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NC State Falls To #25 Mizzou 68-64

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10 years ago

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#25 Missouri 68 – NC State 64
Box Score

Mark Gottfried Postgame Audio


TJ Warren finished with 24 points and  13 boards while  Dez Lee added 12, but it wasn’t enough as Missouri’s dynamic duo, Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown combined for 38 points in Missouri’s 68-64 come from behind victory.

The Wolfpack seemingly controlled this entire game until Missouri reeled off an 11-1 run late in the second half. While State led throughout this one, Missouri never let the game get away from them. They stayed within striking distance the whole game and finally broke through with 6 minutes left, when Jabari Brown buried a 3 to finally tie the game. From there it was back and forth until Brown knocked down another 3 with less than a minute to go followed by Cat Barber missing the front end of a one and one. After 2 Jordan Clarkson free throws and a poor shot by Ralston Turner, the win was sealed for Missouri.

Let’s take a deeper look into why NC State fell apart in this one:

– TJ Warren finished with 24 points and 13 boards, but he didn’t score over the final 12 minutes. That was the decider in this one. When Warren isn’t scoring, NC State state struggles to put up points. It seemed as if TJ was either a little tired, or just settling for jumpers, but he wasn’t working to get easy buckets like he was in the first half. Also, credit Missouri for making things really tough on him in those final 12 minutes.

– 57% from the FT line. That’s pretty much unacceptable. I know these guys work on free throws every practice after sprints to mimic the fatigue they feel during a game, so I’m not really sure what this was all about. Guys you wouldn’t expect to knock them down, like Tyler Lewis and TJ Warren, missed them. Cat Barber missed a very crucial one and one down the stretch that really hurt NC State.

– Speaking of Cat Barber, he had his worst game as a college player. I think he was thrown off a bit after he got 2 quick fouls and sat almost the whole first half. It really took  him out of rhythm and he just didn’t look like himself. He did finish with 6 points and 6 assists, but he just wasn’t very aggressive and he struggled shooting the basketball where he was only 2-11.

– This team has trouble with the zone. Missouri is the first team NC State has faced that has been big, strong, quick and also sat back in a zone. State struggled against the zone early in the season, but lately has played better against it. Missouri, however, was able to stop dribble penetration and limit passes to the interior of the zone. This made the Pack settle for a lot of 3s,  and that is not their strong suit. State shot only 28% from 3 point range. TJ Warren hurt the Pack here, going only 1-7 from beyond the arc.

Even though this was a loss for the Pack, it’s good to remember that this is a young team that is still learning. Every game is a learning experience. With that said,  let’s take a look at some ‘bright spots’ from the game:

– Dez Lee had an amazing first half. Lee scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half and was all over the floor. He was hitting 3s, finishing on the break and really holding down Jabari Brown on the defensive end. In the second half Lee sort of disappeared. He wasn’t as aggressive and didn’t really force the issue. Lee is still new to this level and is doing his best to fit into his role. I think a more aggressive Lee makes NC State a much better basketball team. Dez needs to step up a little more and take control when things get rough. He’s got that kind of talent.

– Kyle Washington broke out. I think we finally got a taste of why K.Wash was being so heavily recruited by schools like Florida and Ohio State. He was in the zone in this one, scoring 10 points, all in the 2nd half. Washington flashed a nice midrange jumper and a soft lefty hook. He also flashed some serious confidence and passion down the stretch. Remember, this kid is still a freshman who is coming into his own. Seeing him have a game like this is a huge plus going forward for the Pack.

– Overall, NC State played really well against Missouri. This was the #25 team in the nation and the Wolfpack could have easily walked away with a victory. I think this was a great learning experience for this young team and it will certainly help them going forward. Missouri has some of the best guards the Pack will see all season and they held their ground. State was pretty dominant for the first 30 minutes of this game, they just need to learn how to step on a team’s throat when they have them down.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Mohamed Diarra Will Not Return to NC State for Final Season

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1 day ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.

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Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.

Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.

Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.

The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross.  Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.

With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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2 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) has announced his commitment to NC State!

 

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This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining. With James’ commitment, NC State currently has 1 scholarship available for next season.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill is on a Visit to NC State

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) confirmed with me that he is currently on a visit at NC State.

Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons this season. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #78 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

According to a source, the NC State Coaching Staff is extremely high on Hill, and they are recruiting him as a Point Guard.

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NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.

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