As N.C. State blew a lead and a game Thursday against Maryland in the ACC tournament, Arizona State was beating Arizona 68-56 in the Pac-10 tournament.
The Sun Devils are coached by Herb Sendek, formerly of N.C. State. Sendek had a few things working against him when he led the Wolfpack. He refused to admit that beating North Carolina was more important than beating, say, Maryland. He used big words when he didn't have to. And he didn't own a tomato red N.C. State blazer.
His system was unusual. He filled his lineup with wings who could shoot, pass and go to the basket. He failed to become a fan favorite in Raleigh. He was an outsider and remained an outsider, even when his team won.
Despite his success turning a mediocre Arizona State team into a winning one, N.C. State fans do not complain about letting Sendek get away. They wanted him to leave. Yes, he won games. But those victories did not come against North Carolina or Duke.
Fans are, however, complaining about Sendek's successor, Sydney Lowe. A Wolfpack player has a bright moment and disappears to the end of the bench. Stars sit. Scrubs became temporary stars. But instead of building on their momentum, they sit for a half or a game or a week. N.C. State is the only team in the ACC tournament whose players still are wearing name tags.
Maybe Lowe, who does own a red blazer and who did play ball for the Wolfpack, eventually will figure it out.
As happy fans of the Sun Devils will attest, Sendek already has.
This NC State fan never wanted Sendek to leave.
Posted by: Ed | March 13, 2009 at 09:16 AM
Writers/People either refuse to say it, or don't realize, that Sendek has completely CHANGED his offense at ASU. That is a big reason why he is being successful. Yes, he still would be winning some with his usual Princeton formula, but he finally has conceded that his formula is not right for everyone (Harden). He never took advantage of Josh Powell or Cedric Simmons, two big men who could have excelled. Instead, they never had plays run for them yet still impacted games. Did Sendek ever call a timeout and diagram a NEW play? Were there ever modifications to game plans DURING the game? We'll see about ASU once Harden leaves.
Posted by: matt | March 13, 2009 at 09:30 AM
"The failed to become a fan favorite in Raleigh." yay for grammar!
Posted by: Jenny | March 13, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Brilliant observation. Lowe changed everything about his team/offense last year for Hickson - how'd that work out for you? Ruined all the chemistry and momentum he had going into last year and never recovered.
Posted by: anon anon | March 13, 2009 at 09:51 AM
It kills me how all of these Sendek/NC State/Arizona St. articles imply that ALL NC States fan wanted Sendek gone. That's not even remotely true but I suppose its convenient when writing a fluff article like above.
Bottom line, Sendek left NC State own his own free will. As a State fan I was sad to see him go.
Posted by: Jimmy | March 13, 2009 at 10:01 AM
sid lowe has a better ACC record through his first three seasons than herb did. sid also has three seniors who were nothing if not inconsistent.
i know it's excuse numero uno among sid supporters, but it hits the nail on the head: SID LOWE NEEDS A ROSTER OF HIS OWN PLAYERS. tracy smith looks good. javi gonzales looks good. cj williams will be an upgrade over fells next year. and the two freshmen from the atlanta area - howell and brown - will contribute.
here's what sid lowe needs to do in the offseason, i think:
1. tell brandon costner to pack his bags and thank him for helping him win 3 games in the 2007 acc tourney.
2. reevaluate what the staff learned when they trimmed the rotation. whatever philosophy they were evoking, it proved its worth.
3. recruit another big man for 2009. they keep talking about international students, perhaps some 7-footer from australia.
4. be sidney lowe. he's a young, developing coach with a lot of upside. he's proving to be a top-shelf recruiter, and when his offense works, it works against anyone. you give sid lowe the athletes that roy williams works with, the head-to-head match ups wouldn't be close.
Posted by: tlk | March 13, 2009 at 10:03 AM
I'm so glad Sendek is out of Raleigh. By the way, it is Sidney not Sydney. Get your facts straight. Also, this Wolfpack fan is not complaining about him.
Posted by: wolfpacker | March 13, 2009 at 10:29 AM
You have to be kidding me, right? Did you purposefully misspell his name S-Y-D-N-E-Y or are you really that out of touch?
The mispelling speaks volumes for your credibility on the subject matter.
Maybe a more apropos title would be, "Tom Talks, Nobody Listens".
Posted by: Jim | March 13, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Sendek was a mastermind designing plays that ended in a last second 30 ft. three point shot.
Posted by: RGee | March 13, 2009 at 11:20 AM
You mention "He filled his lineup with wings who could shoot, pass and go to the basket". That last part is laughable. NCSU only had players who could jack up 3's, and would maybe get a backdoor layup once a game.
Posted by: Charles | March 13, 2009 at 11:34 AM
There's a fact that NEVER gets written about mainly because many writers outside of the Triangle don't have a clue about the culture at NC State. The fact is that many were pleased with Sendek and the fact that he ran a clean program, had a nice streak of NCAA berths, and was a very likable guy.
I liked Sendek and told him so more than once during his latter days. The truth is that a vocal minority wanted Sendek gone.
But, don't let the facts get in the way, Mr Sorensen.
Posted by: Ken in Chapel Hill | March 13, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Tom, Tom, Tom.... a change was due for both parties, and we Wolfpackers have moved on. Even Herbie has changed his prideful game philosophy after realizing that it didn't work in the long run to reach higher levels. Why not just write about what most people care about in this area, The Firing of Matt Doherty and the "Joy That Roy Brings" instead? That would get more interest than drumming up the Sendek years.
Posted by: Mark Allison | March 13, 2009 at 12:02 PM
What is with the media's fascination with the Sendek / Post-Sendek comparisons? Sorensen, you are typically an insightful writer that I enjoy reading...this piece really makes me lose some respect for you. Sendek was mediocre at best...he had his chance and State needed to move on. Sidney Lowe may not be the answer, certainly, but inferring that getting rid of Sendek was a mistake...wow, that is ignoring a lot of painful facts.
Posted by: tb | March 13, 2009 at 12:05 PM
I am still amazed that there are NC State fans out there that wanted to keep Sendeck. Just because your players don't steal stereos or switch price labels on Kmart merchandise is no reason to keep a coach who could do no better than average or slightly above for 10 years. No championships of any kind is not what any college program should strive for, and that is all NC State got with Herbie. AND, while we all love Sidney Lowe for his brilliant play in 1983 and the fact that he is a Wolfpacker through and through, he was not the "name" coach that NC State was looking for 3 years ago and unfortunately has not been able to achieve much during his 3 years at State. Apparently, though, our AD is not able to hire a proven college basketball coach, and is able to keep his job regardless.
Posted by: PackPanther | March 13, 2009 at 12:48 PM