1. NC State must play their game and not overlook USF.

USF is not very good as evident by their 2-7 record. NC State cannot be casual in their cause as they do not possess the personnel that can just go through the motions to win. The Pack have had a week off and hopefully learned something valuable in their last game against Bucknell, and that is if they run the offense they can score effectively.

The Pack did an excellent job of pushing the pace at every opportunity, yet more impressive they pulled it out and ran the high post offense when needed. Maverick Rowan had his best game yet as he scored 27 points, his shot selection was spot on. Maverick lined up correctly and attacked within the offense finding himself open from three and driving for his midrange.

It will be Cat Barber’s job to get this group into their sets and playing their brand of basketball early. If the junior can continue his run of good games then the Pack should walk out of Tampa with a win.

2. Play some defense.

Defense has been awful for this group thus far, there is no way around that. If this group wants to win come ACC play they will have to have a better showing on that end of the court. In tomorrow’s contest the Pack must look at it as an opportunity to shut the Bulls down completely.

I am waiting to see if Gottfried will deploy an all out defensive scheme where he presses for the majority of the game. I think the Wolfpack have the personnel to excel in this type of scheme as they are stacked with length and athleticism, as well as rim protection. I understand his reluctance as he cannot afford to wear Cat down and depth is a concern, but at some point it may be too good of an option to ignore.

NC State will have to contain guards Roddy Peters and Jahmal McMurray. These two are the leading scorers for USF, if the Pack can take these two away the Bulls will struggle mightily. Neither of these guys are efficient as both are shooting below 42% from the field. It will be up to Barber and Caleb to keep these guys out of the paint and force them to shoot away from the basket.

With a week off one would hope to see improvement in fundamentals on the defensive end, we will have to wait and see come 4 o’clock Sunday.

3. Movement on offense.

When all 5 guys are moving on offense everything looks better, the Pack must continue to progress in this area. The Bucknell game was a step in the right direction as the team realized that it is better to move, versus watching Cat dribble. Everyone looked better as the big men worked off the ball and the wings moved with a purpose.

Coach Gottfried’s system demands movement as it is key to catch the ball in certain spots. The high post man needs to catch the ball at the elbow on the free-throw line as it makes the duck pass much more accessible. The wing needs to catch near the three-point line as this gives them a good angle to hit the UCLA cut, and makes the pin down screen more effective.

If State can build upon their movement and execution from last Saturday’s game tomorrow, they should win easily.

Tip-ins

The game will be shown on ESPNU at 4 o’clock with Allen Bestwick and Mark Wise with the call. Entering the game Cat Barber ranks 30th in scoring as he is averaging 20.8 points per game. NC State will need to attack the basket with caution as USF is averaging over 6 blocks a game.

NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

23 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Matthew Bradham

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

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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.

NC State Basketball

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

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

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.

NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.