Schlabach: State Is Team To Surprise In 09 From A Major Conference

As posted on Dinich's blog over at ESPN yesterday, an interview with Mark Schlabach regarding teams that could surprise in 2009. State was his pick as the team from the "major" conferences (i.e. BCS) that could do so.

(Fast forward to about the 3/4 mark or so)

Alright fellas...I think I'm OK with y'all letting us fly under the radar from here on out. We're good, that is until we actually start winning a few games to start the season.

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Gotta Disagree With You On This One, Tom...

Coach O'Brien doesn't like the idea of playing Carolina in the final game of the regular season.

I get what coach is saying here. He doesn't find it appealing -- by playing the Heels in the final game of the year -- there's a possibility that State and Carolina could find themselves playing one another the very next week in the ACC title game.

"I think it's a dumb game to play at that time of the year, because you're crossing divisions," O'Brien said during this year's ACC Football Kickoff.

And in general terms, yes, it does seem foolish to be playing cross-divisional opponents when there's a possibility you could have to turn right back around and play them again the following week.

But not this game.

(Continues)

State versus Carolina is the biggest college football rivalry in North Carolina. Period. As a state, North Carolina may not have a lot to offer the national media types when it comes to college football, but within the state's borders, State/Carolina is the biggest game of the year to the majority of football fans here, each and every year.

Personally, I was happy when I heard the game had been moved to the final game of the season. I think a lot of State and Carolina fans were, too. Duke/Carolina as a yearly season finale didn't "move the needles" within the state. The 12 Duke football fans in the area aren't capable of making enough noise to drive the animosity needed to make that football game meaningful.

But State and Carolina fans -- the two largest fanbases in North Carolina -- make each and every game worth watching. Now that both programs seem to both be trending upward at the same time, interest in the matchup is high. (It also helps that State's beaten the Heels twice in a row, stoking the fires that died down in Chapel Hill).

Let's say the scenario Tom O'Brien fears most unfolds. State and Carolina both have a title appearance wrapped up and will meet the following week in the ACC title game. Does that take anything away from the regular season game? Does it make either team less likely to show up or perform at their highest level because they're looking ahead to the next weekend? I doubt it.

Look at it this way: If you win the regular season finale, you have an opportunity to make it 2-0 over your rival for the ACC title. If you lose the regular season finale, you've still got a chance to even the score and one up them by winning the ACC title.

The argument against playing Carolina back-to-back might be that you don't want to lose both games in succession, or win the regular season matchup but lose the big one a week later in the ACC title game. But does it really matter if those W/L scenarios shake out with the regular season game played earlier in the year versus in the final game of the season? I don't think it does. Both options aren't appealing, but the possibility of it going down over the course of two weeks back-to-back doesn't make it any less appealing than if the games were separated on the calendar by a couple of months. Losing in the title game against your rival would suck any way you slice it.

Conversely, I think there's a chance for positive press nationally if State and Carolina were locked into back-to-back games at the end of the year.

For one, it's a unique set of circumstances. It's rare two teams play one another back-to-back in college football. That alone would get folks in New York talking.

Also, assuming both teams are locked into the title game, there's a good chance it would be a meeting of two ranked teams. Any time two ranked rival teams square off against one another, there's attention paid by the national media. That these two ranked teams would be facing one another twice in two weeks only adds to that appeal.

I think it would also add another element of interest to the ACC title game that frankly needs it -- it's been a huge disappointment for the league to this point. Having two rival teams face off with one another in a rematch of the previous week's tilt -- with a week for both teams to analyze what went wrong and what went right -- should make for a compelling storyline in the ACC title game locally, regionally and nationally. And since Charlotte is slated to host the ACC title game in 2010 and 2011, a sold-out State/Carolina rematch in the Queen City for all the conference marbles has to be an appealing thought to commissioner John Swofford, who's watched 25%-filled stadiums become the norm in the title game.

This is all assuming State and Carolina is locked into the title game prior to the regular season matchup. It overlooks, in my mind, the best scenario that can come from a final-game meeting between Carolina and State -- where the game determines who goes and who misses out on the ACC title game. It's the one thing this rivalry has lacked for so many years -- something to play for.

Let's face it. This annual game ain't the Red River Shootout, where the loser often stands to miss out in the national title hunt. It's not the Miami/Florida State series of a decade ago that held similar implications. It's not even the World's Largest Can't-Call-It-A-Cocktail-Party-Anymore Cocktail Party between Georgia and Florida that impacts the SEC conference race every year.

