Technician's Sports Report Card

In Monday's exam issue of Technician, the sports staff did the normal end of the semester grading for spring sports.

Check it out.

N.C. State Athletics Grades

Also, take a look at Taylor Auten's (former Sports Editor) farewell column. He pretty much calls out Charita Stubbs, Lee Fowler and Chancellor Oblinger.

I tend to agree with Auten on most, if not all, of what he says. Some of the stuff that has gone in Athletics during my time in Raleigh is just ridiculous.

Hill, Brown go in 4th round

Andre Brown and Anthony Hill had to wait quite a while to hear their names called in the NFL Draft, but they both got picked up in the second half of the fourth round this afternoon.

Hill ended up getting drafted ahead of Brown, which surprised me somewhat. Hill, who was the 122nd overall pick and the 22nd pick in the fourth round, will be joining his former N.C. State teammate Mario Williams in Houston.

All the buzz surrounding Andre made me think he would go in the late second or third round, but it just didn't work out. The New York Giants made Brown the 29th pick of the fourth round and the 129h pick overall.

I'm glad the two of them got picked up and I think both have the potential to have successful careers. It will be interesting to see how preseason work and training camp go for the duo.

Back in action

I apologize for my absence the last few days. It's the last week of classes in my college career and I've had a ton of work to do. It's been busy.

But I haven't forgotten about posting.

Stay tuned for more very soon.

Reunion coverage coming later

I'm headed out to the practice facility this afternoon to talk to former Wolfpack players for Technician about the upcoming Spring Game and season to get a feel for what these guys think and expect.

Hopefully some big names will be there. Mario, Jericho, Manny and others were there last year.

Taylor Auten (Technician) and myself may get a chance to do some video interviews with some players so check back later for that.

Harper named new women's basketball coach

PackPride Coverage

GoPack Coverage

The new era in Wolfpack women's basketball started officially this afternoon when Lee Fowler announced Kellie Harper as the replacement for the late Kay Yow. 

As I've said before, I like the hire. Harper will do well and won't forget Yow's legacy with the Pack. 

On a more somber note, here's Stephanie Glance's prepared statement about not being hired. 

"I would like to thank NC State University for affording me the chance to be a part of such a fine institution for the last 15 years. I am saddened today that I will not have the opportunity to be the next head coach for the women's basketball program. I would like to especially thank the fans, former players, and coaches from around the country who have sent letters, emails, and made phone calls on my behalf. Thank you sincerely for your support!

"I am MOST grateful for the lessons learned from the legendary Coach Kay Yow! These will stay with me for a lifetime!

"I wish her successor the best."

Reports: Harper to be named basketball coach

I didn't want to jump on the rumor train during the weekend because you never know what Ahtletic Departments are thinking when they are doing job searches, but it seems pretty much a done deal that Kellie Harper is going to be named the women's basketball coach very soon. 

I think this is a good hire for the Pack. Harper is a young, energetic coach who can bring instant enthusiasm and energy to the program. She's done a good job at Western Carolina and the connections to UT make me thing she knows basketball. 

Though some may feel Fowler screwed up this search by not hiring Glance, I think the move outside the program is a good one. A fresh start so to speak...

WRAL Report

The N.C. State Board of Trustees meets on Thursday and Friday and the Wolfpack could be on the brink of hiring Kellie Harper as the Wolfpack’s new women’s basketball coach, WRAL has learned.

Western Carolina confirmed Tuesday that Harper, the Catamounts’ coach, has interviewed for the Wolfpack coaching job.

A source close to the search told WRAL’s Jeff Gravley they were "99 percent sure" Harper's name would go to the board for approval. Harper is a former University of Tennessee guard who won three national titles at the school from 1996-98. Western Carolina reached the NCAA Tournament.

QBs shine in second scrimmage

No surprise here. Russell and Mike dominated the average N.C. State secondary for the second straight scrimmage and make me feel even more confident about our offense this year. 

O'Brien expressed some concern about the offensive line play as of right now, but I think they will get it worked out by summer camp. 

I think the front seven on the defensive side of the ball will be solid despite the lack of depth on  the defensive line. Provided everyone stays healthy, which would be nice for once, things will be fine. The secondary still worries me, but at least I know the offense is going to put up points. 

