NC State Football Post Season and NC State Basketball Updates

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!!!

Its been a couple of months since I last posted about football, honestly because I lost hope. I know it's bad when I lose hope but I didn't see the Pack coming back from a four straight conference lost. But, to my surprise, we won at Syracuse, beat Wake Forest and dominated UNC to make it to the Bitcoin Bowl. Now, us Pack fans were hoping for a better bowl, but come on folks, at least we made it to one. Especially after going 3-9 last season. Plus UCF beat Baylor last season in the Fiesta Bowl, so they are very good. One of the talented teams we will face this season. I just want to reiterate on our dominating performance against UNC, how we showed we wanted respect and wanted to get revenge on last season beat down. BEAT UCF!!!! GO PACK!!!!

Now on to basketball. We currently are 10-3, 1-0 in conference play. Tied with first place (yay!). The three losses were against @Purdue, Wofford and West Virginia. We played decent against Purdue, so I am not as mad about that loss. The losses against Wofford and WVU is what I am more concerned about. From what I read, we played like complete crap in those two games. Hardly any help from the bigs. Relied primarily on the guards and perimeter shooting. There is one thing that I have noticed in the games that I seen, and that is we suck against good press and zone defense. We keep passing around the perimeter and hardly go inside to score. The WolfPack needs to figure how to drive it to the basket if they want to go to the tourney and make a good run in it. We still need Trevor and Ralston to do their thing.

Let me just say that Trevor Lacey has been a blessing. He is consistent with his scoring and he became our "go to" guy almost instantly. Transferring from Alabama, he was a double digit scorer in his sophomore season. We are lucky to have him on our squad.

Shout out Cat Barber, Ralston Turner, Trevor Lacey, Kyle Washington, The Martin Twins, Beejay Anya, Abu, and Leonard Freeman. Merry Christmas guys!! Go Pack!!

Thoughts On TJ Warren and Tyler Lewis

Hey again! I'm back!

So recently, many college players made their decision to either stay at their school or go pro. At NC State, TJ Warren did what many expected him to do. In the 2012-2013 season, he did well as a freshman and even then, fans thought he was going to leave. He surprised us and came back for another season. Now, this past season, he was a beast. Literally a beast. Averaging 23+ points per game, two back to back 40+ point games, leading rebounder, and he slimmed down to be more agile. That screams NBA material. I wish him luck and will be following his career in the NBA. But as we know, players who leave early at NC State, typically do not get drafted. Let's hope TJ can change that.

On to Tyler Lewis. Him transferring to Butler came as a surprise to me. Considering him getting more playing time and more starts in the last 14-15 games. One might assume he would continue to be a big contributor as an NC State point guard. I guess he really didn't like it here. I believe he was recruited  by Sidney Lowe when he was coach. At least he kept his commitment. After thinking about it, him being at Butler might be the best fit for him. I'll be wishing him the best.

As Always,
GO PACK!!

Recent Events, NC State Football Re-cap & NC State Basketball Thoughts So Far

Well, it has been A LONG TIME since I posted on my blog. If anyone is even reading my stuff, I apologize. First I would like to point out that I am a NC State Engineering GRADUATE. I graduated last December of 2012 (dang, it has been awhile since I been on here..). I took a full time position at a local engineering firm that I have been interning. Now, I am living with my dad, trying to save up money to get my own place and pay off some of my student loans. So far so good! Enough about me, how about some Wolfpack info and thought?!

First off, I bought season tickets to both the football games and basketball games. Well, the football team didn't live up to my (nor other Wolfpack fans/alumni) expectations. They won only 3 games and lost 9. They were 0-8 in conference play. Tough break for the first year coach Dave Doeren. But don't lose hope just yet. He has 2 more years to try and save face. A day ago, he got a commitment from a 4-star recruit that is in ESPN Top 300. That's pretty good. Hoping for a few more commits to have a decent team next year. If Doeren can not get this team up to par, then it will be time to go shopping......again...

