover.Hodge was traded to the Bucks only two games after he started for the Denver Nuggets and totaled 19 minutes, four points, six assists, two steals and one rebound.

-Nick Jeffreys