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PLAYER PREVIEW: Braxton Beverly hopes added strength takes his game to another level

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6 years ago

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Braxton Beverly’s first season in college was a bit of a roller-coaster ride.

After switching his commitment from Ohio State to NC State, he was told by the NCAA that he’d have to sit out a year. That was because he had attended a few summer school classes at OSU prior to making his decision. The NCAA deemed it a transfer and so Beverly was forced to sit.

That was until the school decided to file a complaint and the media began directly questioning the NCAA, their rules and their motives.

The NCAA finally reversed course and deemed Beverly eligible.

The freshman went on to have a very successful season and was one of the most consistent producers for the Wolfpack. He averaged 9.5 points and nearly 4 assists per game.

“I think I had a fairly good year.” said Beverly” Especially with a new head coach and all the stuff I went through at the beginning of the year. The new style being implemented here. All in all it was a really good year. It was a lot of fun. It was tough, it was challenging, but it was fun and that’s what we’re looking to go through again this year.”

Beverly may have only been getting his feet wet, but because of NC State’s lack of depth at the guard position, Keatts was forced to lean on him early and often. He played over 32 minutes per game (2nd highest on the team).

This year, however, things may be different. Beverly will still be a key piece to NC State’s game plan, but Keatts now has a slew of talented guards at his disposal. Not only will this allow him to keep guys fresh, but it will also allow him to let guys to play to their strengths and be more situational in their usage.

Another by-product of depth is the competition in practice, that is something that is standing out to the freshman guard this season…

“Practices are very competitive,” said Beverly. “We’ve got so much talent. The practices are like games.”

How does Keatts plan to get all of his guys enough minutes to keep them happy? Well, he’s indicated early on that he’s not afraid to play his 3 PGs at the same lineup. And what might that look like if it does happen?

“It’s going to be fast, up and down.” said Beverly. “The ball is going to be pushed like crazy. Whoever we play we’ll be guarding 94 feet. Three quick guys aggravating the ball.”

Beverly has always been comfortable with playing fast, but last year he realized he needed to change his body to help him play a little stronger. There were times last season where teams would isolate him and attack him with bigger, stronger players. That is something that he focused on improving this offseason.

“Biggest thing is getting my body in better shape,” he said. “I got stronger, but I’m a short guy and I’ve got to be able to hold my own. That’s what I was focused on. It’s what’s going to take my game to another level.”

As the season starts kicking into gear it will be interesting to see where Beverly slots in and how Keatts decided to use the talented sophomore. Will he see more primary ball-handling duties, or will he shift more towards an off-ball shooter? If Keatts has his way, it seems like he’ll be doing a little bit of everything.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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12 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) has committed to NC State!

Hill took an Official Visit to NC State this past weekend.

This past season, Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons. 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 #81 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

Even though 247Sports and ON3 consider Hill a Shooting Guard, NC State is recruiting him as a Point Guard.

Hill is the 4th player to transfer to NC State this offseason, joining Louisville’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield & Mike James, and Georgetown’s Dontrez Styles.

With the addition of Hill, NC State now has 1 scholarship remaining for next season.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Mohamed Diarra Will Not Return to NC State for Final Season

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.

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Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.

Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.

Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.

The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross.  Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.

With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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3 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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

 

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A post shared by Tipton Edits (@tiptonedits)

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.

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

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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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.

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