I’m writing in response to the article, “Fans at a crossroads on Lowe.”. After reading this it leads me to believe that the author doesn’t pay attention to our basketball team. The reasoning why N.C. State should keep Lowe around another season isn’t logical in my opinion.
The idea of keeping Lowe for Brown and Harrow’s benefit is comical. Both players are D-1 scholarship players and have an IQ for the game. Most likely the offense they ran in high school isn’t the same as NCSU’s, which means when they arrived, they had to learn our system. If N.C. State were to bring in a new coach with a new offense, it wouldn’t take much for our players to adapt, but maybe I have more faith in them than some. Also mentioned was the possibility of Wood not having opportunities created for him. I’m pretty sure in any offense, players set screens for their teammates so I’m not worried about his production going down.
As for CJ Leslie entering the draft, my belief is it’d be in his best interest to stay another year and develop his game. Currently Leslie is projected as the 27th best prospect in the NBA Draft by ESPN. Other predictions don’t have him being picked in the first round. The Draft is based on a player’s potential but Leslie has not lived up to his potential and has some growing to do.
Finally, I can’t deny that Lowe knows how to recruit talented players, but developing them is another story. Bringing in a 5 star recruit is no good if the coach can’t develop and prepare them for ACC play. I’d rather have a coach that may not deliver the top players but can build a team. There’s a difference between having 5 guys on the court vs. 1 team and that’s been an issue for State for years now.
State fans have an unnecessary need for instant gratification when it comes to athletics. Before we “get back to the glory days,” we must first lay the foundation. A fresh face could be what the Wolfpack needs to finally start rebuilding our program. It’s going to be several years before we’re national contenders. Right now the focus should be contending consistently in the ACC. Lowe had his chance. It’s time to bring in someone new instead of subjecting our program to another losing season.
Brian Cox
senior, Spanish language and literature