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Words from the Sideline

Published

9 years ago

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Communication is important no matter the profession; however, in athletics it is even more critical. In order for a team to win, they must execute the plays from the sideline and the given game plan. Throughout the game coaches communicate relentlessly to their players in hopes of giving them an edge in the contest. This past weekend I was able to focus on some of the verbal exchanges between coaches and players.

Mark Gottfried:

Throughout the game Coach Gottfried can be seen standing carefully watching the game for any area of weakness that the opponent presents offensively or defensively. He has a great relationship with Cat Barber, frequently during free throws or as Cat comes out of the game Gottfried can be heard giving Cat reminders. For example versus Queens, Gottfried frequently gave Cat encouragement to use his strengths. He told Cat to use his elite quickness to get into the paint, and cut hard off the high post. I could tell that Cat responds well to Gottfried who is very positive in his approach with his young point guard. The second half Cat really settled down and looked much more comfortable.

Another phrase that I heard throughout the game from Coach Gottfried was to not be casual in their approach. He really let Ralston know that he was not pleased with the way he was too casual with ripping the ball through on offense, which resulted in a weak turnover. Ralston responded well to Gottfried’s criticism and played much tougher the rest of the night.

One last thing that caught my ear was just how emphatic Coach Gottfried was about defense. First off I think he has a bad rap as not being a defensive minded coach. I was a part of his practices for two years; he definitely spends a considerable amount of time on defense. However I think for a team to be great defensively there has to be a desire. I am not sure in past years that desire burned throughout the whole 40 minutes. Yet as I watched Gottfried pleading with his guys to get up and pressure they were more than willing to oblige. You could see it in their eyes that they wanted to embarrass who ever they were defending!

Coach Lutz:

He is one of my favorite coaches to listen to during games. He has an incredible amount of knowledge and experience. He is great at creating the matchups defensively for our team. Periodically he makes adjustments on the fly to find the correct players to stop the opposing players strengths. He spends a great deal of time studying habits and plays of the opposing team. Even in the exhibition versus Queens, I could tell that he knew the opposing personnel, which resulted in putting our players in good positions defensively. 

Coach Early:

 Orlando Early is an excellent motivator. He’s responsible for the power forwards and centers on the team. He is their positions coach and works with them exclusively throughout the season. Coach O can constantly be heard shouting, “make them score over you not around you!” This is a simple phrase yet one of great importance. If you are making opposing players score over the top, this mean you are not getting beat to the rim. Bad things happen when guys get beat, this causes other guys to scramble into help defense, which means someone is open. If our post players can keep their man from going around them things stay airtight in the interior! Especially with BeeJay, its pretty difficult to score over the top of him, many players have been an unwilling guest to his block parties!

Coach Moxley:

 Just as Coach O is the positions coach for the forwards and centers, Coach Moxley works exclusively with the guards. Toughness is a staple with Coach Moxley as is effort and pride. Few coaches can match Rob Moxley in toughness and energy. He is constantly pushing the guards to be aggressive offensively. Throughout the season Rob puts the players through intense drills that push the players to their limits. His whole thing is to make sure he is matching the stresses that players will encounter in an ACC game. Confidence is a must with him; he makes the players feel confident in their abilities and is one of the first to give players a pat on the back, quickly followed by a get back on defense.

There will be countless lessons and opportunities for improvement this season, and I am confident that our battle-tested staff will maximize the talent and abilities within this team. The season officially kicks off tomorrow, November 14th at 7PM in the PNC. Game can be seen on ESPN 3 and the WatchESPN App.

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NC State Basketball

What did the Wolfpack’s Incredible Run to the Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Chris Corchiani?

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5 hours ago

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April 16, 2024

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What did NC State’s miraculous run to the ACC Championship and Final Four mean to Wolfpack legend Chris Corchiani? I caught up with the man who is still NC State’s all-time leader in Assists and Steals to get his take.

What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?

Man, it was unreal. They caught lightning in a bottle and it was an absolute amazing run. They were a mediocre team all year that turned into a feared team that nobody wanted to play! To win the ACC championship in 5 days and to get to Final Four…..Wow!!

What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?

Keatts received a lot of criticism for 7 years and after this run is deserving of great praise. I think shortening the lineup to 7-8 guys and doing away with the full court press and playing solid half court defense was a great move that obviously paid huge dividends. He also kept this team together which was not easy as they lost last 7-9 going into the. postseason. The guys also grew confident in their roles and played possessed!

As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?