State and Carolina, for as long as I and many of you all can remember, has never had any implications beyond workplace water coolers and family picnics. Maybe that's been enough at times, but imagine a State/Carolina game where the winner advances to the title game. Or perhaps one team winning leads to a rematch in the ACC title game. Perhaps one team winning knocks the other out of the title game (how's that for adding some salt to the wound of your bitter rival?).

To me, that's what we -- as State and Carolina fans -- stand to gain by having this cross-divisional game come in the final game of the season. Something to play for. A lot has to fall just right for that to happen; State and Carolina have to both continue on their upward paths, and history says that it's rare that either team -- let alone both -- is good enough to contend for an ACC title. But imagine if the pieces fell just right and the State/Carolina game became, as Packman likes to refer to in wrasslin' vernacular, a "Loser Leave Town" match.

You won't get those kinds of implications playing the game in October versus the end of November. Maybe you could look back and say, "Yeah, had we just beaten Carolina in the fifth week of the year, we'd have been in that title game," but if your team was just one cross-divisional game away from making the title game, you could point to just about any loss on the schedule as "the one that got away." By having that final game be the State/Carolina game, with a title shot on the line, there would be no mistaking which win got you in or which loss kept you out. Because believe me, you'd hear about it for the next 364 days from your friends, family and coworkers.

Sorry coach...that's the way it should be.

View the complete entry of "Gotta Disagree With You On This One, Tom..."

State Football Videos Galore From ACC Football Kickoff

Tom O'Brien, courtesy PackPride/WRAL:



Nine minutes worth of Willie Young, courtesy ACCFootballNews.com:



More videos after the jump...

Nearly nine more minutes from Jamelle Eugene, again courtesy ACCFootballNews.com:



Some more videos from PackPride/WRAL. First, Jamelle Eugene:



And Willie Young:

View the complete entry of "State Football Videos Galore From ACC Football Kickoff"

Bowens: Out Until At Least October, Per N&O

ACCNow Link

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Dwyer Preseason ACC Player Of The Year ...

... per the streaming video cast of the ACC coaches interviews linked earlier today. Dwyer netted 39 of the possible 87 first-place votes.

CJ Spiller was voted runner-up.

State's Russell Wilson came up third in the voting with 16 first-place votes.

View the complete entry of "Dwyer Preseason ACC Player Of The Year ..."

... And Here It Is: NYT's The Quad Predicts State As The 36th-Best Team

As mentioned earlier today, The New York Times has State slotted as the 36th-best team in the FBS division.

A pretty healthy improvement over where they had us slotted the previous year (80th) and where they rated us at the end of the year (52nd).

It's a pretty comprehensive breakdown...so much so that I haven't even finished it yet. So read it when you have a free block of time.

One beef I have though--take note of which blog didn't make the cut:

Where do N.C. State fans congregate? I’m a big fan of The Wolf Web, which provides an avenue for extensive chatter on N.C. State sports while supplying its readers with important information about exam parking permits and swine flu outbreaks on the Raleigh campus. You can’t find that kind of information at The Wolfpacker or Pack Pride, though both provide the recruiting coverage N.C. State fans crave. For a blog’s take, check out StateFansNation.com and Backing the Pack.

What? No love for YANCSSB? How dare you, sirs? I'm calling FedEx right now to cancel shipment on your souvenir YANCSSB shirts.

View the complete entry of "... And Here It Is: NYT's The Quad Predicts State As The 36th-Best Team"

NY Times Will Reveal N.C. State As Its 36th-Best Team

According to the teaser placed at the end of the South Carolina preview, who checked in at #37:

Who is No. 36?: The only F.B.S. program located in a city named for an explorer beheaded for, among other things, failing to find the lost city of El Dorado.

Oh, you plucky NYTimes sports writers...dazzling us with your Wikipedia skills.

Keep you eyes peeled for it. In all seriousness, the NY Times puts together the most comprehensive preseason breakdown for every team every preseason. It's solid.

I would've like to have seen State somewhere in the 30-33 range, but 36th is about right.

View the complete entry of "NY Times Will Reveal N.C. State As Its 36th-Best Team"

Watch The Coaches Get Grilled Today At ACC Football Kickoff

The coaches interviews start today at 3:00ish with Butch Davis. Click this link to launch a player that will carry streaming footage of all the interviews.

Tom O'Brien's scheduled to take the interview lectern at 4:38.

