Connect with us

NC State Basketball

Wolfpack Basketball Getting Early Start This Year

Published

10 years ago

on

Don’t look now but this week officially kicks off the start of college basketball season. Does it seem abnormally early? Well yes it does, this is the earliest that the NCAA has allowed teams to begin practice. I remember when I was a part of the program; October 15th marked the official start to the season. However I think it’s a good thing that the NCAA is allowing the teams to get a head start. Not only does this give the coaches more time to implement their strategies, but it also gives the players more time to develop and gel with each other. Overall it should improve the product that we as fans see, especially early in the season.

In past time I remember the pains of the early games and the quality of teams to start the season. Many games would be plagued with turnovers, fouls, and low shooting percentages. However recently with the NCAA loosening their grip on coaches and the amount of practice allowed, teams have been more prepared and enjoyable to watch. Now I know what some people are thinking, this just adds to the already long season for the athletes. But the added time actually gives the coaches the ability to give athletes more days off to recover and absorb the information that is dumped on them.

As for the Wolfpack, look for a different look, or actually an earlier look. Last season proved to me that Coach Gottfried was willing to adjust to fit the strengths of the team that he had. He didn’t force certain aspects of the offense on them, he allowed the players to run a more basic form of the UCLA high post attack. Last season we were not as balanced as we were in the previous two seasons offensively. In Coach Gottfried’s first two season we had 4 to 5 players all average right around 10 to 14 points a game, personally I believe that is what Gottfried prefers. However last season we were short on scorers, luckily we had the BEST scorer in the country in TJ Warren to bail us out and shoulder most of the scoring load night in and night out!

This season I would bet that there would be 4 or 5 players averaging right around double figures. As always Coach Gottfried loves to run and attack in the break, but look for more execution out of this bunch than last year. Experience in the frontcourt will be a major reason why. Last season the only big that had any experience in the high post offense was Jordan Vandenberg; the others had to learn on the fly.

BeeJay, Kyle, and Lennard all have had one full season and a full offseason to improve. You will see them look much more comfortable in the high post, making reads and feeding each other in the low post. This is when the offense becomes nearly unstoppable. As you have the posts players working together, it opens everything up on the perimeter. Our point guard will find it much easier to initiate the offense; wings will get open more regularly and catch the ball in the proper location (I.E. not 35-40 feet from the basket). Overall the offense should look much more fluid.

I am extremely optimistic about the upcoming season. I cannot wait to see all of the new pieces and how they all gel together. Look for the incoming freshman class to have a big impact on the season. The Martin twins will be capable defenders given their length and athletic abilities. Abu will be a monster with he quickness and explosiveness around the rim. Only time will tell on how Coach Gottfried and his staff will utilize the wealth of depth and talent that this team possesses!

Tip off is slated for November 8th at PNC. If you want to see the talent before hand go and check out the Throwback with the Pack, and get to see some the legends of the past highlighted by David Thompson, Tom Gugliotta, Vinny Del Negro, Cozell McQueen, Thurl Bailey, Rodney Monroe, Chris Corchiani, and Julius Hodge.

Make sure to get to Reynolds early, Throwback with The Pack will begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of the NC State vs UNC Volleyball game (6:30 pm)

Related Topics:
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

Published

10 hours ago

on

April 25, 2024

By

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) has committed to NC State!

Hill took an Official Visit to NC State this past weekend.

This past season, Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons. 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 #81 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

Even though 247Sports and ON3 consider Hill a Shooting Guard, NC State is recruiting him as a Point Guard.

Hill is the 4th player to transfer to NC State this offseason, joining Louisville’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield & Mike James, and Georgetown’s Dontrez Styles.

With the addition of Hill, NC State now has 1 scholarship remaining for next season.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

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

Published

1 day ago

on

April 24, 2024

By

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.

Image

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.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

3 days ago

on

April 23, 2024

By

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

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tipton Edits (@tiptonedits)

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.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

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

Published

3 days ago

on

April 22, 2024

By

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.

Continue Reading