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NC State Basketball

Is the win over Maryland a Turning Point for NC State?

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With TJ Warren a late scratch due to a sprained ankle, it was Ralston Turner who picked up the Wolfpack and carried them to victory over Maryland.

After a sloppy first half that had state shooting 22%, they calmed down, got focused and made a stand. Junior Ralston Turner went on an amazing stretch, hitting five 3s in the second half and finishing with 23 points and 7 boards.

Here is ‘our take’ on the Wolfpack win.

– Without Warren, the team was forced to reinvent themselves.
This game could end up being a blessing in disguise. Without Warren to bail them out on 1/2 of their possessions, this team had to trust one another, step up to the plate, and make some plays. The defense, the poise, and the teamwork were on full display in the second half when NC State made their run that won them this ballgame.

– Cat Barber is becoming a point guard.
First off, I know I’ve been hard on Barber in some of these columns, but I think he’s going to be an elite point guard in this conference and I think he was focusing too much on the wrong things. Tonight he started slow, but really controlled the game in the second half. He took smart shots, used his quickness to get in the lane and find open men, and he picked his spots like a true PG. With that said, I think you also have to credit Mark Gottfried. You have to be absolutely out of your mind if you’re one of these people on the forum calling for this guys head. He’s a winner and showing all the signs of being a great coach. He made the move to go exclusively with Barber (which I felt was a mistake not easing Lewis out, but that’s what he did), but instead of stubbornly leaving Cat in there to work through his mistakes, he’s lately been very quick to sub him out and teach him a lesson before putting him back in. He’s coaching this kid, he’s molding a scoring guard into a point guard and it’s starting to show.

-Ralston Turner was white hot.
Turner put on a display that even Scott Wood would be proud of. Here is a guy who teammates were saying could lead the team in scoring. Former players told me that when he’s hot, Turner shoots as well as Wood. I thought it was all hype. I thought that Turner was a good shooter, but wasn’t at ‘takeover’ level. I was wrong. Turner single-handedly won this game for NC State by hunting down his shot and burying it in defender’s faces. I think you’re going to see Gottfried try to work Turner into the rotation a little more, giving him another scorer to compliment TJ when he gets back.

-Dez Lee was in ‘lockdown’ mode
Turner provided the offense, but man, Dez Lee was a monster on the defensive end. This kid plays textbook defense. He’s down in a stance he knows the scouting report on his man and follows it perfectly. He goes over ball screens when he needs to and under them when there’s no threat of an outside shot. Lee still hasn’t gotten his offense going at the level we think he can, but his defense is elite level. He’s strong, he’s quick and he’s very smart with his positioning. He absolutely put Maryland’s lead scorer, Dez Wells on lock. Wells was frustrated all night and could only muster 2-11 shooting for 10 points. Lee was co-player of the game alongside Turner. Check out the interview with Lee and Turner…

-Bigs working themselves out
I think you’re seeing a coming of age for NC State’s bigs. Anya is transitioning to a more prominent role and Kyle Washington is becoming more of a scorer. Freeman is also making huge strides offensively. When these things start really clicking, teams are going to need to start writing these guys into the scouting report.

-Tell me again that this team doesn’t love their coach….

Next up is GT, Sunday at 1pm.

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NC State Basketball

An NC State Win Over Marquette in the Sweet 16 Would Be…

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Awesome. Obviously.

#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette tomorrow night in the Sweet 16. What would a win mean for the Wolfpack? Many things, but here’s just a few:

It would give NC State 25 wins on the year (25-14), which would be the most wins since 1982-83, when the Wolfpack went 26-10, winning the National Championship.

It would mark the 12th time in school history that NC State has won 25+ games in a single season.

1982-83 – 26-10 

1973-74 – 30-1 

1972-73 – 27-0 

1954-55 – 28-4 

1953-54 – 26-7

1952-53 – 26-6 

1950-51 – 30-7 

1949-50 – 27-6 

1948-49 – 25-8 

1947-48 – 29-3

1946-47- 26-5

It would be the 7th time NC State has advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.

1950

1951

1974

1983

1985

1986

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NC State Basketball

NC State has Won 5 ACC Championships this Year

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NC State has won 5 ACC Championships this year, which is the most of any athletic program in the conference this year.

The Wolfpack has won ACC Titles in Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Men’s Basketball and Gymnastics.

The last time NC State won 5 ACC Championships in one year was 1979-80.

As far as I can tell, here’s a look at the Wolfpack Conference Titles from 1979-80:

Football
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Cross Country
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Men’s Tennis

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NC State Basketball

NC State is 1 of 4 Schools to Have Both Men & Women’s Basketball Teams in Sweet 16

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NC State is 1 of 4 schools to have their Men and Women’s Basketball teams BOTH advance to the Sweet 16, along with Duke, Gonzaga and UCONN.

NC State and Duke are the only two schools in the country to send both Basketball teams to the Sweet 16, and also send the Football team to a bowl game.

This marks only the third time in school history that BOTH teams made the Sweet 16.

Years NC State’s Men & Women’s Teams Made the Sweet 16

1985
1989
2024

Despite the fact that the Men’s team has made the Elite 8 six times (1950, 1951, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986), and the Women have made it 2 times (1998 & 2022), in the three occasions they both went to the Sweet 16 in the same year, neither team advanced to the Elite 8.

In 2024, Why Not Us?

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NC State Basketball

#3 seed NC State Holds on Against #6 Seed Tennessee, Defeating the Vols 79-72 to Advance to the Sweet 16

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#3 seed NC State held on last night, defeating #6 seed Tennessee 79-72 in Reynolds Coliseum to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 5th time in the last 6 tournaments.

The Wolfpack led by only 1 after the 1st Quarter, but they looked like they had things under control at halftime, leading by 18 points.

At one point, NC State led by as much as 20 points in the 3rd Quarter, but the Lady Volunteers weren’t about to give up.

With 4:19 left in the 4th, Tennessee cut the lead to 2 points, but NC State might have bent, but they wouldn’t break.

Junior Guard Aziaha James led the way with 22 points and 7 assists, which were both team highs. She scored 7 points in the final 3.5 minutes, helping to squash tue Last Vols’ comeback attempt.

Junior Guard Saniya Rivers had 20 points (6-14 FG) and 6 boards.

Freshman Zoe Brooks was clutch off the bench, chipping in 16 points and 6 boards.

This marks the 16th time the NC State Women’s Basketball team has advanced to the Sweet 16.

The Wolfpack will play #2 seed Stanford on Friday night at 7:30pm on ESPN in Portland.

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