Here's the complete schedule of those that will appear:

* 3:00 p.m. Butch Davis - North Carolina
* 3:14 p.m. Paul Johnson - Georgia Tech
* 3:28 p.m. Frank Beamer - Virginia Tech
* 3:42 p.m. Ralph Friedgen - Maryland
* 3:56 p.m. David Cutcliffe - Duke
* 4:10 p.m. John Swofford - ACC Commissioner
* 4:24 p.m. Al Groh - Virginia
* 4:38 p.m. Tom O’Brien – NC State
* 4:52 p.m. Bobby Bowden – Florida State
* 5:06 p.m. Randy Shannon – Miami
* 5:20 p.m. Jim Grobe - Wake Forest
* 5:34 p.m. Doug Rhoads - ACC Coordinator of Football Officials
* 5:48 p.m Frank Spaziani – Boston College
* 6:02 p.m. Dabo Swinney – Clemson

View the complete entry of "Watch The Coaches Get Grilled Today At ACC Football Kickoff"

The "Boy, He's Got Us Nailed" Quote Of The Day From The Triangle Pigkskin Preview

"There is certainly reason for enthusiasm and high expectations, but I have found that you really don’t have to do too much to raise the expectations of the Wolfpack nation." -- Tom O'Brien

I'd say he's got us pretty much dead-to-rights. You can find the rest of Tim Peeler's recap from the Triangle Pigskin Preview here.

View the complete entry of "The "Boy, He's Got Us Nailed" Quote Of The Day From The Triangle Pigkskin Preview"

N&O: Irving Out 'Indefinitely,' Per O'Brien

Kind of what we already knew, but it's the first word we've heard from Major Tom on the matter since the accident occurred.

Injuries suffered in a car crash in June have N.C. State linebacker Nate Irving out indefinitely, coach Tom O’Brien said Thursday afternoon.

During his first public media appearance since the June 28 crash, O’Brien said he won’t know more about Irving’s status until after the player’s next meeting with doctors in mid-August.

O’Brien said that if and when doctors clear Irving to return to football this season, the coaches will allow him to play because he already has used a redshirt year. But there also is a chance Irving could be out for the season.

“This is a medical decision,” O’Brien said during the Triangle Pigskin Preview banquet at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham. “I have nothing to do with this. Once the doctors tell us he’s cleared to go, if we’re still playing football, he will play.”

Sounds like we won't know much more until August. Hey, that works...that'll just give us keyboard jockeys another two weeks to speculate.

View the complete entry of "N&O: Irving Out 'Indefinitely,' Per O'Brien"

NFP: Looking At State's Potential NFL Prospects

Bleacher Report's National Football Post is going through every FBS team to identify players that might get drafted/make it at the next level. Here's State's breakdown.

A sample:

Jamell Eugene: No. 29, RB, 5'9", 196

An undersized back who displays natural instincts as a runner. Does a nice job making quick, decisive reads at the line of scrimmage, lowing his pad level, and taking what the defense gives him.

Showcases good balance and footwork when asked to change directions and knows how to make a man miss in space. However, he lacks burst out of his breaks and isn’t much of a threat in the open field. Plays at one speed and is considered more quick than fast.

Does a nice job breaking tackles for his size, but lacks the power to carry the load inside.

Impression: Displays some natural running ability, but doesn’t possess the speed or power to offer much upside at the next level.

Now, a couple of things:
1. This is content on the Bleacher Report. You or I could've written it, so it's important to keep that in mind.
2. It was written by a gentleman by the name of Wes Bunting (which sounds like the bastard child of Wes Durham and John Bunting). Here's Bunting's bio:

Wes Bunting, the National Football Post’s director of college scouting, has been monitoring the college football scene since 2002.

He completed a football GM and scouting course from Sports Management Worldwide, studying under Marc Trestman and Russ Lande, and has published scouting reports for NFLSmackdown.com, Scout.com and NFLDraftscout.com. He’s a member of the Football Writers Association of America.

Not too shabby, but I did think it was interesting that he learned how to scout prospects by none other than offensive wunderkind Marc Trestman. If you just picked up your salt shaker, I don't blame you.

View the complete entry of "NFP: Looking At State's Potential NFL Prospects"

Matt Hill: Making It Look Easy

State's Matt Hill -- excuse me, newly minted NATIONAL CHAMPION Matt Hill -- continues his winning ways, scoring a victory at the Ontario Amateur Championship. For those keeping score at home, he's won seven of his last eight collegiate events. Writing it out doesn't seem to take the wonder or amazement out of the accomplishment...that's just straight insane.

