Fl * Techniclvan' Wolfpack Basketball
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* Techniclvan' Wolfpack Basketball ’79-80 Technician Sports Special Monday, November 26. 1979 Sloan’s goal: winning the ACC by Bryan Black were by a solitary point. one of against Hawkeye in practice. and ‘ Sports Editor those in double overtime. one it's really helped Hawkeye was by a lone field goal and four because Donnie's been giving He's expected to win all the others came by respective three. him the best competition he's time in a game in which four. five and six point'margins. seen since he's been here. perpetual victories are virtually With such heartbreaking deci- “And Scott Panych has been impossible. sions as those. maybe the State looking great. With two units Yet he thrives on it—the squad decided that little extra like those. we've been gettingex- pressure. the anxiety, the disap- bit of conditioning. that extra bit cellent competition during scrim- pointment. the exhilaration. the of dedication would pay off. mages. When we scrimmage. anticipation. the anguish and the sliding those decisive lastrsecond there's not a decisive weakness delirium. points onto the Pack's side of the on either ball club." Through it all. though. he’s scoreboard. But does Sloan see Sloan also has four others on said time and time again he his squad as one that cannot be which he can call. most notably a wouldn’t want to do anything denied postseason play this young center who is rapidly ap- else. He loves it. The season? proaching 7-5 named Chuck reason— he's got it all in perspec- “If we don't have a good year Nevitt. tive. and come in last in the con- “Chuck’s going to play some. “When you’re in a conference, ference. I can't see how we'll be but not much.” Sloan explained. your first goal is to try to win the playing anywhere in the post- “He doesn't have the stamina to conference." State head coach season." he said. further citing handle long periods of playing Norm Sloan. in his 14th year as the overall balance of the ACC time. Chuck's definitely improv- the Wolfpack's mentor. and 28th and the country as a whole for ed. and his presence gives us as a head basketball coach. said reasons for not being able to another dimension. It's not the other day. “After that. you make such predictions until a realistic to expect a lot out ofhim just take it from there and hope coach takes his team on the floor. this year. but I think he's really for the best." ' . “I didn't see how that could hap- coming fast though.“- And if anyone would know pen to the team we had last year. State has another pair of about things beyond a conference but it did." guards. .freshman Phil Weber. title. Sloan woufi. He’s been “We had a good basketball who could also see action at the there—the NCAA championship team last year. We lost some point. and transfer Max Perry. a in 1974—something that's been close games. but we beat eight sophomore who won't be eligible beneficial to his career. but teams that ended up in post- until the second semester. _ something State fans are and “Max is in a tough situation.” have been expecting him to‘ season play. The expanded Woflpeckheadlcmhflormlloanhassspeclalfesllngformla ‘NCAA and NIT fields increase making any predictions. Sloan said of his transfer from duplicate: a request which is easy the chances of being in post- year's team. but isn't Oklahoma. “It's going to be dif- to ask but hard to grant. unless season play. but by no means chance to be as good as any team brillance with his s'nakeilike in ficult for him to break in in the that person is some sort of genie would I say that it's a certainty we've ever had here.". side moves. middle of the season." .. or magician. that we'll be somewhere in those So Sloan is indeed optimistic. 0 Craig Watts. the 6-11 center Rounding out the Wolfpack “I know how easy it is to get fields. You just don‘t know about But rather than setting a goal for who so desperately wants to pro- squad is the only non-scholarship fl there. and I know how difficult it those kinds of things until you his club. he cites ways in which ve to people that he’s much bet- player on the team. his is to get there." he said. speaking take your team onto the basket the Pack must be improved over ter than his past performances sophomore Emmett Lay. of the NCAA finals. “To set a ball floor and see exactly what it last season if it expects to attain haveindicated. ' So_ what's going to make this goal of winning the national can do." the national prominence it lacked But Sloan doesn't stop with group click. cause the team-‘ to championship is really While all that may seem this year. those five. dominate weaker teams. give the unrealistic. Things have to fall pessimistic. in truth. it's not. “As far as specific goals for the “Our starting lineup is pretty squad that boost in the close right into place for you to win it. Sloan has been through all this team. we need to be improved on much set." he said “ but we’ve games and allow the .Pack to ex- You have to beat a lot of good before. this pre-season talk. He the boards. We didn‘t think our got some guys who've been look- cel against the high-caliber ball teams to get there. We beat the knows what it's worth—he's rebounding was near strong ing awfully good. clubs? top seven teams in the country ready to test his team because he enough last year. We need to im- 0 Sidney Lowe. the freshman Sloan has just two seniors on when we won the national cham- likes the squad he‘s got this year. prove our defense. too. I think point-guard from DeMatha who's this year's team. and he sees pionship.” No, he won’t make predictions, what will help us there- is our slated for lots of playing time them as his team's guiding The unpredictability of the but does he ever have affinity for depth. Our depth situation has which could also allow Austin to forces. whole situation is probably the the Wolfpack of “79-80. been that we just haven't had move to big-guard on occasion. “We've get excellent leader- main l’eason Sloan doesn't like to “There are some special things any for a while. 0 Derek Whittenburg. the ship in Clyde Austin and make prognostications about his about this ball club." the silver- other freshman guard from Hawkeye Whitney. Those two team. Instead. he'd rather just haired. 68-year-old said with a “But I think this year that DeMatha who showed in the an- guys are just super individuals. take his team and assess it for star-gazing look in his eyes. we're going to have more depth nual Red-White scrimmage that They both have a truly human what it is—a club with veteran "Number one. this team has ab- than we've had for quite some with his jumping and shooting sense of what the whole thing is leadership with a lot of potential. solutely committed itself to con- time. We're hopefully going to abilities. he may be a star of the all about. “I'm quite pleased with the ditioning. This is the finest condi- use 10 players a great deal. I future. “They're both excellent conditioning. the attitude and the tioned team I've had since I've don't believe in platooning. but if 0 Thurl Bailey. the 8-11 leaders. and they complement overall effort of this ball club." been here. I did I could do it with this team. freshman center who's ready to each other so well in that Sloan said. “All the returning Really we've got two good play now if Watts doesn't show respect. They are directly veterans stayed all summer and “Secondly. this team has a cer- basketball teams." improvement over last season. responsible for the team making worked on conditioning. They tain personality to it. These guys He named his starting unit . .. Donnie Perkins. the 6-3 super the effort toward conditioning worked harder in the off-season are just delightful to work with. 0 Clyde Austin. possibly the leaper who can swing from guard itself like it has.” than any team I've had. They As a team. they get along so top point-guard in the ACC. to forward and produce at either And- where's that ‘put the really put themselves through well—with sort of a collective 0 Hawkeye Whitney. the flanr spot. Wolfpack as far as the ACC is quite a vigorous program.” sense of humor at times. I'd just boysnt small forward who has 0 Scott Parsych. the rugged. concerned? Perhaps all the, hard work have to say that this team has all the ability to control a game all big forward who is hoping to “I hope wedon't have one team stems back to last season. one in the talent and qualities to have by himself. establish himself after. an at the top.” Sloan said. “i hope which the Wolfpack came up just an outstanding year.