THE FACTS: Basketball season tips off tonight at 7 p.m., with the men’s basketball team predicted to finish last in the ACC.
OUR OPINION: Be prepared to be surprised. Despite the disappointment of last year, the Cardiac Pack team of old may be back for the 2009-2010 season.
It’s jump ball time for Wolfpack basketball as the team hits the court tonight at 7 p.m. And while the experts pick N.C. State to finish last in the ACC after a terrible 2008-2009 campaign, you may be pleasantly surprised this season.
Considering the basketball program’s history, there is reason to be optimistic in spite of a disappointing season last year. And preseason picks mean next to nothing – just look at the football team, which was expected to compete for the ACC title.
Historically, the basketball team performs best when under pressure or counted out. The “Cardiac Pack” nickname exists for a reason: consider the 1983 team under the guidance of the legendary Jim Valvano. The team silenced all naysayers with a stunning victory in the national championship, leaving Jimmy V to run around the court looking for someone to celebrate with in the annals of college basketball history. And don’t forget Sidney Lowe’s first season as head coach – the team delivered a resounding victory over UNC-Chapel Hill and made it to the ACC finals.
Gone are the days of prima donna players who hurt the basketball team’s efforts at cohesion as they put their egos before winning and competing for 40 minutes day in and day out. Now, with the new recruits Lowe has brought to the program, the team hopefully will focus less on individual players and start playing as a competitive force in the ACC.
This year should mark a return of such play, evidenced not only by the departure of several me-first players but by the uncertainty of any starting lineup – when even the keystone position of starting point guard is up in the air, it’s easy to see that this team can go far this season.
Fans, do not despair – as we have seen from the up-and-down football season, there is no reason to view preseason picks as the final say on how athletic teams will perform.
Cautious optimism is a prudent attitude for fans to have this basketball season, as you never know if the Cardiac Pack will shock every basketball analyst.