View the complete entry of "Matt Hill: Making It Look Easy"

Some Random Items

-- From "Pawsitive" Press (see what he did there?), a Clemson blog run by Paul Strelow, the Clemson beat writer for The State newspaper out of Columbia. In this latest entry, he puts together his own list of top offensive players in the ACC in response to Heather Dinich's series a few weeks ago. There are some off-the-wall picks (four OL, and two in the top six, plus a kicker), but State's Owen Spencer and Football Jesus made the list.

Here's what he had to say about them:

(Continues)

12. WR Owen Spencer, Jr., N.C. State

My vote for the conference’s breakout player this year. Although Spencer (6-3, 185) obviously wasn’t shabby as a sophomore, ranking seventh in the league in receiving yards per game (finished with 31 catches, 691 yards, 5 TDs, whopping 22.3 yards-per-catch average).

5. QB Russell Wilson, R-So., N.C. State

Get the sense some folks might withhold judgment/excessive praise for Wilson based on Cullen Harper’s demise from the ACC QB cat-bird seat last year? It’s hard to overlook the 17:1 touchdown-to-interception total he posted last year (missing most of three games), although strangely, he looked bad against both USC (his O-line was atrocious before Wilson got hurt) and Clemson (10-21, 92 yards, his only INT), plus the fact he carried the Wolfpack down the stretch to four wins in a row at regular season’s end.

The only thing I can’t come to grips with is the gut feeling that a future NFL QB, redshirt frosh backup Mike Glennon, is hovering over his shoulder – and that O’Brien isn’t afraid to use him.

I disagree with him on the notion that Tom has an itchy trigger finger to put Glennon in ahead of Russell, as if one bad start could spell the end of Wilson's football playin' days.

I do tend to agree with him that the Russell worship is starting to get a little bit out of hand and could perhaps be a harbinger of disappointment to come. There's a point where someone's legend grows to the point where it's impossible to match what's expected of you. Ladanian Tomlinson in 2007, following his incredible 2006 season, is a perfect example. There was no way he could keep up that kind of production level he posted in '06 (28TDs, 5.2 YPC, 1,800 yards), so when he merely scored 15 TDs and rushed for only 1,400 yards, somehow that was a disappointing season.

In Russell's defense, he is a bit more of a proven commodity than Harper was coming into last season, so while I don't expect him to post another 17:1 TD/INT ratio, I do think he'll be all-ACC-caliber again.

-- Part Four (or IV) of JP Giglio/The N&O's summer ACC basketball preview came out yesterday, looking at the three teams they forecast into the bottom fourth of the league where State has set up shop in recent years.

Joe correctly notes that this will be Sidney's first real season with all of his players (yes, I see you over there in the corner, Dennis) so for the first time since his arrival on campus, the success or failure of the team will be all on his shoulders.

Joe offers these positives and negatives heading into '09-'10:

Plus

• Addition by subtraction. With the exits of Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley and Courtney Fells, the last ties to former coach Herb Sendek are all but severed. Every coach deserves a chance to be judged by the talent he brings into a program and how he manages that talent. Sidney Lowe gets that chance this season, his fourth.

...

• Tracy Smith. ... Tracy Smith is going to be a mile better as a junior. The power forward went from averaging 3.3 points as a freshman to 10.0 last year. In his third season, don't be surprised if Smith's numbers jump another seven points.

He's a no-nonsense player around the basket and he understands how to score points, either by attacking the rim or getting to the foul line (his 123 free-throw attempts were second on the team despite only starting 12 times and playing an average of 18.2 minutes per game.)

That's the good...here's the bad:

Minus

• Not enough new blood. The key to Lowe starting over in Year 4 was bringing in better talent. If Lorenzo Brown had qualified, Lowe would have had a new guard to go with two ACC-ready big men and a promising shooter.

With Brown's detour to prep school, Lowe's only bringing in the aforementioned big men — who either play the same position as each other or the best player on the roster — and a promising shooter who just went from being asked to specialize to possibly being asked to be both Scott Wood and Lorenzo Brown.

...

• Defense. State ranked last in the ACC in steals and blocks. They have to create more turnovers to create more easy points to take the pressure off the point guards and the halfcourt offense.

Couldn't agree with him more on the defense. It's been downright bad at times, particularly late in games. Which leads me to my corollary addition to the "negatives" column, which is team conditioning. There have been enough examples in the past two seasons of State jumping out to a strong lead, only to give it all (and sometimes more) back to the opponent down the stretch. To me that smacks of a team with no legs left for defense or shooting. State's got to get not only more aggressive on defense for a full 40 minutes but better equipped, fitness-wise, to do it.

