Inside Look: The Greatest Show on Earth

(‘Inside Look’ is our newest column written by former Wolfpack manager Tyler White. Tyler attended NC State from 2009 to 2013 and worked with the basketball team as a student manager and as the head student manager his senior year under Coach Gottfried’s staff. He currently works at SouthTech Orthopedics while also doing financial advising on the side.)

Coach Gottfried has always said the NCAA Tournament “Is the Greatest Show on Earth!” I was lucky enough to have a front row seat with the NC State Basketball team during my four years as a student manager. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience the thing that Coach Gottfried has talked about since his arrival on NC State’s campus.

One of Coach Gottfried’s greatest talents is his ability to create a belief within his teams. I saw it my junior year when he was in his first season with the program. I will always remember his whiteboard discussions right before each practice. Basically he would list goals and words of wisdom. Sometimes they didn’t have anything to do with basketball but life. Sometimes it would be simple for example, “Enthusiasm” would be written on the board. He would then talk about how important enthusiasm is in reaching your goals.

During his first season we saw a transformation in many of the players that he inherited from Coach Lowe. One thing that he preached was how he was giving everyone a blank slate. This was much needed for many of the players. It created competition and trust between the players and the coaching staff. Gottfried brought a new swagger that we could compete with anybody and win. He along with the help of Debbie Yow upgraded the practice facility to reflect the rich history and tradition of NC State Basketball. He also upgraded the locker room and training rooms. All of these improvements were geared towards the Greatest Show on Earth, The NCAA Tournament.

I remember my junior year like it was yesterday. We would be gathered as a team and Coach Gottfried would take a moment to tell us about the NCAA Tournament. He would highlight the facts of how everyone fills out brackets, how everyone tunes in, what it was like to win the National Title in 1995 when he was on UCLA’s staff, how it is bigger than the Super Bowl. I will always remember the look in his eyes, you could tell that the NCAA Tournament was holy ground for him, dating back to his time as a player at Alabama, and his past coaching jobs. Coach Gottfried lives for the NCAA Tournament. His passion rubs off on his players. That’s a big part of the reason why State is headed back for the third straight time. It’s a big reason why NC State has been to the semi-finals of the ACC Tournament in each of his three seasons on campus.

I am sure the feelings of each of those players that were in the lounge of the Dail Center were very similar to our feelings while we watched the Selection Show in 2012. We were all nervously watching and waiting for our names to be called. As each bracket was announced tension grew until it was finally announced that we were headed to Columbus to play The Aztec’s of San Diego State. Pure joy and happiness erupted throughout the room. Players were jumping and coaches were cheering on tables. At that moment all of the hours and work didn’t seem like work at all. It was the start of a great journey that continued until we lost a nail bitter to the Kansas Jayhawks in the Sweet Sixteen.

I can assure you all one thing, and that is that Coach Gottfried will make sure the players understand just how great of an opportunity awaits them. I know for a fact he doesn’t take it for granted. I also hope that we as fans don’t take it for granted. Going to the NCAA Tournament for three straight years is a great accomplishment. It is the steps that our program must take to restore our rich history and tradition. No matter what happens on Tuesday at 9:10 in Dayton, Ohio we are a part of the Greatest Show on Earth, and no one can take that away from us.

Given my knowledge of our coaches I am confident in their ability to prepare our players. To quote Coach K, “I wouldn’t want to face them.” As we continue to put the team and the name on the front of the jersey ahead of the one on the back, there is no telling how far they can go.

The leadership of Jordan, Tyler, and TJ will be key. All three have experienced the tournament and know what awaits them. Everything is heightened in the NCAA Tournament. Coaches are going to be pouring through film on Xavier. They will be constructing scouting reports. Time is everything especially as we play on Tuesday night. As for the players they will begin watching film as well. They will begin to prepare themselves mentally and physically.

The most important thing for our team is to continue to play hard and as a unit. They must also take advantage of each possession. If we can do these things I am confident there is a plane waiting to take us to Orlando.