NC State Basketball
The Who, What, Where and When of NC State’s TBT Team Wolf Blood
I don’t remember a State sports season that just never ended, but it feels SO good. This July, for the first time ever, NC State has a team heading to the TBT (The Basketball Tournament). Here is your complete breakdown of everything Team Wolf Blood.
Wolf Blood’s opening game is July 24th at 1pm on ESPN3. If they win, they’ll play the very next day at 2pm on ESPN.
WHAT
TBT is a yearly, single elimination basketball tournament, broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. The winner takes home a cool $1 million. All teams are predominately made up of former college stars, with a few ex-NBAers thrown in. Furthermore, no current NBA players are allowed to play (although I believe that’s more an unwritten, “don’t be that team” rule).
Rosters split up the cash how they please and we get to reminisce about the years we were actually playing in March. *Sad laugh
WHERE
Team Wolf Blood opens up TBT as a 7th seed in the Columbus region. In their opening game, they’ll play Category 5, a Miami alumni team with Davon Reed, Dejan Vasiljevic and Anthony Lawrence. If they win? Most likely to face long-time entrant and region favorite, Red Scare, a Dayton alumni team. Similar to State, lots of 2013 faces from the Flyers team that made it to the Elite Eight.
WHEN
Team Wolf Blood tips-off on July 24th, if they win, again on the 25th. The TBT Final Four and Championship are in Dayton July 31st – August 3rd. If you’re ready to head to Ohio, tickets are on sale now.
WHO
Here’s the fun part. Lots of familiar faces and fan favorites on this squad. Thus, I’m already emotionally attached to their success. Let’s run through the roster.
COACHES:
Jordan Collins: Played at State from 2001-05, but wasn’t until his senior season that he saw decent minutes. Highlight of that senior year was finishing 13th in the ACC in blocks at 33.
Ralston Turner: An LSU transfer, Turner played for State for two seasons, average 11 points and 3 boards a game. His second season saw him finish 2nd in ACC for 3-point FG percentage.
PLAYERS:
Trevor Lacey: Played one season for the Wolfpack, but damn was it fun. Averaged nearly 18 points, 5 boards and 4 assists in route to a 2nd-Team ACC honor
Scott Wood: Howell and Wood are in a battle for “WPN Favorite” on this roster. Scotty “Shooter” Wood was a three-point machine for State. State’s all-time leader in threes (7th most in ACC history) and top-15 in State for overall points, Wood will bring that beautiful shot to Ohio. Playing a 138 games for the Wolfpack, he was still able to average 13.4 points a game.
Richard Howell: If you didn’t have that beard shirt back in the day, you were a loser. In his senior season with State, he averaged a double-double (12.7 points and 10.9 boards) on his was to All-ACC first team honors. Lead the nation in rebounds his senior season and ranks fifth all-time in ACC history.
Terry Henderson: On campus for two seasons, played really just one in the 2016-2017 season. Averaged nearly 14 points per game that year, finishing top-20 in the ACC in Offensive Rating, Free Throw Percentage and 3-Point Field Goals.
Torin Dorn: Played one season at UNC-Charlotte before becoming a huge part of the State program his junior and senior seasons. Those last two seasons, he averaged 14 points and nearly 7 boards a game. Senior season saw him finish top-8 in the ACC in Rebounds, and Field Goals Made.
Abdul-Malik Abu: Strong sophomore and junior seasons, bookended by less than ideal years. Abu average 12.5 points and 8 rebounds those middle years. For his career, he ranks as the 15th most offensive rebounds in ACC history.
C.J.Williams: Williams had a steady career at State. Playing all four years, it culminated in a 11 point, 4 rebound 2 assist senior season. That year he finished top-15 in the ACC in Steals, 2-Point Field Goals and minutes played.
Wyatt Walker: Walker known more for his gorgeous flow, played one season with the Wolfpack. Played in every game of the 2018-19 season, averaging 5 points and 4.5 boards.
Dez Lee: Played two seasons in Raleigh, his first year being his best. Averaged 8.4 points and 3 boards before Lacey took most of his minutes the following season.
Pack Insider will send along good ol’ updates throughout TBT. Also, give them a follow on all social media platforms. #GoPack
What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend TJ Warren? I caught up with the man who won the ACC Player of the Year Award in 2014 to get his take.
What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?
I’m a second generation Wolfpack basketball player. Wolf blood runs through my veins, so to be able to witness a ride like that was truly amazing.
What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?
I think that is speaks to the heart that the players have. As a 10th seed in the ACC tournament, it’s easy to pack it in and look towards the offseason, but they did the opposite. They bonded together over adversity and that’s what made them so endearing. Hard work in the face of adversity, that’s something that Wolfpack fans can relate to.
As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?
As I mentioned earlier, NCSU hoops has been in my family for a long time, so it meant a whole lot personally. This run definitely took me back to some of the fond memories I have of putting on the Red & White and playing in front of a packed house at the PNC.
What was the most memorable moment for you?
I think Mike’s shot to tie the game at the end of regulation. It just felt like destiny at that point. Anytime you get to beat UNC and Duke days apart is special too.
How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?
I think that it puts us back on the national radar where we belong. After a magical run like that, I think it makes players want to be a part of that. A run like that reinvigorates a program definitely.
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Warren is 1 of only 6 NC State players to ever be named the ACC Player of the Year. In his Sophomore season, Warren was named a 2nd Team All-American by Sporting News and the AP. He averaged 24.9 points per game, which is the 5th best mark in a single season in NC State history. Warren scored 871 points that year, which is the most points ever scored in a single season by a Wolfpack player.
TJ was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
NC State Forward Ernest Ross announced today that he is entering the Transfer Portal.
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Ross played in 14 games this year, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.
Ross was a consensus 4-star player in the 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.
Ross has one more year of eligibility remaining.
NC State has 3 scholarships available now.
Best of luck Ernest!
NC State Basketball
What did the Wolfpack’s Incredible Run to the Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Chris Corchiani?
What did NC State’s miraculous run to the ACC Championship and Final Four mean to Wolfpack legend Chris Corchiani? I caught up with the man who is still NC State’s all-time leader in Assists and Steals to get his take.
What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?
Man, it was unreal. They caught lightning in a bottle and it was an absolute amazing run. They were a mediocre team all year that turned into a feared team that nobody wanted to play! To win the ACC championship in 5 days and to get to Final Four…..Wow!!
What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?
Keatts received a lot of criticism for 7 years and after this run is deserving of great praise. I think shortening the lineup to 7-8 guys and doing away with the full court press and playing solid half court defense was a great move that obviously paid huge dividends. He also kept this team together which was not easy as they lost last 7-9 going into the. postseason. The guys also grew confident in their roles and played possessed!
As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?
This run was something I have dreamed about happening and the fact it was so unexpected made it so much sweeter! To see the students, alums, boosters, and fans get what we all have been waiting for was the best!
What was the most memorable moment for you?
Most memorable for me was going to Final Four with my family and enjoying catching up with old friends, boosters, friends and teammates!
How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?
This run gives us momentum in so many ways. Listen, this was good not only for our hoops team but for our University! Hopefully our recruiting will take a big step forward with kids wanting to run with the Pack! A month of free advertising should be Huge for the future of our Men’s and Women’s basketball programs!
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When NC State legend Chris Corchiani left NC State, he not only held the school’s record for career Assists and Steals, but he also was career leader in ACC conference history. His 40.8% career Three-Point Percentage ranks 7th in school history. Corchiani was the first player in NCAA history to have 1,000+ career assists.