We shall see.

View the complete entry of "Some Random Items"

LeBron: The Cover Up Is Always Worse Than The Crime

Here's one of the videos circulating around now of the infamous dunk on LeBron James that created such a tizzy.



If there's anything we've learned throughout the years watching celebrities and athletes screw up, it's that the cover up is always worse than the crime. Was this dunk REALLY worth keeping from the public's eye? No. Not considering all the deserved backlash LeBron and Nike officials received after confiscating the tapes of the folks covering the event from the sidelines.

Had LeBron been SERIOUSLY poster-ized -- like this:


for example -- then I could see where LeBron might've wanted to keep the video off of YouTube. But c'mon, man...as clips of dudes getting dunked on go, that was pretty tame. And because you somehow falsely thought that A) snatching the tapes of the guys on the sidelines would eliminate ALL evidence of the act and B) that the public would side with you in the matter, enjoy the criticism you're going to continue to get. Because honestly, the fact that this dunk isn't all that great makes your actions look WORSE. You were that worried about this? Seriously?

The fact that this came just a month or so after your unsportsmanlike snafu in the playoffs further tarnishes your crown.

View the complete entry of "LeBron: The Cover Up Is Always Worse Than The Crime"

Dr. Saturday Blog: Quantifying The Russell Wilson Effect

Matt Hinton over at Dr. Saturday put together a fantastic breakdown on Russell Wilson and his impact during the 2008 season.

For those of us that follow State closely, none of the information really comes as a surprise. When Russell was in, we were typically successful. When he wasn't, we were typically God awful. It perhaps serves better as information for those on the outside looking in wondering what all the fuss is about this Wilson character and why State fans have gone nutso over the guy.

But Matt put together some nifty charts and analysis that's definitely worth the read, like this one the highlights just how futile our backup quarterback crew was last season:

He also included a YouTube video of Russell suffering a concussion at the hands of the USC defense, so if you're looking for something to raise your ire level, to get you pumped up for Sept. 3rd, there you go.

View the complete entry of "Dr. Saturday Blog: Quantifying The Russell Wilson Effect"

Pack Hurler Jake Buchanan Leading Cape Cod League In ERA

If you're facing Jake Buchanan on a Cape Cod squad opposing his Cotuit Kettleers, there's a good chance you're not getting on base. The prospect of scoring is even worse.

Buchanan is currently leading the CCL with a downright-nasty ERA of 0.50 with a WHIP (walks+hits/innings pitched) of just 0.88. He's averaging fewer than one man allowed on per inning, which is just remarkable.

He really did a number on the Hyannis Mets last night, pitching a three-hit shutout.

His performance caught the eyes of quite a few interested parties, including ESPN's Buster Olney. Olney, in one of his recent ESPN Insider pieces, referenced Buchanan's solid play and quoted Greg Schimmel's breakdown on Buchanan from last night:

I went to Hyannis on Monday night to watch Hyannis play Cotuit. An e-mailer, a fellow scout and the league's ERA leaderboard persuaded me to catch right-handed starter Jake Buchanan from North Carolina State pitch for Cotuit, and sure enough he pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout and struck out 10. Cotuit won 3-0.

Buchanan, whose ERA was 0.67 before he pitched a shutout Monday, didn't have tremendous stuff, but he had a good feel for four solid pitches and he wasn't afraid to throw any of them in any count. In the middle innings of his start, one American League scout said "This guy doesn't ever throw the same pitch twice in a row." Hyannis' hitters were off-balance the entire game, and only four balls left the infield. Buchanan is average height with a stocky build at 6'0" 205. He short-arms his pitches a little but throws easy and has good balance. Buchanan's fastball sat in the 88-90 mph range but hitters always seemed unsure of when it was coming and therefore it was effectively faster than its actual speed. Buchanan's best pitch was probably his tumbling 74-77 mph curveball with very good, sharp break. He also threw a 76-80 mph slider with good run and a good 76-79 mph changeup with nice downward movement. None of Buchanan's pitches, other than maybe his curveball, was sensational on its own but his full repertoire was very effective. He could certainly be drafted in the first few rounds next June.

Let's hope Jake can continue on the path he's on, as he's certainly starting to turn a few heads.

(Many thanks to Chad B. for pointing me to this great story)

View the complete entry of "Pack Hurler Jake Buchanan Leading Cape Cod League In ERA"

Great Read: Jim Rice Saves The Life Of A Future Wolfpack Grad

I'm a bit too young to remember August 7, 1982, but it's the day newly minted Hall of Famer Jim Rice will never forget:

"It was a horrific day," Tom Keane said in a telephone interview last week.

