NC State basketball is bad and I have a feeling its going to get worse. ‘How, we just got spanked by the last place ACC team?’ you ask, well let me tell ya how I see it.

We stink right now, 15-12 overall and 4-9 in the ACC. As I see it, we have two scenarios for this year and 2009.

Best Case Scenario
-we win out beating FSU, Duke and Wake, finish regular season 18-12 and 7-9 in the conference. Respectable
-we make a run in the ACC tourny a la 06-07 and end the year on a high note, expectations are raised again for 2009 as they were for 2008.
-Julius Mays (3-star) and CJ Williams (3-star) come in and are able to contribute significant minutes, shoring up the much maligned guard spots for the Pack.
-Degand gets healthy and learns to shoot
-Johnny Thomas gets healthy and contributes
-Gonzo keeps improving
-JJ Hickson decides to put off the NBA for another year.
-Costner sticks around and decides to be a team player AND gets his shooting stroke back
-Fells passes up the NBA for his Sr year
-Marques Johnson gets cut and goes to play for ECU.
-Sidney Lowe gives up the NBA offense and decides to teach defense and hustle. Maybe he hires this guy
- We finish 2008-09 season in the top 5 of the ACC, showing improvement across the board and make it to the NCAA tourney.
Things look good.

My pessimistic but highly-likely scenario
-We lose out, finish 4-12, most disappointing season for the Pack in a long time.
-Lose the Les Robinson Invitational (ACC Play-in game)
-Hickson goes pro
-Fells goes pro (he’s got the NBA game, dont be surprised when he gets drafted, maybe 2nd round)
-Costner rumors are true and he transfers.
-Degand and Thomas are slow to recover
-Gonzo doesnt learn to shoot, dribble or pass.
-Marques Johnson and Fergie are our starting backcourt.
-Our starting lineup is PG Johnson, SG Fergie, PF Smith, C McCauley, SF Horner (Mays, Gonzo, Degand, Thomas coming off the bench)
-Mays and Williams are not good enough to make a difference (and by every “Guru’s” analysis, this is true, neither one is going to be an impact player)
-Sidney Lowe adapts the Princeton offense
-We finish bottom of the ACC with a similar record of 4-12
-Fowler signs Lowe to a 5-year extension
-Arizona State wins the National Championship. (ok thats a reach but that would be the dagger in Wolfpack Nation’s collective heart)