QB Harrison Beck Will Not Return for '09

Coach TomO’Brien just held a press conference for today’s signings.  He also spoke a little about the team heading into Spring Practice.  Here are some quick notes:

-Darrell Davis underwent minor shoulder surgery last week, but should be more than ready to go for spring practice.

-QB Russell Wilson will have another MRI on his knee the last week in February (8 week mark) to make sure everything is healing properly.  Wilson injured his knee in the Papajohns.com Bowl December 29.

-DT Jamain Clemmons is graduating in the spring and will not return to the team.

-QB Harrison Beck is graduating in the spring as well, and will not return to the team.  Beck was recently engaged and wants to pursue a career other than football.

-2007 phenom WR Donald Bowens had knee surgery today.  The injury stemmed from a basketball game in Carmichael Gym a few weeks ago.  O’Brien did not give a timetable on his return or any word on the severity of the injury.

-WR Geron James, a member of the 2005 class from Ashley HS in Wilmington, will transfer.  He will most likely transfer to a Division II school.

WR Donald Bowens Had Knee Surgery Today

*-denotes enrolled at NC State for the Spring 2009 Semester

1. *Sam Jones (OL): Chatham (VA) Hargrave Academy – 6’5″ 300 lbs

2. *Nathan Mageo (DT): Roswell (NM) New Mexico Military Institute – 6’4″ 290 lbs

3. *Donald Coleman (S): Princeton (NJ) The Hun School – 6′ 205 lbs

4. *James Wasington (RB): Orlando (FL) Boone HS – 6′ 180 lbs

5. Tyson Chandler (OL): North Planfield (NJ) North Plainfield HS – 6’6″ 340 lbs

6. Ryan Cheeck (LB): Lancaster (OH) Lancaster HS – 6’1″ 240 lbs

7. Brian Slay (DT): Ashburn (VA) Stone Bridge HS – 6’3″ 280 lbs

8. Chris Ward (P): Fayetteville (GA) Starrs Mill HS – 6’1″ 170 lbs

9. Camden Wentz (OC): Marietta (GA) Lassiter HS – 6’3.5″ 280 lbs

10. Morgan Alexander (WR/CB): Cartersville (GA) Cartersville HS – 5’10.5″ 170 lbs

11. Anthony Talbert (TE): Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods HS – 6’4″ 230 lbs

12. Rashard Smith (CB): Dublin (GA) Dublin HS – 5’10″ 180 lbs

13. AJ Ferguson (DE): Southport (NC) South Brunswick HS – 6’3″ 250 lbs

14. Jarvis Byrd (CB): Pahokee (FL) Pahokee HS – 5’10″ 170 lbs

15. Deion Roberson (DT): Tucker (GA) Tucker HS – 6’2″ 275 lbs

16. Quinton Payton (WR): Anderson (SC) T.L. Hanna HS – 6’4″ 190 lbs

17. Asa Watson (TE): Rock Hill (SC) Rock Hill HS – 6’4″ 200 lbs

18. Duran Christophe (OL): Woodstock (GA) Woodstock HS – 6’5.5″ 257 lbs

19. Sylvester Crawford (DE): Charlotte (NC) Northside Christian Academy – 6’4″ 225 lbs

20. Dean Haynes (CB): Tunnel Hill (GA) Northwest Whitfield County HS – 5’11″ 180 lbs

21. Denzelle Good (OL): Gaffney (SC) Gaffney HS – 6’6″ 320 lbs

22. Hans Rice (LB): Eufala (AL) Eufala HS – 6’3″ 205 lbs

23. Everett Proctor (QB): Fayetteville (NC) Jack Britt HS – 6’2″ 200 lbs

24. Raynard Randolph (DT): Brandywine (MD) Gwynn Park HS – 6’3″ 300 lbs

25. Rickey Dowdy (LB): High Point (NC) Central HS – 6’2″ 230 lbs

26. Darryl Cato-Bishop (DE): Groton (MA) Lawrence Academy – 6’4″ 250 lbs

27. Brandan Bishop (S): Boca Raton (HS) Boca Raton HS – 6’1″ 200 lbs

28. Bryan Underwood (WR): University Heights (OH) Cleveland Heights HS – 5’9″ 165 lbs

Stay tuned for more Signing Day coverage, including who could make an immediate impact in 2009.

