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The Wolpack defeated IUPUI by the score of 79-56. The Pack had a balanced attack as four players were in double figures, with Cat Barber leading the way with 19 points. This was an ugly game as fouls were a plenty and shooting was sub par. NC State shot just 41% from the floor and IUPUI wasn’t any better as they were held to 33% from the field. In the end the Pack came away with an easy win.

What Stood out?

Caleb Martin: 

Caleb is proving that he can be a force on the offensive end in spurts. Last night he finished with 15 points and 7 rebounds, including 3 on offensive boards. He also started to attack the basket more as he had a ridiculous dunk in transition over an IUPUI player. To start the year he has had some success from distance but he needs to use his size and athletic ability more to attack the rim. Caleb has the skill to be a monster attacking the paint and should sprint the floor as hard as possible in transition to get transition lay-ups. I think he will develop this as he gains experience, I can tell that he is becoming an emotional leader for this team. They need that desperately.

The Glass: 

Coach Gottfried has clearly made a point that his team needs to be better on the glass after getting beat by William and Mary, last night the Pack improved again as they out rebounded IUPUI 52-37. I liked how State fought on the glass as everyone gave a great effort to clean up errand shots. There were plenty of rebound opportunities as neither team shot the lights out. This is one area where this team will have to thrive if they are going to improve. NC State has the type of personnel needed to rebound, but must stay focused. If each player can continue to build upon last night’s effort and put a body on someone and then relentlessly pursue the ball then they will win the rebounding battle on most nights. This should be a point of emphasis with this group especially.

They played hard: 

I am going to be honest this team is not the most gifted team offensively. I think that they have some great pieces on the roster and have lots of room for growth, but with that being said they are just not there yet. As I look at our offense we have guys who are playing a little out of position. Let me explain with a baseball term, it’s like a team that doesn’t have an ace at the top of the rotation. If a baseball team doesn’t have an ace to duel against another team’s number one guy it puts their team at a disadvantage each game.

I feel like that is the exact situation that Coach Gottfried and the Pack are in this season. We had an ace his name was Trevor Lacey, but like I said in an earlier piece he is long gone. Cat Barber is good but he shouldn’t be our number one option offensively. He is better at being a change of pace scorer. He has found buckets hard to come by as teams are loading the paint and sending all the help side his way, it’s a completely different game for him as he is now the most wanted man on the scouting report. All of our guys are playing one notch above their pay grade essentially.

With that being said there are positives to be gained! If a player wants to get better they must play against the best. A lot of our guys will experience this and grow as they must be ready to go each night, especially with a shortened rotation.  If State can get a little better each game and play with a relentless effort then they will be on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament. Just go out there and play as hard as possible and results will get better.

NC State will get a step up in the competition level as they travel north to New York to play Arizona State and potentially LSU in the Legends Classic . Don’t be surprised if the Pack find a way to win. Coach Gottfried always seems to get a little extra out of his guys with the lights are on brightest, what better place than New York?

Highlights of last night’s game below:

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

I’m sick.  How in the hell did Gott lose Bam Bam?  Next year will also suck.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
8 years ago

The team finally figured out that if they take the ball aggressively to the hoop they will get a whistle practically every time. And they did that but missed a ton of FTs. I liked how hard Abu played in the paint. Caleb is showing that this may be his team. Cat has to decide if he’s ready to lead or not. So far he hasn’t played like a leader needs to. Great players rise even when defenses focus on them (e.g. TJ).  I still say at this point in the season this is an NIT team. That does not… Read more »

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NC State Baseball

NC State has Dominated UNC in Athletics in 2023-24

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5 hours ago

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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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20 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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24 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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