On the campus of N.C. State, sports may be the most talked about topic as students make their way to classes. And with the basketball season starting, predictions for the team and the upcoming season have begun to be talked about. But, it seems in these conversations the general consensus for the student body is that the team is going to be horrible this year.

I ask myself, “Why do the student body and the media believe this?”

Is it because the team went 16-14 last year and finished ninth in the ACC? Is it because the team was an almost unanimous pick for last in the ACC this year in the preseason polls? Or is it because the team lost its three top scorers from last year’s team?

I know all these questions may look as if they are negative toward the team, but I ask you to look at it in a positive way.

Yes, the Pack went 16-14 in the ACC last year, but it also played in the toughest conference in basketball; that included two games against Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest, all of which were ranked No. 1 at one point in the season last year.

Look at the NBA draft this past year: there was a total of seven players in the ACC that were drafted in the first round and two more were drafted in the second round. There will be a harsh reality check for most of these teams with the loss of many of their key players, and soon.

Carolina lost its four top scorers, Wake lost its top two scorers and Duke, Miami and Florida State each lost one of its best players from the year before. So, the level of play in the ACC is going to be a lot lower than it has in the past few years, with fewer dominating teams and a more level playing field, giving the Wolfpack just as good of a chance as any team to make a splash in the ACC.

So, if it is not how the team finished last year that is making people’s outlook for the team this year dismal, then it has to be the fact that the preseason polls have picked us to finish last in the ACC. As we all know, preseason polls are about as reliable as Coach K going a game without complaining. Just two years ago, the ACC predicted State to finish third in the ACC, but as we all know the team ended up going 15-16 on the season and finished second to last in the ACC.

Even with these predictions, I wonder why the media and students are so down on N.C. State this. In the final nine games of the season, junior center Tracy Smith averaged almost 14 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Also, both point guards Javier Gonzalez and Julius Mays showed flashes of brilliance last season, with Gonzalez’s 18 point game against the Tarheels and Mays’ game-winning three against Miami and 18-point game against Maryland in the ACC tournament. And if these players and others, such as C.J. Williams and Farnold Degand, can continue to improve from last season under coach Sidney Lowe then this team can compete in the ACC.

Another positive is that the incoming freshmen, guard Scott Wood, forward DeShawn Painter and forward Richard Howell, once he recovers from injury, are expected to make an immediate impact this year.

Okay, if it is not the preseason polls causing the negativity, then it has to be losing the top three scorers from last season, in Ben McCauley, Brandon Costner and Courtney Fells. But in my opinion it’s good riddance; long gone is former head coach Herb Sendek’s Princeton-Style offense and with the exception of Dennis Horner, his players are long gone.

I’m sure countless fans wanted to pull their own hair out in frustration last year after witnessing lackluster and selfish play from those three players night after night. All three of the players never really bought into Lowe’s system, clashing with Lowe and, in one case, his recruit in J.J. Hickson.

So, instead of looking at losing these three players as a negative, look at it as a positive. The Pack now has players who are committed to Lowe and his success, and buy into what he is preaching and trying to accomplish.

Overall, I believe that this team is going to perform well above everyone’s dismal expectations. Lowe is taking this team in the right direction and with the way in which he is bringing in national talent, this program is headed down the right path.

So, a final request: let’s hold off on all of the negativity and give this team a shot to prove it can not only play in the ACC but win in it.