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Cat Barber went blow for blow with Winthrop’s Jimmy Gavin in a game that was probably too exciting for Mark Gottfried’s liking. NC State did, however, escape with the 87-79 victory over the Eagles.

Barber sets career mark:
For Barber it the type of game he desperately needed. While he had been playing decent, he hadn’t had the type of dominant outing that would kickstart this basketball team. Tonight he was simply unguardable. He used his size and speed to create oppotunities, and when he got them he capitalized on them. Barber was as aggressive as we’ve ever seen him. His defender could never take a break and was constantly under attack. Barber was able to get to the line 22 times and converted on 19 of them. When he wasn’t fouled he shot 9-19 from the floor, finished with 37 points and dished out 8 assists. If NC State is going to be a factor, this is the Barber that will lead them.

Winthrop’s Jimmy Gavin is insane:
For Winthrop, it was Jimmy Gavin, the post-grad lefty with unlimited range and a silky touch. His 38 points were a game high and the real reason that this was even a game. Wintrhop actually had the Pack on the ropes a few times, but after Gottfried challenged Cody Martin to shut him down, he was unable to get clean looks and it allowed State to start to pull away. Please note that this was not one of those episodes where NC State gives up a career night to some nobody. This kid is elite and actually warranted a call early this week from Tom Gugliotta who informed Mark Gottfried that they better watch out for this kid.

Rowan Adding Value
You can see Maverick Rowan adjusting. He’s adjusting to the faster game. He’s adjusting to the physicality. He’s adjusting to the depth perception of shooting in a major arena. But game by game you start to see this kid feel more comfortable. Tonight he set a career high with 17 points on 3-6 shooting from 3 pt range. He sill has a lot of work to do on defense, but tonight he was a major reason that NC State was able to hang with Winthrop early on when Gavin was ‘all systems go.’

Cody Martin Finding His Role
Another major contributor in this game was Cody Martin. Looking at his 7 points and 5 board stat line you probably wouldn’t have guessed it, but he was great tonight. It was his defense that slowed down Gavin late in the game. We watched him closely when Gottfried switched him onto Gavin and challenged him with shutting down this elite scorer. What we saw was very impressive and disciplined defense. He was in the passing lane, deep in his stance, seeing man and ball and following Gavin over every screen. He is one of the two reasons that the Pack won this basketball game (the other being Cat’s huge performance.) Cody is carving out a niche, not only as a defensive stopper and a high motor role player, but as a leader. When Gavin got white hot and started to help Winthrop pull away, it was Cody who took it upon himself to shut him down. His focus, determination and leadership are things that this team needs worse than anything else, and if he can continue to provide that, State will be in good shape.

Next up is…
Next up for NC State is Michigan on Tuesday. The Wolverines are 4-2 with losses to Xavier and #18UConn. It should be a great matchup in the Raleigh.

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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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