ACC Roundup

State's victory over Michigan was nothing short of remarkable. With
Engin Atsur only getting six minutes due to injury, and forced to play Brian
Nieman (who?) for 31 minutes, State nonetheless controlled the game from start
to finish, holding off the Wolverines' final rally to preserve victory.

More importantly than the upset, two major things happened in the game.

First, Sidney Lowe established himself. Make no mistake, this was
highly unusual. You don't win with six men, none of them a big man or a
point guard. You don't win with your best guard injured and out most of
the game.

But secondly, this was a transitional week for State. After the fall of
Chuck Amato, the idea held by some that State was no longer a basketball school
and had become a football school is over. Amato took care of the first
part of that. But Lowe took care of the second part.

Lowe has reconnected State basketball with the past. For all his
intellect, Herb Sendek was, in the end, a grind, and never fully understood N.C.
State.

State never really understood him, either, and certainly never accepted him,
for better or worse. He left embittered, which is understandable.

But for State, Lowe's thin bunch offered a glimpse at a different vision of
State basketball: passionate, confident, played with a flair.
Players aren't looking over at the coach, fearful of making a mistake.
They're not being regulated into oblivion.

They are playing basketball, which, really is a pretty simple game, and
they're playing it in a way which is bound to delight the Wolfpack
faithful. Kudos to Lowe.

After the game, Monte Towe said he had an "oh, snap" moment.
Either he's been wathching Miss Spider Sunnypatch again or doing some creative
editing.

• Pack
  wins despite Atsur's injury
• State
  wins fifth in a row
• Illini
  hope to gain recognition vs. Maryland
• U
  of I point guard ready to show up Maryland
• Next
  State coach needs substance, not style
• Terps
  ready for Illinois and a hostile environment
• Unbeaten
  Terps Just Playing Their Game
• Nice
  Speech: Davis says all the right things
• Big-game
  feel to be welcomed by FSU