NC State

[sufandu]

Sports Illustrated (@sportsillustrated) on Threads

DJ Burns has been hitting the gym since the end of NC State's season

www.threads.net

Wonder why he waited so long to start putting in the work. He wasn't just overweight. His conditioning was terrible. There have been other fat guys that have played basketball that have been able to stay on the court and run around. I've never seen a guy walk so much on a basketball court. If I were a team, I'd be concerned that once he gets payed and doesn't have the carrot dangling in front of him, he'd let himself get out of shape again.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Wallace picking up that ticky tack third foul right before halftime really came back to bite us. We were only down three when he fouled out. And, we let freshman Ron Mercer go off for like 22 pts, which didn’t help. Dude couldn’t miss that game. If JDubs doesn’t foul out, who knows?

Also, Sims hurt his wrist, I think it was. The lead got expanded when he went to the locker room, and they never realistically got back into it after that.
(Edit: Self pat on the back for me. From the article that follows:

• The Orangemen (29-9) were able to mount a comeback under the most difficult of circumstances, with Lazarus Sims, their point guard, playing with an injured left wrist. John Wallace scored 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting and had 10 rebounds. Burgan scored 19 on 7-of-10 shooting. But it was the frustration of Sims, who suffered the injury in a collision with Anthony Epps with 13:38 to play, that made the Syracuse task that much more difficult. "We had to get to Sims," Pitino said. "Make him tired, get him exhausted and get him working. We had to cut off the interior, but we had to pressure him. And certainly any time you get him out of the game, it's a big factor."
  Sims, in his previous five tournament games, had earned 39 assists with 20 turnovers. Tonight he had 7 assists and 7 turnovers, and when he went to the sideline, his left arm dangling at his side, the Orangemen temporarily lost their structure. As Sims had his lower arm wrapped tightly, in hopes of a return, the Orangemen began a streak of five turnovers on their next five possessions, a stretch that allowed the Wildcats to build their 13-point lead.
• Kentucky vs. Syracuse (April 1, 1996)

  www.bigbluehistory.net

 

[General20]

Also, Sims hurt his wrist, I think it was. The lead got expanded when he went to the locker room, and they never realistically got back into it after that.
(Edit: Self pat on the back for me. From the article that follows:

• The Orangemen (29-9) were able to mount a comeback under the most difficult of circumstances, with Lazarus Sims, their point guard, playing with an injured left wrist. John Wallace scored 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting and had 10 rebounds. Burgan scored 19 on 7-of-10 shooting. But it was the frustration of Sims, who suffered the injury in a collision with Anthony Epps with 13:38 to play, that made the Syracuse task that much more difficult. "We had to get to Sims," Pitino said. "Make him tired, get him exhausted and get him working. We had to cut off the interior, but we had to pressure him. And certainly any time you get him out of the game, it's a big factor."
  Sims, in his previous five tournament games, had earned 39 assists with 20 turnovers. Tonight he had 7 assists and 7 turnovers, and when he went to the sideline, his left arm dangling at his side, the Orangemen temporarily lost their structure. As Sims had his lower arm wrapped tightly, in hopes of a return, the Orangemen began a streak of five turnovers on their next five possessions, a stretch that allowed the Wildcats to build their 13-point lead.
• Kentucky vs. Syracuse (April 1, 1996)

  www.bigbluehistory.net

They had no other PG on that team and couldn't handle the press without Sims. Before he got hurt SU had all the momentum. Very real chance they are national champs that year if he never gets hurt.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

They had no other PG on that team and couldn't handle the press without Sims. Before he got hurt SU had all the momentum. Very real chance they are national champs that year if he never gets hurt.

I cannot agree more. If you could find the audio from the sports talk show that was in Syracuse back then, you could hear me telling the hosts SUbwould be better with Sims than Michael LLoyd. I was a big Sims fan. If he got to include the hockey assist in his totals, he would have set records. Always made the right pass to open things up. Also, seemingly always made big shots.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

They had no other PG on that team and couldn't handle the press without Sims. Before he got hurt SU had all the momentum. Very real chance they are national champs that year if he never gets hurt.

Would likely have been one of the top 2-3 upsets ever, based upon the caliber of individual talent on the teams.

 

[General20]

Would likely have been one of the top 2-3 upsets ever, based upon the caliber of individual talent on the teams.

Could make a very convincing argument that Kentucky team is the best college basketball team of all time. What did they have? 10 or 11 pros. 3 or 4 NBA all Stars.