Historically speaking, what does regime change for NC State basketball tell us about the program’s immediate prospects and what it might mean for the future? Tough to say, really. It speaks to the futility of existence, but other than that, it’s tough to come to any substantial conclusions.
In the modern era, which I’m defining as Herb right up until now, everyone not named Sidney Lowe has made a positive impact right away—you’d expect this out of any coaching change, obviously. Any coaching change not made by Lee Fowler, I mean.
(*Rtg = KenPom, except in Wade’s case, I’m using Torvik since Ken hasn’t released preseason ratings.)
Mark Gottfried and Kevin Keatts both took the disasters left to them and made the NCAA tournament in year one, an impressive accomplishment. Both ended up washing out in unpleasant runs of incompetence, and they either got the school in NCAA hot water for several years or spent several years using that as an excuse. Both were known, but inexpensive, quantities.
Will Wade is operating within an entirely different paradigm, which thankfully doesn’t involve Lee Fowler but does involve scouts from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The change ahead is going to be substantial, and perhaps unprecedented.