Wolfpack Hopes to Continue Late-Season Push

Last spring N.C. State was looking for a new basketball coach, and one of the men who almost took the job was West Virginia’s John Beilein. He, of course, ended up staying at West Virginia, which I thought at the time was a good thing for the Wolfpack. Make no mistake -- he’s a good coach, but I didn’t think he was right for N.C. State.

The Pack, of course, eventually tabbed their former star point guard Sidney Lowe, which is turning out to be the right choice. He can do no wrong right now.

You can’t really say Lowe is rebuilding the program, because the coach who recruited this entire team, Herb Sendek, did manage to take his last five N.C. State teams to the NCAA tournament.

But Sidney Lowe is rebuilding the fire and passion among Wolfpack fans, and that is as important as anything. For some of the good things Sendek did (and he did do some) he just lacked the charisma and the visible drive that N.C. State fans wanted to see.

Lowe is bringing that, and Wolfpack fans believe that he is going to bring back the championships that have been so lacking the last 20 years. After all, Lowe was as important as just about anyone in that magical State year of 1983. That’s a legacy that inspires the faith. N.C. State fans know that not only does he wear red, he bleeds Wolfpack red.

Winning the NIT tournament would be a start, and it seems to me that Wolfpack fans are more fired up over this late-season run through the ACC tournament and the NIT than the Sweet 16 appearance of two years ago. N.C. State continues its drive to a post-season championship on Tuesday ,and how ironic is that Lowe is taking his team to Morgantown, W.V. to face Belein’s Mountaineers? This is Round 2 between these two.

It was back in early December that N.C. State made its first trip to West Virginia under Lowe, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Engin Atsur would miss his second game with the bad hamstring and the Pack was discombobulated without him, turning it over 17 times and losing it 71-60.

Now, the 20-15 Wolfpack -- winners of five of their last six  -- will get another shot Tuesday against the 24-9 Mountaineers, who believe they should've been an NCAA tournament team. This time Engin Atsur will be in the lineup, and there’s no question the difference he makes.

“He gives us that calming effect and that leadership,” Lowe said.

West Virginia need not look at the tapes of that long-ago first game because there’s no question that the team that will play on Tuesday is totally different from that confused group that showed up in early December. This is no longer a tentative team going through the motions. This is a team whose confidence builds with each game and that now expects to win. They don’t think they can win -- they believe they will win. That’s what a shot of confidence can do.

It won’t be easy. West Virginia is dynamite at home, winning 16 of their 17 home games this season. The Mountaineer fans can be as hostile as any around.

And the Mountaineers will bomb away from the outside, averaging 10.3 three pointers per game.-- second in the nation. In that first meeting, State was just 3 of 16 from behind the arc, while West Virginia was 13 of 28. There’s your game.

This will be a tough game for State. The Pack is a lot better but  I expect West Virginia is too, and they are at home.

But the way N.C. State has been playing -- home, away , everyday -- it doesn’t matter. The Wolfpack is on a roll.

“We’re a much better ball club,” Lowe said. "Just the experience we’ve had the last week has been so valuable. We’ve matured a great deal.”

It will take a mature team to go to Morgantown and win on Tuesday. N.C. State believes they can do that.