Now on to basketball. Currently, the Wolfpack is sitting on a 7-2 record with losses to Cincinnati and NC Central. We should've beaten NCCU but you know.....that NC State Shit that happens at the least opportune moments. This is still a young team, with returning players TJ Warren, Tyler Lewis, and Jordan Vandenberg. We added a LSU transfer Ralston Turner and a JUCO guard Desmond Lee. The three freshman in Gottfried's 2013 class includes Anthony "Cat" Barber, Kyle Washington, Lennard Freeman and Beejay Anya. So far, Anthony Barber and Lennard Freeman has earned spots in the starting line up. Anthony Barber has good ball handling skills and has the ability slash through the opposing defense to get inside and take shots. Lennard  Freeman has shown that he can get rebounds and defend well. There is still some promise with Washington and Anya, but they need more experience and more playing time to get to the starting five.

Well, that's it for this post. Hopefully I can get back into posting more stuff in the upcoming weeks and months. Thanks for reading!

P.S. It's time to drop the "This Is OUR State" slogan.....clearly not our state.....yet....

Rodney Purvis Dunk

Here is the GIF of NC State's Rodney Purvis dunk on a missed shot by one of his team mates.

NC State Basketball 2012-2013 Season Ends

If you know me, than you know that I am a die hard NC State fan. I graduated in the Fall of 2012 and ever since I attended NC State, I wanted NC State to become one of the greats in college sports. This year was supposed to be "THE" year for NC State basketball. We had 4 starters returning and a highly ranked incoming class. What should have been an eye opener in Puerto Rico was just the beginning of the roller coaster ride of NC State Basketball. After the Oklahoma State massacre, the team won straight games including the major upset of then #1 Duke. Then, like usual, pulled some "NC State Shit" and lost at Maryland. That was pretty much the rest of the season. Losing to teams we should not have. This team had the talent, but lacked the discipline. Lack of leadership from the veterans. But is it all on the players? Is the players just a reflection of their coach? We will see.

One main thing that all NC State fans will tell you, is that we can not play defense AT ALL. I believe we rely on scoring many points to win games. Yes that typically works unless you are playing against a team that plays incredible defense,UVA and UMD.

I am optimistic thought. What Mark Gottfried did to this program in 2 years was made it relevant again. That's what the fans mostly wanted. We wanted respect from top programs. We wanted top programs to wonder if they are capable of beating us or not. We wanted those programs to celebrate a win against us like they just won a national championship title. Mark Gottfried did that in 2 years. Next year, the freshmen will be sophmores, and have experience to guide NC State to greatness again. Lorenzo Brown, you are one of the greats in a long time for NC State. One of my favorite players, even though you blocked me on Twitter. It's cool though. CJ Leslie, you are a monster, but you need to mature more. When you are in a game, we win hands down, but when you are not interested in the game, then there is a 25% chance of winning. You were the "switch" that made us look incredible or look like shit.

In conclusion, I believe both juniors need to stay for their senior years. Become leaders. Na Na Naaaa, Na Naaa Na Na Na Naaa, Na Naaaa, Na Naaa Na Na Na NA!!! GO STATE!!!

Wolfpack Basketball, A Team To Be Afraid Of in 2013

NC State made one hell of a run after being picked last for the 2012 NCAA tournament. Everyone had them being taken out in the Round of 64......They stayed. They defeated San Diego State Aztecs and advanced to play Georgetown in the Round of 32. Now, Georgetown has history of being a pretty good team in recent years. They have had better results than the Pack. They were a big team. They were a tough team. The Wolfpack hung in there to defeat Georgetown to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. This was the moment to show the nation what NC State is all about. This was the moment that every Wolfpack fan had dreamed of in more than 15 years of being an outcast among UNC and Duke. They went on to take on Kansas. Kansas had a tough time with Purdue a couple nights before, but ended up winning. Well, they had a tough time with the Wolfpack also. They were up by double digits near the end of the 2nd half, but the Pack brought it within 3 points. The Wolfpack couldn't tie it up, and ended up losing to Kansas by 3. I would take that, than losing to them by double digits like UNC did. Overall, NC State exceeded everyone's expectations, including it's fans.


Now, there is CJ "Calvin" Leslie. He picked up his game later in the season to become the teams best player, along with his wing man Lorenzo Brown. Lorenzo Brown is expected to come back next year, but there are a lot of talk going around about Calvin. He did ask for more information about entering the  NBA draft, but no decision has been made yet. In my opinion, along with many others, Calvin should stay for another year at least. But would be better if he stayed to earn a college degree. Even though his game has improved significantly since last season, it is still not NBA material. If he stayed, then he will learn to use his ability consistently. Mark Gottfried can teach him even more if he stayed, plus he will get much more experience. Why leave when you have just figured out how to actually play? This past year was the first step in making him better. Next year will be to harness his ability. He is only a 2nd round pick, as of now. But after next season, he wll definately be a 1st round pick. Stay Calvin, you can only get better from here. Besides, having that college degree wouldn't hurt either.

