It probably wasn't more of a blip on your sports radar, but Brandon Costner is leaving NC State and entering the NBA Draft.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel a bit sorry for NC State. Growing up in Charlotte, State was actually a good program. They had a championship head coach in Jim Valvano and routinely were near the top of the ACC standings. UNC-NCSU games used to be epic.
That was nearly 20 years ago. Since then, State has had a few grasps at the ACC's gold ring but haven't been able to sustain it. They had a good thing with Herb Sendek but treated him like crap and watched him bolt for Arizona State. That was unheard of that the head coach of NC State would leave for a Pac-10 school with a limited hoops history.
They brought in Sidney Lowe to replace Sendek. Lowe hadn't been in college sports since winning the 1983 national championship with the Wolfpack. He had been in the NBA in a variety of roles and was the head coach with Vancouver/Memphis and Minnesota. His head coaching record in the NBA? How is 79-228?
His first season saw State make a nice run to the ACC title game. Since then it has been all downhill. His once team-on-the-rise has crumbled around him. Last year, he netted a huge recruit in J.J. Hickson. Hickson was great in his lone season in Raleigh but he didn't really fit in with his teammates. Not to say he was a problem or anything, it is just Lowe did a poor job of incorporating him into what the team was trying to do.
One of those guys who suffered was Costner. In Costner's freshman season, he was a stud and became the toughest guy to match up against during their late season run of 2007. When Hickson got there, Costner was lost. I've watched enough Wolfpack games to see that Costner has regressed as a player. He's a more consistent shooter than he originally was but he has lost of lot of everything else.
I think this may be the beginning of the end of Lowe in Raleigh. He's a good guy who tries very hard but I don't think it is working. What big time recruit will take a risk of going to State when (a) he didn't really do much for either Hickson or Costner or (b) no one knows how long he will stick around. What big time player wants to be overshadowed in his own town by what North Carolina and Duke are doing? Who wants to take a beating from those McDonald's All Americans that the Heels, Devils and Demon Deacons roll throught Tobacco Road?
It will be interesting to see what State will do next. How long is Lowe's leash? And if they do let him go after next season, what will be their next move?
Remember that they flew John Calapari in for a look-see a couple of years ago (Memphis made sure he need not look for other employment. Imagine a Triangle with Roy Williams, Coach K and Calapari? Wow!!! Maybe a guy like Xavier's Sean Miller (the Pack got Sendek from Miami-OH)?
Whatever they do, they need to do something. NC State used to be the cream of the the ACC in the 1950s and stayed very, very relevant through the 60s, 70s and 80s. Part of me wishes they'd come back.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel a bit sorry for NC State. Growing up in Charlotte, State was actually a good program. They had a championship head coach in Jim Valvano and routinely were near the top of the ACC standings. UNC-NCSU games used to be epic.
That was nearly 20 years ago. Since then, State has had a few grasps at the ACC's gold ring but haven't been able to sustain it. They had a good thing with Herb Sendek but treated him like crap and watched him bolt for Arizona State. That was unheard of that the head coach of NC State would leave for a Pac-10 school with a limited hoops history.
They brought in Sidney Lowe to replace Sendek. Lowe hadn't been in college sports since winning the 1983 national championship with the Wolfpack. He had been in the NBA in a variety of roles and was the head coach with Vancouver/Memphis and Minnesota. His head coaching record in the NBA? How is 79-228?
His first season saw State make a nice run to the ACC title game. Since then it has been all downhill. His once team-on-the-rise has crumbled around him. Last year, he netted a huge recruit in J.J. Hickson. Hickson was great in his lone season in Raleigh but he didn't really fit in with his teammates. Not to say he was a problem or anything, it is just Lowe did a poor job of incorporating him into what the team was trying to do.
One of those guys who suffered was Costner. In Costner's freshman season, he was a stud and became the toughest guy to match up against during their late season run of 2007. When Hickson got there, Costner was lost. I've watched enough Wolfpack games to see that Costner has regressed as a player. He's a more consistent shooter than he originally was but he has lost of lot of everything else.
I think this may be the beginning of the end of Lowe in Raleigh. He's a good guy who tries very hard but I don't think it is working. What big time recruit will take a risk of going to State when (a) he didn't really do much for either Hickson or Costner or (b) no one knows how long he will stick around. What big time player wants to be overshadowed in his own town by what North Carolina and Duke are doing? Who wants to take a beating from those McDonald's All Americans that the Heels, Devils and Demon Deacons roll throught Tobacco Road?
It will be interesting to see what State will do next. How long is Lowe's leash? And if they do let him go after next season, what will be their next move?
Remember that they flew John Calapari in for a look-see a couple of years ago (Memphis made sure he need not look for other employment. Imagine a Triangle with Roy Williams, Coach K and Calapari? Wow!!! Maybe a guy like Xavier's Sean Miller (the Pack got Sendek from Miami-OH)?
Whatever they do, they need to do something. NC State used to be the cream of the the ACC in the 1950s and stayed very, very relevant through the 60s, 70s and 80s. Part of me wishes they'd come back.
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