The facts: Starting unranked this season, the Wolfpack made it to the semi-finals of the ACC Tournament and earned the No. 11 seed in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament, beating No. 6 San Diego State and No. 3 Georgetown to make it to the Sweet Sixteen.
Our opinion: For what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Wolfpack , we’ve had a very successful year in comparison to the last five seasons.
We lost. We lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Kansas. With the determining score coming down to the last shot of the game, we lost. However, any Facebook and/or Twitter user would be able to tell you the students of N.C . State were not upset with their team’s loss, but rather excited for the Wolfpack’s success this season.
Our past seasons brought nothing but disappointment to the Wolfpack . Under former coach Sidney Lowe, we made it to the ACC championship game in 2006, only to lose to UNC-Chapel Hill. We were given a spot in the NIT, only to lose in the third round. The final blow was the unfortunate 2010-11 season, leading to Lowe’s resignation.
With Lowe’s resignation, a glimmer of hope could be seen in our new coach, Mark Gottfried ; however, many fans didn’t expect this success until future seasons. Fans settled for what so many, including this publication, called a “building year” this season. But the fact we have gotten farther this season in the NCAA than we have in the past seven speaks to the success of this so-called “building year.”
While Lowe would recruit talented players, the lack of structure led to the disappointing seasons in his era. As the Wolfpack’s head coach, Gottfried has proven himself by helping to affirm a sense of structure. We still have room for improvement-particularly in free throws-but the good news for fans is, it looks to be sooner rather than later.
Many fans were upset over poor officiating in the ACC games-especially in the UNC game-but the truth is, players had ample chances to not foul as much in the earlier half of the game, so it wouldn’t have to come down to a final call. This type of behavior is on its way out, and our current players and coach, along with our recruits, will be able to reinforce the foundation laid down this year.
Gottfried has recorded the second-best season by a first year coach at N.C . State, the first being Everett Case. His results have been his claim to fame at N.C . State; however, the players must also be given credit. Their determination and ability to adapt from this coaching transition has truly helped this season’s success.
In any case, the Cardiac Pack is back, and the other side of the good news- UNC has seniors Tyler Zeller and Justin Watts leaving after this season and Harrison Barnes likely to leave for the draft, leaving them vulnerable to the Wolfpack’s prowl in the upcoming seasons. Overall, this season was a success for the Wolfpack ; we’ve proven ourselves a team to be watched out for.