Johnny Thomas Played Above the Rim

The Eagles were actually within 9 before Johnny Thomas threw down a massive alley oop that stemmed the tide of the game.  The Pack would go on a 16-0 run (what?) and not look back from there.  Thomas played his best game of his career so far, scoring 9 points.  But why didn’t everyone?  The Eagles actually stormed out to a 10-2 lead.  Yes.  The North Carolina Central Eagles and their 2-22 record were winning the game 10-2.  Jamar Briscoe looked like Pistol Pete out there for NCCU.  He finished with 28 points.  I was hoping for a confidence-bossting type performance from our gurads, but alas, the mighty Eagles had better guards than us!  Farnold Degand looked like early-season Farnold Degand with a barrage of turnovers.  It looked like he was out to prove something and just tried to do too much.  If he settles down and runs the offense, like the 3 previous games, he’ll be fine.  If not, the Pack will struggle to win another conference game.

The Big  3 of Costner, McCauley, and Fells thankfully showed up to play, however.  Here were the lines: Costner – 25 pts, 13 rbs, McCauley – 17 pts, 12 rbs, Fells – 15 pts, 9 rbs.  The crowd was by and large lethargic as well.  Announce attendance was 10,888, but there couldn’t have been more than 6,000 max.

NC State will try to improve on it’s 2-5 conference record Sunday when it travels to Blacksburg to face the suddenly-slumping Hokies.  Look for a full preview Saturday.

NCCU SR G Bryan Ayala

Let’s face it, the Pack should roll tonight.  They’re ticked off and hungry coming off an emotional loss to rival unc-ch last Saturday.  I feel this year’s team is better than last year’s, and the Pack rolled to a 54-29 victory last season over NCCU.  NC State’s guards will have to look out for SR G Brayan Ayala and FR G Jamar Briscoe.  Ayala leads the team in scoring and assists, and Briscoe leads all Eagle bench scorers.  He even dropped in a freshman school record 34 points at Duquesne earlier in the season.  Opposing fans even gave Briscoe a standing ovation for his efforts in the loss.

Ben McCauley and Brandon Costner should control the paint against this team.  We should see solid production out of Tracy Smith also.  NCCU has no one that can control the paint, and while their guards are decent, they certainly aren’t ACC quality (our ours?).  This is the worst team the Pack has or will face all season.  It’s only won two games; at home against Texas Pan-American (77-71) and Central State (74-68).  It’s lost games to Florida Gulf Coast, Chowan, Maryland Eastern Shore, and Savannah State.  We should win by confortable 25-35 points.  It’s really all about effort in this game.  If that’s there, the Eagles won’t last until halftime.

Check back in tomorrow for an Observation entry about tonight’s game.  GO PACK!

Really?  More debauchery from the assholes down the road?  Will it ever end?

After the game against the fairies Saturday, students from “America’s #1, Bestest Evar!!!!” university came to campus and defaced a large Kay Yow Memorial Mural on Central Campus, near the Free Expression Tunnel.  Amongst other things, fairy-blue painted slogans like “cancer rules,” “screw Yow,” various profanities, and even a fairly blue moustache on Kay Yow’s image were on the mural.  Luckily the incident has been documented through over 100 photos and the process was started to clean up the area.

Are these guys for real?  Aren’t daddy’s Beamers and butt plugs enough?  You have to come disgrace a monument to a beautiful woman who gave so much to the world, not just NC State University.  Classy.  I’m really speechless.

McCauley Was Right for the Foul

Look, I don’t have much to say about this game.  What can you say?  In all honesty, I thought NC State played a tough, well fought game against a team that just has too many weapons for the Pack to handle right now.  Our turnovers were minimal; we shot well from outside; Lawson didn’t totally control the game like I though.  But the biggest thing was we did not quit.  That was exciting to see.  In maybe the first time in the last 2 years, a Sud Lowe coached team was beat up physically and metally during the stretch of a ballgame, and did not fold.  That bolds well for the future.  NC State just doesn’t have a closer, or go-to guy right now.  But as long as the team keeps this newfound “never say die” attitude, and Lowe continutes to recruit well, the future is bright for NC State basketball.

But onto the biggest story of the day, my dislike for unc-ch and their actions.  I try to be fairly objective when writing and observing, but I just can’t with unc-ch.  I am complimentary of the skill of their players, but that’s about as far as I can go.   Bobby Frasor and Mike Copeland’s actions at the RBC Center with 1.3 seconds left to go were quintiscential unc-ch and personified why I hate that cesspool over in Orange County.