This run was something I have dreamed about happening and the fact it was so unexpected made it so much sweeter! To see the students, alums, boosters, and fans get what we all have been waiting for was the best!

What was the most memorable moment for you?

Most memorable for me was going to Final Four with my family and enjoying catching up with old friends, boosters, friends and teammates!

How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?

This run gives us momentum in so many ways. Listen, this was good not only for our hoops team but for our University! Hopefully our recruiting will take a big step forward with kids wanting to run with the Pack! A month of free advertising should be Huge for the future of our Men’s and Women’s basketball programs!

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When NC State legend Chris Corchiani left NC State, he not only held the school’s record for career Assists and Steals, but he also was career leader in ACC conference history. His 40.8% career Three-Point Percentage ranks 7th in school history. Corchiani was the first player in NCAA history to have 1,000+ career assists.

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ON3’s Jamie Shaw Puts in a Prediction Georgetown SF Transfer Dontrez Styles will Land at NC State

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14 hours ago

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April 15, 2024

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ON3’s Jamie Shaw put in an RPM earlier today for Georgetown Small Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles to land at NC State. All-time, Shaw’s prediction accuracy is 87%.

I spoke with a source, and it seems like this prediction has some merit.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #66 overall prospect in the Portal.

Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.

Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.

After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.

With his final year of eligibility, maybe he’ll make the right choice this time.

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NC State Basketball

Tennessee Guard Freddie Dilione V is Visiting NC State Tomorrow

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1 day ago

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April 15, 2024

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Tennessee Transfer Guard Freddie Dilone V (6’5″/195) is visiting NC State tomorrow.

Dilone V just wrapped up his Redshirt Freshman season with the Volunteers, averaging 1.7 points in 5.2 minutes of play per game (18 games).

In 2022, Dilone V was a consensus 4-Star prospect, and the #33 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals. ON3 and 247Sports both ranked Dilone V as the #1 player in the state of North Carolina, playing right down the road at Word of God Academy in Raleigh.

Currently, 247Sports ranks Dilone V as the #71 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #10 Combo Guard. He played his first three seasons of high school ball down in Fayetteville at Trinity Christian.

Dilone V has 3 more years of eligibility.

 

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PI EXCLUSIVE: 2024 4-Star Signee Paul McNeil Breaks Down His Thoughts On NC State’s Miraculous Run

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1 day ago

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April 15, 2024

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The run the NC State Men’s Basketball team went on in March had the whole country watching, but what was it like to watch through the eyes of an incoming Freshman who will be joining the team next year? 4-Star 2024 Shooting Guard Paul McNeil shared his thoughts with me on the Wolfpack’s unforgettable run.

What was it like for you to watch NC State as the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament win 5 games in 5 days to win the Title?

What we did this year shows seeding doesn’t matter. What our guys did was just another level, and when you get between those lines, it’s a different type of static. I believe it took a lot of discipline and focus to win five games in five days. I also feel like the fan base played a huge part to the team by bringing extra energy and not making them feel alone.

What do you think happened to turn this team around?

You have to give God all the glory because without Him guiding us, we wouldn’t have made it how we made it. Also, it’s about the jersey you put on and the pride of it all. It’s like there’s no way we go out this way and they clicked at the right time. The team was just rolling and I also think the mentality of all the players changed.

As a player signed with NC State, how proud were you to see NC State go on this run, from the ACC Championship, to the Final Four?

I’m very proud of the guys. They deserved to win it all, but it just didn’t happen that way. I’ve been saying they were the best team in the ACC and I always knew we had the right pieces to be the best.

What does it mean for you to see Coach Keatts get the recognition he’s getting?

Oh man, he deserves it, especially coming from where he comes from and all the things he dealt with. With all the media attention, he still stayed focused and locked in towards the team. Coach Keatts is very blessed and very humble.

How do you think this run will help the future of NC State basketball?

It will put more eyes on us and teams know now to not overlook us and underestimate us ever again. It was never a Cinderella story — it was never ‘oh they just got lucky.’ This run will definitely help us a lot and I’m forever grateful for what the boys did.

_______

McNeil (6’7″/185) led Richmond to the semifinals of the NCHSAA 4A State Playoffs this season, before losing to #1 Hanover 55-53.

As a Senior at Richmond (Rockingham, NC), McNeil averaged 31.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.6 assists per game.

ON3 ranks McNeil as the #49 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class, the #15 Small Forward, and the #6 player on the state of NC.

McNeil is a part of a 2-man 2024 Freshman Class that includes 4-Star Guard Trey Parker.

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