"We had been given some really great seats, right next to the dugout in the second row. We were really excited to be at the ballpark, close to the players and close to the action."

Jonathan, who was learning to play second base, had latched onto Dave Stapleton as his favorite player. The Red Sox infielder was up in the fourth inning when he hit a hard line drive foul of first base.

"I saw the ball hit the bat and heard the crack and thought it hit the side of the dugout. I turned, and there was my son with blood gushing out of his head," Tom Keane recalled.

"The next thing I remembered was Jim Rice picking him up. I picked Matthew up, and we ran through the dugout. I was kind of chasing Jim Rice; he was carrying Jonathan. There was an ambulance waiting. When we got to the hospital, they were set up for neurosurgery."

The quick actions of Rice saved Jonathan's life. Jonathan survived with no long-term ill effects and would later go on to graduate from State with honors with a business degree.

ESPN put a video piece together on the moment, one that Rice says is one of the greatest moments of his life.

It's one of Jonathan Keane's, too.

View the complete entry of "Great Read: Jim Rice Saves The Life Of A Future Wolfpack Grad"

State Picked #38 By Rivals In Their 120 Countdown

I'm late to the party on this one, so you've no doubt already read it...but just in case.

View the complete entry of "State Picked #38 By Rivals In Their 120 Countdown"

2009 Football Helmet Schedule, Courtesy 850 The Buzz

Click the image for a larger version:



Here's a PDF link, as well.

Thanks to Joe for putting this together.

View the complete entry of "2009 Football Helmet Schedule, Courtesy 850 The Buzz"

James Henderson Of PackPride.com Talks Recruiting With Jim Young Of ACCSports.com

ACCSports.com link

Some highlights from the conversation:

ACCSports.com:
There’s been plenty of angst about the news that Lorenzo Brown will be attending prep school instead of N.C. State next season. In your mind, how big of a loss is that for the Wolfpack?

Henderson:
I think it’s a big loss on paper and in the minds of fans and media outlets, but the truth is no one knows just how much Brown would have been able to contribute as a true freshman.

...

ACCSports.com:
Are fans on your site placing the blame for the Brown situation on Lowe, or are they arguing that now Lowe should definitely be given a fifth season so that he can bring in Brown and Ryan Harrow in the Class of 2010?

Henderson:
The details on Brown’s situation are so unclear right now that I don’t think anyone really knows who to place the blame on. In my opinion, it’s hard to place the blame on Sidney Lowe when he’s a basketball coach at N.C. State and doesn’t deal in academics at Brown’s school, Centennial High. That’s a situation that Brown, Centennial and the NCAA Clearinghouse have control over… not Sidney Lowe.

...

ACCSports.com:
I remember you were very high on Robert Crisp during his junior season. Now that he has committed to N.C. State, what is it about Crisp that you like so much?

Henderson:
The overall package of tools he brings to the table. In my opinion, as an offensive line prospect, it doesn’t get much better than Rob Crisp. At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, he has long arms, outstanding feet, and an abundance of natural athleticism. He has a tremendous upside and is extremely coachable. I’ve been saying it since last year when I saw him at the Adidas Camp that I think he’s arguably the top pure prospect in the state I’ve seen since Mario Williams, but that’s just my opinion. He has a bright future if he can stay on the right path and avoid injuries.

View the complete entry of "James Henderson Of PackPride.com Talks Recruiting With Jim Young Of ACCSports.com"

More Use Of The Terms "Underrated" And "State" In The Same Sentence

Per Rivals.com, State could be one of the more underrated teams in the country:

• N.C. State: Few – if any – would give North Carolina State a chance in the ACC's Atlantic Division race, but counting out the Wolfpack would be a mistake. Sophomore Russell Wilson is the conference's premier quarterback, and NC State can't be overlooked as long as he's healthy. He threw 17 touchdown passes and only one interception last season, and he rallied the Wolfpack to a four-game winning streak to close the regular season. That included wins over Wake Forest, North Carolina and Miami. The defense has to improve, but seven starters return, including end Willie Young. NCSU has made steady progress in two seasons under coach Tom O'Brien, and a significant leap could come in his third year. The Wolfpack probably won't show up on any preseason top-25 lists, but if Wilson stays healthy and the defense makes progress, they have a chance to break into the rankings.

If you're like me, you witnessed the injury bug bite the Pack last season and saw the luck State's overall athletics program had had this summer, so you're probably a bit wary at this point of too many more writers hopping on the "underrated" bandwagon.