Click here to watch Copeland act like a supreme douchebag.

unc-ch has the game won.  There are less than 5 seconds remaining in the game.  They have the ball and are up 15.  Instead of doing what 99.8% of the rest of the country would do (hold the ball, run out the clock, give the ball to the ref, and walk out with a big W), Bobby Frasor channels his inner Steve Nash as our players are standing around waiting for the final buzzer.  Frasor zips a pass into Copeland who, amazingly, tries to go up for a dunk with 1.3 seconds left.  Why?  God knows.  The only people who do that are arrogant asshats who try to show up other teams.  Hell, did we try to score another TD in kenan stadium last Fall?  Nope.  We felt 41-10 was enough.  I guess he didn’t think 91-76 was enough (still not the bbal equivalent to 41-10…which I think would be something like 100-12).  So yeah, the arrogant asshat tries to throw one down.  Ben McCauley takes offense, which he should, and fouls Copeland hard across the head.  Showing his ghetto style once again, Copeland comes up like he’s gonna hit someone.  Really?  You want to hit someone?  With 5,000+ students still in their seats near midcourt you want to hit someone?  And don’t tell me the 10 security guards are gonna stop 5,000 drunk kids from hunting you down on the court.  I don’t even have a word for this.  POS doesn’t even begin to describe that place and what they stand for.  I now have a new level of hatred stemming from this incident.  Another chapter in this rivalry complete.  Kudos for Ben McCauley for not giving up on his team of University, and also kudos to huckleberry hound (gulp) for sending Copeland to the showers (contrary to what everyone thinks, Copeland was not ejected by the refs).

“From our perspective, their fans are kind of crazy, a lot of country guys over there.  They’re pretty harsh; they speak their mind, they say whatever comes to mind, they try to hurt your feelings, and it’s probably one of the toughest places to play.

“You’ve got the wolf howling in the background, which is kind annoying. And then when they run out, one time I got hit by one of the batons when they were swinging the flags — I got hit with one of those in the head; that was kind of annoying, too. It’s a tough place to play with all of the fans in the crowd; they get into it.”

Is this dude for real?  “A lot of country guys over [here]?”  HA!  Sorry we can’t all take up 2 parking spaces in our 2010 Beamers and Range Rovers and break out Chardonnay at every chance like at unc-ch sporting events.  We like to drive big trucks, loud cars, and drink whiskey.  So what?  So there are a lot of bigots at unc-ch.  I don’t call you out on it.  Your students do that for you.  Reference last season when, after losing to Maryland (see picture below), your students shouted at F James Gist to “go back to the ghetto!”  And yes, that was verbatim.  But that’s just the “Carolina Way;” biggotry and hypocrisy.  It stems back from the Nose’s days as head coach.   But nooooo, we’re the racist rednecks over here, right?  I’ll just have to make sure I down a few more shots of good ‘ol White Lightnin’, break out the dirty jeans and boots, and take a few extra pieces of straw to chew on for the game Saturday.  Hell, I might even order chicken fried steak, cornbread, and collard greens at the new barn (RBC).  Would that make him feel OK?  Wait, he was making fun of us.  I’ll just bring some watermelon, fried chicken, and Nugrape to make him feel at home.

Let the Whining Commence

MEMO TO DANNY GREEN: Remember to bring your water buckets!  We haven’t figured out those new found “water machines” yet.  And lace up your old Chuck Taylors tight, you’re gonna be in for a dogfight Saturday!

How Can You Not Love This Guy?

Let’s face it.  The game Saturday will be a monumental task for State to win, maybe even hang close.  But on another note, the Pack has been playing it’s best ball of the season of late.  PG Farnold Degand has been superb the past 2 games, dishing out 14 assists to just…..wait for it….2 TURNOVERS!  Amazing what a reduction in turnovers can do for a team.  I have a few things that worry me in this game:

1)Depth: NC State just does not have the depth to hang on with a team the caliber of unc-ch for 40 minutes.  I feel the Pack will start out hot, maybe even hold a slight lead at halftime.  But Ben McCauley will walk onto the floor for warmups with 2 fouls.  He may as well just sit until the start of the 2nd Half.  Tracy Smith works hard down low, but I’m concerned about the length the heels have down low, especially FR F Ed Davis.  I swear that kid’s arms drag the ground when he’s walking.  And when Horner goes in, well, I mean who can he guard?  Hansbrough will eat his lunch, Davis is too athletic, and Thompson will (if he’s smart) will take him down low.  Also at the PG spot, I’m concerned about what FR Julius Mays can do against Tywon Lawson.