# 21 Virginia versus NC State

On Staurday, Jan. 28, the Cavaliers went on the road to face the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack was hoping to send them home with a loss, but couldn't pull through. In the first half, Virginia lead most of the way. The Wolfpack continued to cut the deficit but Virginia kept making 3's to extend the lead. By half time, the Pack was down by 7. Early in the 2nd half, Virginia extended their lead to 10 points. The Pack never gave up, and held on to get it within 4 in the final 40 seconds of the game. Scott Wood made a game changing 3 pointer to cut the deficit to 1. The Cavaliers missed their chance to seal the win, and the Pack got the ball with 7 seconds left. For some odd reason, coach Mark Gottfried called a time out, right when the Pack was going to run the ball and try to win the game. With 7 seconds left, Lorenzo Brown tried to get on the inside but Virginia's defense was too much and Lorenzo had to make a shot, which one end up only hitting the rim. Virginia barely got passed the Pack with a one point win, but a win is a win. Our guys played with heart tonight after an embarrassing lose at UNC earlier in the week. Only if we made half of our free throws, it would've been a win for the Pack.

Now, on to those so called "Pack fans." I am an NC State student, as well as a die hard Wolfpack fan, and I can not believe what some of these "fans" are saying about the Wolfpack. Yes, I know how frustrating it is losing a game, but IT IS JUST A GAME! When I was reading comments on Facebook about the loss, all I saw was "...the officiating was horrible.." and "..typical Wolfpack basketball..." and this interesting comment, "...new year, new coach, same crappy team." If you are going to bash on your own team, then become a fan of UNC or Duke and complain with the rest of them whenever they lose. I'm sick of all this bashing on kids 18-21 years old. I know 98% of the fan base can not even play basketball as well as them kids, so I do not know why they are bashing them. THEY ARE JUST KIDS!!! With that said, if you are going to bash your own team, the GTFO!!!! and support someone else. We have a really good recruiting class coming in and I would hate for them recruits to get bashed on after the first game. So please, take your complaining and bitching somewhere else. Thanks.



Go Pack!!!

The Yellow Jackets Laid The Smack Down On The Pack

On Wednesday Jan. 10, 2012, Georgia Tech went on the road to the RBC center in Raleigh, NC to face the then 12-4 (1-0) Wolfpack. In short, the Yellow Jackets came with the drive that the Wolfpack failed to handle.

Early in the first half, NC State lead by at least 5 points. Closer to the end of the first half, GT just switched gears and ran all over the Pack! NC State didn't know what to do but take it. At the half, the score was 40-29. A pitiful first half from the Pack that had the momentum from their win in their conference opener over Maryland. The Wolfpack thought they were on a roll when they cut GT's lead to 5 in the second half, but GT switched gears again and never looked back. Georgia Tech beat NC State 81-72.

Many factors come into play in this game. Scott Wood, CJ Leslie and Richard Howell all had foul trouble, especially Leslie, who fouled out. Their shooting percentage was barely over 40% and 26% in 3-point attempts. Even their coach, Mark Gottfried, had foul trouble. Scott Wood couldn't put it together to sink some 3-pointers. Another thing, the Pack did not defend well at all. It was kind of embarrassing after winning against a good Maryland team, then losing to a then 7-8 Georgia Tech team. The Pack needs to focus more and defend better in their next game against Wake Forest. Mark Gottfried does not need to take off his jacket anymore or the refs will call a Technical on him. Sad but true. I know the officials are being tougher this year, but it seems that the Pack always get the short end of the stick. But that is just me.

Remember to watch NC State @ Wake Forest on ESPN3 online. Go Pack!!!

NC State Defeats Maryland

Sunday, January 8, 2012 marked the first ACC opener win for NC State in 4 or 5 years. NC State defeated Maryland 79-74. The win isn't just a win, but it was a major test for new year coach Mark Gottfried. He told his team, and the media, that they will need to win 11 conference games in order to make it to "The Big Dance". As for me, I believe we can do it if the Pack can keep their focus and determination in the future.