I'd rather see State continue to float beneath the radar for a while longer, see what the prognosis is for Nate Irving, see how the team looks in fall practice and then start talking about reasonable expectations for the coming season.

But stuff like this -- positive press nationally -- is ultimately a good thing from an exposure standpoint, so we'll take it.

View the complete entry of "More Use Of The Terms "Underrated" And "State" In The Same Sentence"

Russell Wilson "Underrated" According To CBSSports.com

More positive press for Russell to hopefully live up to:

Underrated -- Russell Wilson, N.C. State: I wanted to put down Robert Griffin here, but I think buzz has grown around him, so I'm going in a different direction. Sure, a lot of fans know about Wilson, but I just want to remind people how good this guy looks. How about that 17-to-1 TD/INT ratio as a true freshman? He's a playmaker, flat out, and can deliver with his arm, legs or whatever is needed. It will be fun to watch Wilson, Griffin and Pryor develop as they are all kind of similar players from the same class.

View the complete entry of "Russell Wilson "Underrated" According To CBSSports.com"

Could Lorenzo Brown Enroll Mid-Season?

James Henderson of Pack Pride suggests it might be a possibility on the latest edition of PackPride Radio:

The only thing we're trying to clear up with Lorenzo now is, Hargrave (Military Academy where Lorenzo will likely prep)'s one of the few prep schools where ... if you get through the (NCAA) clearing house in the fall, you can enroll at a college mid-year. I don't know if he's capable of doing that yet, with it being basketball, but maybe the door's not shut for him to get his scores and possibly enroll for second semester with N.C. State.

I wouldn't get your hopes up too high, though. James concludes by stating that he feels the plan at the moment is still to have him prep a full year and enter in the fall of 2010.

Hope springs eternal in West Raleigh.

View the complete entry of "Could Lorenzo Brown Enroll Mid-Season?"

State Officials Appealing Brown's Denied Admission, Per WRAL

WRAL.com link

A source with knowledge of the situation told WRAL Monday afternoon that an appeal is in place with the NCAA clearinghouse.

With the appeals process still ongoing, N.C. State officials did not want to comment on the situation at this time.

Don't blame them for trying, but at this stage in the summer (mid July), and given that State isn't a cash cow for NCAA, I seriously doubt we get granted leniency in the matter.

Nevertheless, keep your fingers crossed.

View the complete entry of "State Officials Appealing Brown's Denied Admission, Per WRAL"

To The A-Hole Who Submitted This Into Google And Found My Blog:

Good one, buddy. Congrats. Hope someone spams your IP address.

P.S. Your atrocious grammar is a testament to the high quality of student they graduate from "UR" school.

View the complete entry of "To The A-Hole Who Submitted This Into Google And Found My Blog:"

Oh, And Things Were Going So Well 30 Minutes Ago...

Not that anyone needed any evidence as such, but we State fans can sometimes turn on own from time to time.

Let me allow you a moment to let that sink in, and then ask you to forgive me as I do the same.

Will White...you were flying high here on the blog just half an hour ago. Then I came upon this photo that turned up at the ESPN story:


Will. Will, Will, Will.

I'm not sure if you're a closet Texas Longhorns fan. Perhaps you're the long, lost nephew of Mary Anne Fox. But we do NOT bust out with the Wolf sign in celebration whilst on the podium after winning a national title if we don't know how to do them:


Brother, talk to somebody. Figure it out. Get it right. But put 'em in the holsters until you do, because otherwise you're going to subject yourself to ridicule from your Wolfpack brethren. Deserved ridicule, because we're State fans and we'll turn on you in a heartbeat.

View the complete entry of "Oh, And Things Were Going So Well 30 Minutes Ago..."

Hells Yeah! Yet Another N.C. State Bass Fishing Title!

WE MUST PROTECT THIS LAKE! State wins the 2009 Under Armour College Bass National Championship.

Seriously...it's about time we start producing some banners, don't you think? 'Cause State's apparently pretty good at this bass fishing thing.

Let the morons in Chapel Hill howl. Let them call us rednecks or whatnot. But two bass fishing titles in just a few years is pretty dang impressive.

