At this time last year, N.C. State had just started practice with new head coach Sidney Lowe, had lost star center Cedric Simmons to the NBA and was projected to finish at the bottom of the ACC by more than half the voters in the conference's preseason poll.
"I didn't like [being picked last] at all," Lowe said.
Last year's squad surprised many, however, as it went on a tear in the postseason and upset Duke, Virginia and Virginia Tech in the ACC tournament before falling to UNC in the title game. The streak continued in the NIT, where the Wolfpack defeated Drexel and Marist before dropping their quarterfinal matchup by five to eventual champion West Virginia.
With the addition of a stud freshman class to the 2006-2007 squad, Lowe has much more to like, and it's not just in the rankings.
Although N.C. State lost a major backcourt presence in Engin Atsur to graduation, it more than makes up for it in the post with its freshmen, center J.J. Hickman and power forward Tracy Smith, ranked third and 18th at their respective positions by scout.com.
In addition to Hickman and Smith, the Wolfpack bring back Brandon Costner, Gavin Grant and Ben McCauley to form one of the most dynamic frontcourts in the ACC. Hickman is expected to occupy the block most often, as he plays with his back to the basket better than any of the other low-post players.
As a result, Lowe can finally look at the rankings with pride, as his squad was selected third in the preseason ACC poll behind UNC and Duke and ranked 21st in the AP poll.
"I told our guys its great because it's someone else saying that they think we're a great team," Lowe said. "I think we just have to make sure we do what we did last year."
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