Against Maryland, CJ Leslie put up 20 points, Scott Wood put up 19 points, Lorenzo Brown added 11 points and Richard Howell added 10 points. This is the first balanced WolfPack team that I seen so far, since being at NC State for nearly 2 years (I know it is not a long time). I said it before, and I'll say it again; this team is ten times better than it was last year. We have more structure and they know their positions well. When that happens, each player does their job right and the team will make something happen.

As for Maryland, it is basically a one man team. Terell Stoglin put up 25 points for the Terps. Nearly 1/4 of their total score. Even with our balanced team, they were still a tough team to beat. It will not get easier in the future, so we have to be ready. Side note: Maryland's coach, Mark Turgeon, is also in his first year as head coach for the Terps.

I have no doubt that NC State will continue to improve after each game, looking at what they did wrong and learn from it. With this attitude, NC State will be a team, that no one wants to mess with.

The next game is against Georgia Tech at the RBC Center on Wednesday Jan. 11. 

Go Pack!!!

NC State Basketball, Making A Come Back?

The ACC conference season is just around the corner and NC State has shown that they are much better than they were just a year ago. With new coach, Mark Gottfried aka "The Gott-father", things really have turned out good for the Pack. The most recent win against Delaware State, proved to die-hard fans that nothing is going to hold them back. When NC State went up against Delaware State last season, they had some trouble. NC State ended up winning by just 2 points, 72-70. I am not saying that they aren't a good team, I am saying that we did not have that much trouble defeating them this year. Yes, they might have lost some key players but I am sure that there were some returning players also. Either way, the Pack shows that they have talent.


Another reason that the Pack should not be overlooked, is the fact that they held up against #1 Syracuse and #12 Indiana. Both times, the Pack lead at least 8 points. But they couldn't keep it up around the 8 minute mark in the 2nd half. That proves that the team is continuing to get better after each game. C.J Leslie is getting the experience he needs when he decides to enter the NBA draft his senior year. Scott Wood continues to make the crowd scream after every 3-point shot he makes. Lorenzo Brown is becoming the leader of the Pack by setting the team up right and assisting, like a good PG should. C.J Williams, a senior, is making a statement each and every game. All players are stepping up. Is this because of Mark Gottfried? Or is it another reason? We do know is that this team did not look this good under Sidney Lowe, no doubt about that. I believe a winning season is on the horizon for the WolfPack.


Also, NC State has a top 5 recruiting class in the nation. After 4 terrible previous seasons, Mark Gottfried is truly helping the Pack get the respect that it deserves. I believe under him, NC State will be more than a rival to UNC and Duke. NC State is really making a tremendous come back from back to back losing seasons. History in the making is about to unfold!

If you want stats and more about NC State's Basketball team, please visit www.statefansnation.com.

GO PACK!

NC State's "Talented" Three

Coach Mark Gottfried

This year NC State stuns the nation again with top recruits coming in for the 2012 season. Currently ranked 3rd in the nation in the number of top recruits coming in. It is amazing how we get top notch recruits last season, but couldn't do anything with them. Yes, these recruits do have talent, but talent alone can only go so far. To put it all together, you need a good coach and coaching staff. Last season, Sidney Lowe couldn't do anything with his ranked recruits that he brought in. This is because he was not a good coach at all. He had the talent, be he lacked the coaching ability to get his team a winning season. Now, Wolfpack fans are looking up to Mark Gottfried to bring the Wolfpack to (at least) a winning season. Yes, it takes time for a team with a new coach to get a running start, but if he can "wow" Wolfpack fans, then he is sure going to have a good year at NC State.

Left: Rodney Purvis. Middle: Tyler Lewis. Right: TJ Warren

Currently, NC State has three top recruits coming in for the 2012-2013 season; Tyler Lewis, Rodney Purvis, and T.J. Warren. So far, this recruiting class is ranked 3rd in the nation. There is one more recruit that Gottfried is trying to get, so I will not name him unless he signs. If he does sign with the Wolpack, then NC State will most likely have the #1 recruiting class in the country.

Wolfpack fans are dying to see what this team can do this season and next season. Since this is Mark Gottfried's first year at NC State, I wonder what he can do with the players that we already have.