2)PG Play: A recurring theme, but something that has to have been dealt with in depth this week.  unc-ch will look to push the ball.  That’s there game.  If they shoot 40% for the game, who cares?  They don’t.  It’s all about the number of possessions.  The more, the better.  Eventuall that will wear out opposing teams and the heels take control about midway through the 2nd Half.  I thin Degand can do a decent job on Lawson, but can he hold up for 40?  I touched on this above, but what about Mays?  I think he is the key to the game (along with Fells’ status) ultimately.  If he can come in and provide qulaity minutes and provide a spark for the 2nd Unit, I feel better about our slim chances.  Turnovers cannot happen.  Degand needs his excellent play of the past 2 games to come through again Saturday afternoon.

3)Pace: Like I said, unc-ch likes to get out and run.  When on offense, NC State must control the game, just like 2 years ago when Engin Atsur brilliantly ran the offense (where is that guy now?).  If the heels want to get out and push, fine.  Let them.  Just get back on D and control tempo on offense.  Regardless of the lineups and “paper” dominance unc-ch seems to posses, whoever controls tempo will win this game.  Mark that down.  NC State needs to be opportunistic on scoring chances off carolina’s press and needs to control tempo on the halfcourt.

This is a game that, on paper, should be over after 10 minutes.  It is a rivalry, however, and that will play into State’s favor at home.  One thing that does piss me off though is the fact that tickets were still available to this game earlier this week.  Great.  The team sees no support, we can’t get up for our biggest rival, and the upper deck will be filled with pansy blue Taco Bell drive-thru employees.  Just what we need.  Not to mention the companies that have LTRs in the lower level that will undoubtedly commit the ultimate sin and give them away to their unc-ch supporting cleaning crews from the office.  C’mon State fans!  Get off your ass and get crazy for the Pack!  We need to creat a hostile environment and try to get inside their heads.  I’m a little fired up already, sorry.  It just pains me to see the Wolfpack faithful give up so early on this season.  Even if we stink from here on out, keep supporting the team!  We have a great class coming in next year and in 2010.  We will be in the upper eschelon of the ACC sooner than later.

Turn the Tower Red!

I’ll refrain from predicting this game.  It doesn’t look good on paper for the Pack, but it didn’t 2 years ago either when the Pack beat the heels with basically a 5 man team.  And even one national sportswriter is picking State over unc-ch.  To quote the immortal phrase from Disney’s Angels in the Outfield, “Hey, it could happen.”

Charting Big-Eyed Tuna

Deep Thoughts
Saturday marks the annual trip of the tar heels to the RBC center and I for one could not be more excited.  My disappointment lies when I look to the Daily tar heel (unc-ch’s newspaper) and there appears not one story about the upcoming game. Instead headlining the sports page is a story about some old lady (who of course she her and her husband did not attend unc-ch, big surprise there) about how she has been whoring herself up since 1973 with blue eyeliner and blue mascara, anyways basically a joke.

Where is the game preview? On the contrary, the Technician has published the Daily Tar Hell, my personal favorite.  Personally I was hoping for large pictures of Tyler with his 5th grader braces, but alas no such luck. I also propose a drinking game for everyone watching at home: every time an announcer calls Tyler psycho T, or talks about his will, you have to take a drink; you’ll be drunk by halftime. Who gave him that name? I bet he gave it to himself and sent it into newspapers as a self promotion gimmick. I googled it. A wiki entry comes up, so I had to take a look. Nothing to poke fun of, although it did say his jersey will be retired, which I think is ridiculous. You’re not even done playing and your number will be retired. Wow. What an honor, when that day comes I hope those bug eyes pop out of socket in surprise. I think he should take over Ben Steins job as the clear eyes guy. He must
use something to take the red out from not blinking the entire game. Just a thought. As usual I think unc-ch is overrated and does not deserve to be ranked 6. They barely won against Fl. State, and lost to super awesome Boston College. To be ranked 6 you need to blow out these teams! Hmm… you’re right that already happens. I hope state pulls out a win. And that the students in the student section stay for the entirety of the game.

Wow, good stuff there.  Preview coming later in the afternoon.