good article from local paper
good article from local paper
It's all business for Pack
N.C. State coach Herb Sendek is trying to keep his team concentrating on the game at hand, tonight's match with Wake Forest, not a second-place standing in the ACC.
State focuses on Wake, not 5-2 ACC record
By CHIP ALEXANDER, Staff Writer
N.C. State had just won at Maryland for the first time since 1989, beating the Terps 81-69 Sunday and gaining another precious ACC road victory.
But Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek didn't fire a fist into the air when the buzzer sounded. The players didn't stomp about, thump their chests, run wildly onto the Comcast Center floor.
"We didn't want to celebrate, except a little in our locker room," said Wolfpack senior guard Scooter Sherrill. "We know there's still a lot of the season to play, that Maryland will be coming to our house later, so we didn't want to show them up.
"We just wanted to win. And we want to get Wake Forest next. That's our approach."
The Wolfpack is a team that quietly goes about its business, much like its coach. It's not in the top 25 and doesn't get much national attention. People outside the ACC probably have heard of junior Julius Hodge, but the other N.C. State players may be just names in a box score to them.
But with the ACC season reaching the midway point, with the Wolfpack facing 16th-ranked Wake Forest tonight at a soldout RBC Center, the Pack is 5-2 and second in the league behind Duke.
The Demon Deacons? They've been ranked as high as fourth in The Associated Press poll, but are a more modest 4-3 in the ACC.
North Carolina? The ballyhooed return of Roy Williams to coach the Heels had the UNC faithful salivating, but the 17th-ranked Tar Heels are 3-4 after their loss at Clemson on Saturday.
Georgia Tech? The 15th-ranked Yellow Jackets once were third in the national polls, but are 4-4 in the ACC, with a loss at State.
Tech had the early national splash, but if there's a surprise team in the league, it may be be the Pack. If there's a coach who seems to be gaining an additional measure of respect -- from more ACC fans, from more Wolfpack fans -- it's probably Sendek.
"You gain respect, [you] don't just get it given to you, and Herb now is a veteran coach in the league," NCSU athletics director Lee Fowler said Tuesday. "I really like the way he and the staff have handled this team. Like all teams, sometimes you miss some shots and sometimes you may have too many turnovers. But Herb has this team playing to its strengths."
Sendek already has the respect of his brethren, the other ACC coaches.
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser this week called Sendek "a brilliant tactician," and others say much the same.
"They've beaten us three times in a row and I marvel at how well he has his teams prepared," Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said of Sendek. "His teams are always sharp. He doesn't need me beating his drum, but I think he's an excellent coach.
"Defensively, they're always prepared. Very rarely do you call a set and his staff doesn't have it down and can relay to their players how to defend it. They're well-prepared for all situations."
The Pack (12-5) has had tough non-conference losses at Michigan, South Carolina and Boston College. But State is 10-0 at the RBC Center, and the Wolfpack has followed up each of its five losses with a victory.
"To Herb's and the team's credit, they have been able to rebound," Fowler said. "When they've had a bad game or lost a game, they've been able to regain their focus quickly. Sometimes, with bad losses, players can get down on themselves. But this is a veteran team.
"I hope they keep the attitude that the season ain't over till it's over, that the only thing that matters is the next game -- that business-like attitude."
The Pack's 68-66 loss at Carolina last week stung, Sherrill said. But one loss didn't lead to another.
"Carolina hurt because it was a game we felt we should have won," he said. "But we looked ourselves in the mirror, got back to work and won [at Maryland]."
Asked what the Wolfpack gained from the Maryland game, Sherrill said simply, "Confidence, confidence, confidence."
The victory may have done that, but it wasn't enough to thrust State back into the polls. Not that Sendek, a here-and-now kind of coach, seemed to mind.
"What's important is that our guys refocus and have complete attention on the next game," he said. "Our minds need to be on Wake Forest."
But, he was reminded, the Pack is 5-2 in the ACC.
"We've played some good basketball but we have a lot ahead of us," he said.
But the Wolfpack now is well-positioned for a run at another NCAA Tournament berth ...
"We have to stay true to ourselves, keep focusing on the next game and try to get better," Sendek said.
No need to celebrate yet.