Toney Baker's health is going to be huge moving into the summer and fall. If he can stay on the field he has a great chance to contribute. He was one of the best high school running backs in the country for a reason, he's talented. I just hope his knees hold up. 

Stats of note:

Russell Wilson 9 of 11, 78 yards

Mike Glennon 16 of 19, 143 yards, 1 TD

Toney Baker 8 carries, 19 yards - 6 catches, 68 yards

Audi Cole 8 tackles, 1 sack

Glance out? Women's basketball search continues...

On Friday, media outlets all over Raleigh reported that Stephanie Glance is no longer in contention for the head coaching position for women's basketball. 

If this is true, Lee Fowler has a very tough job ahead of him. The whole women's job as a whole seems like a lose lose for Fowler and potentially whoever gets the job. 

I thought Fowler would hire Glance right away and end the speculation following the end of the season. Glance seemed like the obvious choice and was Yow's chosen successor so to speak. But the more I thought about it the more I started to believe that the hire just wasn't that easy. If Fowler had hired Glance early and the next couple of years would have gone south, what would have happened at that point? Firing Glance two years into her job would have been tough. That being said, it's surprising me that Fowler isn't hiring Glance. I thought he would make the easy choice. 

Who knows what he's going to do now. He said the decision would come by mid-April and Monday is the 13th, so I expect a decision soon. Hopefully he brings someone in who recognizes the importance of Yow who can also build a new bridge for the program. 

A ton going on...

I'm back in action after a few days off. I was mourning the Tar Heel victory...

There is a lot going in N.C. State news.

First and foremost, TOB signed offensive lineman Robert Crisp, the No. 1 recruit in N.C. for the 2010 class. This is huge for the football program and the 2010 class. I think it proves TOB can get big name recruits in the state and not lose them to the blue school. I've heard that O'Brien has told Crisp he's the best lineman ever recruited by an O'Brien staff. If true, Crisp is the real deal because O'Brien recruited several studs while at Boston College. 

There should be more recruits coming soon with the signing of Crisp. 

In baseball, the Wolfpack picked up a huge victory over UNCW Tuesday evening in Raleigh to give Elliott Avent his 700th win. Wilmington is a solid club and for State to win the game 10-2 is huge for confidence heading through the rest of the season.The Pack have been disappointing so far, but I still think the team has the potential to be pretty good. Only time will tell...

The next big news, probably coming in the next few days, is the John Wall decision. If he ends up in Raleigh I'll be shocked, but very, very happy. A few days ago Wall said he didn't have a leader but I still believe he will follow Calipari to Kentucky. Who knows. I wish an 18-year-old and his decision on where to play basketball didn't have such an impact on my daily routine.

More coming soon...

We're baaack...

What a terrible theme for the Tar Heels. I guess it worked though because they made Villanova look average. 

That tends to happen when you are the most talented team in the country. 

I will be shocked if Carolina doesn't win tomorrow night. Utterly shocked. I think it will be a good game and will definitely not be a repeat of the 35 point whooping from December. But I think the Tar Heels could win by 10, 15 or more without thinking about it. That's not to say the Sparties don't have a chance, they do. But the game will have to go about perfect for it to happen. 

Good thing Michigan State will have a few fans in the stands....

ECU demolishes Pack, 14-4

Technician Article:

The baseball team suffered a 14-4 loss at the hands of rival East Carolina Wednesday night at Doak Field. The Wolfpack (15-13) allowed 11 hits, including a seven run third inning, which allowed the Pirates to gain the momentum. 

GoPack article:

East Carolina’s hot bats burned NC State Wednesday night at sold-out Doak Field at Dail Park.

 

The No. 16 Pirates, hitting .362 on the season, used a pair of three-run homers in the third inning to jump out to a 7-0 lead, and cruised to a 12-4 victory in front of 2,750 spectators in the midweek, non-conference contest.

The baseball team dropped its 13th game of the year last night to ECU and looked about as mediocre as possible doing it. 

I'm truly disappointed in the effort by the team so far this season. I had high hopes before the season and the baseball team has fallen flat so far. 

Oh well...another N.C. State team that falls well below expectations. I guess I should just be used to this by now. I've been a State fan long enough to know how this story goes.