Way to go boys. Here are your final results:

	School	Boater	Partner	Total	Day 3
1	North Carolina State	Will White	Chris Wood	14.54	14.43
2	North Texas	Brandon Dickenson	Austin Hollowell	19.25	6.23
3	Northwestern State	Zach Gagnard	Paul Rini	20.20	3.21
4	Montevallo	Clent Davis	Chuck Holderfield	19.69	0.00
5	Louisiana - Lafayette	Cody McCrary	Justin Barmore	14.76	0.00
6	Oklahoma	Chip Porche'	Mark Johnson	14.12
7	Texas	Trey Epich	Bobby Frey	14.11
8	Alabama	Foster Bradley	Ben Weldon	13.69
9	Stephen F Austin	Allen Coleman	Andrew Upshaw	13.66
10	Florida	Jake Gipson	Matt Wercinski	13.15
11	Truman State	Mike McCarthey Jr.	Ed Kennedy	12.45
12	Missouri	Scott Dooley	DuRon Netsell	10.13
13	Southeast Missouri State	Taylor Gorton	Mike Rains	9.48
14	Arkansas	Taylor Deniston	Mook Miller	9.39
15	Alabama Birmingham	Larry Franks Jr.	Daniel Douglas	9.35
16	Auburn	Paul Davis	Kiron Browning	8.42
17	Wisconsin - Stephen's Point	Casey Kmiecik	Jeremy Seelig	8.37
18	Tarleton State	Chris Michels	Tanner Morgan	7.78
19	Arkansas - Monticello	Daniel Chapman	Phillip Roberts	7.60
20	Arkansas Tech	Kyle Brookshear	Lucas Madison	7.55
21	Delta State	Brandon Baldwin	J.P. Armstrong	7.05
22	Arizona State	Mitch Kistner	Brent Perkins	6.83
23	Clemson	Brandon Cobb	Lancen Halbert	6.71
24	Southern Illinois - Edwardsville	Luke Hicks	Ric Cooper	6.67
25	Murray State	Kalem Tippett	Jonathan Byrn	6.62
25	Arkansas - Little Rock	Trent Gephardt	Brian Duckett	6.62
27	Indiana	Zach Wojtovicz	Jesse Schultz	6.34
28	Western Kentucky	Aaron Bidarian	David Stephens	6.24
29	Drury	Drew Simon	Alex Sahliyeh	6.12
30	Morehead State	Shaun Gallant	Aaron Jones	5.93
31	Henderson State	Hunter Fant	Marcus Greene	5.91
32	LSU - Shreveport	Zach Caudle	Joe Landry	5.76
33	Mississippi State	Harry Halliwell	Bradley Sartain	5.74
34	Texas State	Sean Kubiak	Chris Lochte	4.82
35	South Alabama	Tyler Pitts	Jonathan Pope	3.96
36	Concord	Tyler Webb	Warren Schurdell	3.66
37	Wisconsin - Whitewater	Doug Rosenthal	Jake Menden	3.63
38	Northeastern Oklahoma A&M	Cory Conley	Casey Conley	3.50
39	Faulkner	Kyle Tindol	Michael Eubanks	2.96
40	Eastern Kentucky	Tyler Moberly	Richard Cobb	2.94
41	Tennessee - Chattanooga	Taylor Massingill	Alex Craw	2.61
42	Illinois	Matt Widtman	Kerry Ryan	2.46
43	Tennessee	Nick Tate	Jimmy Reynolds	2.41
44	Louisville	Josh Cole	Matthew Underwood	2.25
45	Kentucky	Brandon Card	Adam Bryant	2.10
46	LSU	TJ Goodwyn	Travis Laurent	1.95
47	Baylor	Jay Holland	Andrew McAdams	1.43
48	Southern Illinois - Carbondale	Mark O'Brien	Jason Mills	1.20
49	Oklahoma State	Bryce Bechtel	Cody Fuller	0.00
49	Brown College	Adam Odegaard	Nathanial Cook	0.00
49	Iowa	Tyler Merhl	Bob Downey	0.00
49	Louisiana Tech	Colton Carpenter	Jarod Brantley	0.00
49	Texas A&M	Paul Manley	Andy Schaffer	0.00
49	Florida Gulf Coast	Tommy Edwards	Noah Grimes	0.00
49	Tennessee - Martin	Jordan Birch	Slayton Gearin	0.00
49	North Alabama	Jade Keeton	Johnathon Nixon	0.00
49	Tennessee Tech	Adam Goodwin	Josh Haskins	0.00
49	Texas - Arlington	Stephen Pineau	Nathan Rusterholtz	0.00
49	Wisconsin - Eau Clare	Brandon Jack	Andrew Gullickson	0.00
49	Texas Tech	Scott Jones	Jake Szot	0.00

View the complete entry of "Hells Yeah! Yet Another N.C. State Bass Fishing Title!"