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Today is ACC Media Day and NC State Point Guard Dennis Smith Jr. is representing the Wolfpack. Here’s what he had to say in his official session.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Dennis Smith.

Q. Hey, Dennis, it’s not often you get freshmen down here for this thing, but you seem like you’re made for this, your personality and what people are expecting from your game. Is there any part of you that doesn’t think you’re ready for what we’re going to see from you this year?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: There are no parts of me that thinks I’m not ready for anything, anything that comes at me in life. I’ve been through enough to face adversity, so I’m prepared for anything.

Q. What were the key areas, maybe a couple things that happened, the injury, may be one of them, but what are the things you think prepared you for this stage and the limelight that you’re going to have?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: Like you said, the injury. So that prepares me from a mental standpoint as far as basketball goes. I had a tough upbringing, not coming up with everything, so that also prepared me mentally for life. Like I said, I never run from a challenge. I never back down from adversity.

Q. Growing up in North Carolina, you obviously know about these rivalries with Duke and North Carolina, what do you think it’s going to feel like when you step out on the floor for the first time against those teams?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: It’s going to be exciting. It’s something I look forward to. I’m very anxious to play in those games. Like you said, in the Triangle area, you’ve got UNC, Duke, N.C. State, and N.C. State more often than not is viewed as the underdog. So we just want to come in there and compete as hard as we can and look forward to walking away with a victory against anybody.

Q. You spoke on adversity, and having things that happened that have obviously built you for this moment. How did the team respond to having you first step into N.C. State? And what can you say about the leadership that you can command even as a freshman?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: From day one they were accepting of the type of person that I was on and off the court. So that made it pretty easy for me to be a leader. Coach Gottfried came in, when I came in, coach Gottfried insisted that I be the leader of the team and kind of gave me the keys. He trusted in the fact that I can maximize every guy’s potential on this team, because we have some great players. So he believes in me to do this. So I feel like it’s my job to fulfill that role.

Q. Coach Gottfried gave you the keys. There is a lot of optimism surrounding the team, in part because of you. Do you feel any pressure at all? Not oblivious to it, but are you just kind of above it?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: I don’t feel any pressure at all.
I’ve been playing basketball for a very long time. I had challenges back then coming up. I lost a lot of games that was my fault. I’ve won games that were my fault, so I don’t feel pressure. I just want to go out and compete with my guys and plan on coming out with a victory.

Q. Your coach said you’re the best guard in the country. Are you surprised to hear him say things like that? I’m sure you have that mentality yourself, but it’s very rare for a coach to come out and say something that bald-faced before the season starts?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: Not so much surprised. I’m thankful that he believes it. It shows he has a lot of confidence in my abilities. I work hard, he sees it, and I have a lot of confidence in myself. My team has a lot of confidence in me and vice versa. So I’m just thankful for the recognition from my coach.

Q. Off stage your teammate Malik was answering that question silently for you. What type of teammate is he? What type of rapport and bond do you guys have?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: We’re really close. I don’t even want to tell you how long we stayed up yesterday just talking about different things on the court or in reality. Just we’re really close. He’s like a big brother. We were close before I even committed. We were building a relationship then and it just carried on and progressed from there. So the Malik that you all see here on the podium is the same Malik that’s in the locker room and on the court. He’s a great guy, and a team-first type player.

Q. Sometimes big brothers tell little brothers what to do. Are you okay with that?

DENNIS SMITH JR.: Definitely. I’m all the way okay with it. You learn something new every day, and sometimes little brothers tell big brothers what to do. That’s just a part of the game. So we’re going to help each other, and like I said, we’re going to maximize potential with each player on this team. (Via TheACC)

Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Basketball

Previewing NC State’s Opponent: Marquette

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#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette in the Sweet 16 tonight. Here’s a look at the Golden Eagles before tipoff.

Marquette is ranked 8th in the AP Poll.

They lost to UCONN 57-73 in the Big East Tournament Finals.

As a team, they shoot 48.2% from the field, which ranks 23rd nationally. Their Effective Field Goal Percentage is 55.5%, which ranks 15th.

Marquette ranks 15th in Assist/Turnover ratio, 26th in Scoring Margin, and 26th in Assists per game.

Junior Guard Kam Jones leads the Golden Eagles in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game, shooting 50.3% from the field and 41.4% from three.

Senior Guard Tyler Kolek averages 15.3 points and a team high 7.9 assists. He leads the nation in assists per game. Kolek shoots 49.7% from the field and 39.7% from three.

Senior Forward Oso Ighosaro (6’11”) scores 13.6 points per game, and leads the Golden Eagles in rebounding, averaging 6.8 per game. He shoots 58.1% from the field, which ranks 28th nationally.

Junior Forward David Joplin (6’8”) averages 11.0 points per game.

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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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