My tournament experience can be summed up by two words: “bleeding red.” My bracket is covered in red, showing every pick I chose that consequently cratered. I’m about played out for the tournament bragging rights.
The other way I’m bleeding red is due to the fantastic defeat the Wolfpack handed Connecticut tonight. The Pack played a superb game, not backing down from the Huskies even after they made a late-game rally. I’m so happy that Juluis Hodge gets at least one more game in a Wolfpack uniform.
I’m also hoping all the Herb Sendek naysayers give the coach some credit. The Wolfpack is playing its best basketball right now, exactly when it should be. Herb knows how to win in the Tournament. I’m expecting a couple more wins before its all over.
Ok, hold on…I was/am a naysayer. Until this year, how many NCAA Tournament wins has Herb had in his career? Including Miami of Ohio, in 11 years (not including this year) Herb has won three tourney games. How is that knowing how to win in the tournament? His ACC tourney record is impressive but that’s not what you were alluding to.
Look, you saw me cheering on the pack and you didn’t hear one bad word even when we were starting to choke but I still have issues with Herb’s coaching. It’s taken him nine years to get to this point. That’s almost a decade. I give money to the Wolfpack club (I believe you do to) and feel it’s important to express my concerns over the use of my cash.
All Herb has to do is win and keep winning and all of us will shut up but for people to act is if we have no reason to be concerned over the direction of the program and that everything is hunky-dory and then call us out as if everything is perfect and good now is just plain wrong. We’re fans too and fans who have stuck by Herb (I’m not saying you Mark) don’t need to flaunt this win as some sort of vindication for their loyalty. I’m loyal too but maybe in a different way then they are. Capeche? (That’s for you, Mark, to help you brush up on your Italian. 😉 )
Getting it off my chest,
ScootDawg
Sorry, had to
Ok, then, let’s suppose you’re right and things aren’t hunky-dory. What’s wrong with the program? The Wolfpack is one of sixteen teams still playing basketball. What’s wrong with that?
2003 Third Place in ACC
2004 Second Place in ACC
Herb Sendek Coach Of The Year
2005 Advance to Sweet Sixteen for first time since 1989
Have you forgotten the dark days before Herb got here? The program was in tatters after Valvano got the boot. Les Robinson put the program on the right footing but couldn’t recruit and got shown the door. Sendek comes along, beats top-10 teams, consistently hauls in top-rate recruiting classes, and puts us in the NCAA Tournament again. So that’s not progress?
I’m not sure what direction you think we’re headed in, but it sure looks like up to me.
As for Herb winning at tournament-time, I was including his time as an assistant at Kentucky and his Wolfpack ACC Tournament experience. True, he hasn’t won many Wolfpack games in the NCAAs, but March Madness isn’t over. And no matter where it ends this year, we’ll be back.
Mark
P.S. Scoot, I love you, man. I know you’re a true Pack fan. We just happen to disagree about this, s’all.