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NC State Basketball

For Gottfried It’s All About The Competition

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9 years ago

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Yesterday morning Coach Mark Gottfried was with Mike and Mike on ESPN Radio and he hit  on a couple of topics as to why his team has had such a strong finish to the season. His main supporting argument as to why they upset the #1 seeded Villanova Wildcats was the strength of schedule that the Pack played this season. Not only does NC State play in the best basketball conference in the nation (5 teams in the Sweet 16) but the Wolfpack didn’t rely solely on the class of the ACC, they went out and played a challenging non-conference schedule. Coach Gottfried spoke about how his guys saw Villanova as just another team in front of them and how they have great confidence each night because of the teams they have played thus far.

He then cited the facts that our players have proven capable of beating world class opponents as they have won on the road versus Louisville and UNC. He pointed out that his guys have kept their heads up through the low points and have never lost that sense of belief. A quote I love from former player Scott Wood is, “if you don’t play anyone, you don’t beat anyone.” How true is this statement? How often do we see top seeds coast through an easy non-conference schedule and a weaker conference only to find their way out of the tournament before the second weekend?

Not only has Coach Gottfried made it a point of emphasis to schedule a tough non-conference schedule that is usually comprised of teams that have a track record for making the NCAA Tournament but he has laid a blue print for getting into the dance as well. Many can argue that in the last few years and even this season a big reason why the committee overlooked the fact that our teams have lost more than 12 games  is because we have had such a high RPI and SOS. Gottfried recognizes this and this is the reason he will continue to schedule the best of the best.

Let’s take a look at how NC State moved past what looked like a classic example of a collapse within the last minute of the Villanova game. In the last minute or so the Wildcats chose to press the Pack which we handled with success, until Trevor Lacey was about to get trapped and the unthinkable happens…he over throws a wide-open Dez Lee at half court. At this juncture I know that Wolfpack fans across the country thought not again! With 36.8 seconds remaining the Wildcats were only down 2 points and it’s their ball. Our guys all look towards each other and make the choice to not allow Trevor to be the scape goat. In that next to final possession our guys defend like their lives depended on it and the Wildcats missed a three pointer to win it. Cat Barber collects the rebound and in the next 14 seconds State steps up and sinks free throws to win the game.

In my opinion the Wolfpack didn’t collapse because they have seen every possible situation this season and have learned how to handle adversity. By playing a rigorous schedule, the Pack has learned that you must never give up or let your guard down. If our guys would have lost focus and thought that the game was over once the Wildcats missed with 14 seconds remaining we could very well be talking about what could have been. Luckily for the Wolfpack,  they have learned their lessons and have begun to apply them at the right time. Let’s hope we can use all of our experiences this coming Friday and keep the momentum going as we look to take down the Cardinals of Louisville for a second time this season

 

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ThatWiggaJigga
ThatWiggaJigga
9 years ago

The NCAAA tourney is a different beast.  We had that game won and were handling the pressure while hitting our free throws.  In no way a collapse.  Nova took and hit 3 very tough 3’s at the very end of that game.  This is the tourney though, None of these guys want to go home and Nova is filled with some great offensive weapons.  Was not suprised they made it tight at the end.  Though the TO and then both players leaving the ball on the screen were bad plays, we still handled their hot shooting and full court pressure… Read more »

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

LupusBeowulf No doubt. We were extremely unlucky last season and extremely lucky this season. And luck is a huge factor in the tourney so I hope we continue that trend. Rather be lucky and winning vs being good and losing any day.  That was a busted defensive effort on that play but overall the team played decent defensive. If Nova doesn’t hit those last few 3 pointers we may win that game going away. There was also a sequence at the end of the NOVA game where we get called for that ridiculous foul behind the 3 point line, Turner… Read more »

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DanielHargreaves
DanielHargreaves
9 years ago

LupusBeowulf They had two unlikely 3 points falling in at the end of game. you can’t make every one of them. It’s not luck. it’s hard work paying off.

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wulfpacker
wulfpacker
9 years ago

LupusBeowulf I would say knocking down free throws is finishing well. Yes both Lacey and Lennard did back off but still it was solid defense on Hillard who was torching State that possesion.

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LupusBeowulf
LupusBeowulf
9 years ago

Great game, but let’s not act like we finished well.

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LupusBeowulf
LupusBeowulf
9 years ago

They had a wide open 3 at the end on blown defensive coverage where both players (Trevor and Lennard?) backed off the shooter…

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NC State Baseball

NC State has Dominated UNC in Athletics in 2023-24

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April 20, 2024

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After NC State clinched a series victory over UNC last night in Baseball, I thought it would be a good time to relish in how the Wolfpack has dominated the Tar Heels Athletic Program as a whole in 2023-24.

The Wolfpack Baseball team has won the first two games in the series against the Tar Heels, clinching a series victory over UNC for the first time since 2021. It marks the first time NC State has won a series against the Tar Heels in Raleigh since 2016.

NC State defeated UNC in Volleyball 3-1, winning in Chapel Hill for the first time in 25 years. The Tar Heels had won the last 5 matches against the Wolfpack.

The Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels 39-20 in Football in Carter-Finley Stadium. It marked the 3rd consecutive win over UNC.

NC State lost both regular season games to UNC in Men’s Basketball, but when it mattered most, the Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels in the ACC Championship Game 84-76, winning their first title since 1987.

The Wolfpack Women’s Basketball team lost to their rival in Chapel Hill, but defeated UNC 63-59 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 5 of the last 7 against UNC.

In Gymnastics, NC State defeated UNC 196.725-194.925 in Raleigh. This marked the 3rd straight victory for the Wolfpack over the Tar Heels.

NC State’s Men & Women’s Swimming & Diving teams both beat UNC. The Men won 258-93, and the Women won 196-157.

The Wolfpack Wrestling team defeated UNC 33-6 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State has won 11 straight Duals against the Tar Heels.

The NC State Men’s Tennis team defeated UNC 4-0, winning against their rival in back-to-back years.

The Wolfpack Women’s Tennis team has defeated the Tar Heels 4-3 on two occasions thus far this season, and will face their rival again today.

The Cross Country teams didn’t have individual meets against UNC, but the Women obviously beat them, because they won the ACC Championship. The Men didn’t, finishing 8th in the Conference, with the Tar Heels finishing 1st.

The only other NC State athletic team that didn’t taste victory against UNC this year was the Women’s Soccer team, losing 0-4 in Raleigh.

Of course, each of these NC State athletic teams has much higher goals than just beating their rival, but there’s no denying how sweet it is to beat the Tar Heels.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is Currently Visiting NC State

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16 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is on a visit to NC State currently, according to a source.

Indiana State Transfer Ryan Conwell was on campus last week, but he just committed to Xavier.

From what I hear, the staff preferred James over Connell anyway. A plus with James is he has 2 years of eligibility, whereas Conwell has 1.

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.

Rivals ranked James as the #71 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, and ESPN ranked him as the #7 prospect in the state of Florida.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years. This year, he averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds.

For a more extensive look at James’ game, click here.

Rivals ranks James as the #77 overall player in the Transfer Portal.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State

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19 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.

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.

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.

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

NC State already hosted Indiana State Transfer Guard Ryan Conwell last week, and while the Wolfpack coaches like both players, from what I’m hearing, James would be their preference.

NC State hasn’t had James in for a visit, but that could happen soon.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Casey Morsell is the 4th Player in NCAA History to Start 41 Games in a Season

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1 day ago

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April 19, 2024

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NC State Guard Casey Morsell started 41 games for the Wolfpack this season, becoming the 4th player in NCAA history to do so.

 

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Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.

Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.

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