CHRONICLING ECU & C-USA SPORTS
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View
from the 'ville
Thursday,
April 13, 2006
By Al Myatt |
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Emerging ground game could
bode well for '06
Soph RB Lindsay may provide a lift
©2006 Bonesville.net
What can you tell when you're playing
yourself?
That's the question coaches are often left
with after intrasquad scrimmages such as East Carolina's Purple-Gold
football game last Saturday.
Coach Skip Holtz and offensive coordinator
Steve Shankweiler expressed their concerns about various elements of
execution afterwards.
The center position was a huge question mark
at the outset of spring and, despite the relocation of Fred Hicks from the
defensive front, it appeared problematic at the Purple-Gold with several
high shotgun snaps that left quarterbacks backpedaling as if to make a fair
catch.
Despite that glaring deficiency, which
Shankweiler vowed to get fixed, there were some silver linings. Foremost
among those was a 100-yard rushing effort by Dominique Lindsay. His talent
was promising in limited action as a freshman last season.
For the developing offensive front to spring
him for triple-digit yardage is a very good sign that the Pirates will be
able to present a difficult-to-defend offensive balance in 2006. To reach
the 100-yard plateau against a defensive unit which has no doubt become very
familiar with the offensive package is highly promising.
Despite a less than brilliant showing last
Saturday, one has to figure the passing game will be productive with senior
James Pinkney at the controls.
There are some promising new receivers,
including converted tight end Davon Drew, to go with proven targets Aundrae
Allison and Bobby Good. A capable running game will just make Pinkney and
the air attack that much better.
Kicker Robert Lee and punter Ryan Dougherty
should be standouts in special teams play.
The defense was effective despite missing some
key players. The final score was 23-15. If the defensive unit can keep
opponents in that scoring range next season, the offense appears capable
enough for the Pirates to win games.
Then again, maybe that's seeing too much in a
scrimmage situation.
The schedule the Pirates will be measured
against next season is demanding. The non-conference matchups are very
attractive for fans but represent a huge challenge for a program that is
still in a rebuilding mode.
"I think we're a long way away from where we
need to be to be able to compete next year," Holtz said.
White shoes for the Pack
N.C. State's baseball team wore white spikes
to Lewis Field at Clark-LeClair Stadium on Wednesday night. It's a fashion
statement initiated by the Wolfpack players and, of course, approved by
Coach Elliot Avent.
The most famous white shoes in NCSU history
belonged to the defensive unit of the 1967 football team which featured
current coach Chuck Amato at linebacker. That State team started 8-0 with a
monumental 16-6 upset of powerful Houston in the Astrodome.
The Wolfpack's white shoes on the diamond
aren't doing too bad defensively, either. State came into its game at ECU
with a .971 fielding percentage. NCSU's baseball media relations contact
Bruce Winkworth says the guys up the middle are exceptional with the
leather.
Despite losing to the Pirates 2-1 in what
turned out to be
a 13-inning endurance contest, the Wolfpack kept its defensive
average pretty much intact. An error by State centerfielder Matt Camp was
the game's only miscue.
State's search continues
Some East Carolina fans say they could care
less about their ACC neighbors, but N.C. State's basketball coaching search
remains a compelling saga.
Wolfpack athletic director Lee Fowler was
0-for-2 on his first two objectives as Rick Barnes of Texas and John
Calipari of Memphis each turned down an offer to be NCSU's $2-million dollar
man.
Both used State's interest to leverage better
contracts with their present programs.
Calipari
reportedly stayed at Memphis for a new deal
that pays him $1.6 million annually, grants raises to his coaching
staff and provides for improvements to the Tigers' practice facility.
Superficially, Calipari appears to have
settled for less than the Pack was offering but Dave Glenn has done the math
and points out that Tennessee does not have the personal state income tax
that Calipari would be subject to in North Carolina, where 8.25 percent of
his check would be taken out.
Already in place for Calipari at Memphis was a
$2.5 million annuity if he stays with the Tigers through 2010. In effect,
that adds about $600,000 annually to Calipari's deal.
It obviously wasn't just about staying with a
Conference USA program with Final Four potential that entered into
Calipari's choice to keep rolling on the river.
History of NCSU hoops hires
Fowler's decision to pursue established high
level college coaches with the lure of big bucks is a departure from the
Wolfpack program's history.
State's modus operandi that predates the
establishment of the ACC has generally been to bring in promising coaches
from lower competitive levels.
Recent departure Herb Sendek came from Miami
of Ohio. His predecessor was Les Robinson, whose previous coaching
experience was at The Citadel and East Tennessee. Jim Valvano's promise at
Iona was discerned by former State AD Willis Casey. Norm Sloan returned to
his alma mater after a stint at Presbyterian.
Press Maravich had head coaching experience at
Clemson but was promoted from an assistant's position at State when Everett
Case became ill to continue at the outset of the 1964-65 season. Case,
regarded by many as the father of ACC basketball, came to Raleigh after
coaching on the high school level in Indiana.
Someone once said that those who don't learn
from history are doomed to repeat it. In NCSU's case, the Pack may be wise
to learn from it — and repeat it.
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02/23/2007 12:30:10 AM
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