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Pack in the Pros

Brandon Costner, CJ Williams Finding Success in LA

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The Los Angeles Lakers are terrible. Starting the season with a lineup that was already wrecked by injury, the team struggled and progressively got worse.

But the Lakers aren’t the only team in L.A. that started off slowly. The L.A. D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate team, started this season 5-7, only a year after making it to the NBADL championship.

Brandon Costner and C.J. Williams play for the D-Fenders, and both say that the team’s slow start can be attributed to unfamiliarity with their offensive system.

“We run the Lakers’ system, which runs five guys out [on the perimeter] and uses a lot of ball screens,” Williams said. “But it was just a learning experience for a lot of us, getting accustomed to this league and learning to play to the system.”

The hard part, Costner said, was finding cohesiveness as a team. As the season went on, the D-Fenders lost multiple players to signings by either the NBA or foreign leagues.

But, fortunately, the team battled through. The D-Fenders are currently one game back in the Pacific Division, going 15-8 since the start of 2014. And according to Costner, it was because his team became well-focused.

“I think the season has gone well,” Costner said. “With all the guys leaving, to be on such short notice when it comes to getting guys in [the rotation] and acclimated to the system, we have come together to play well as a team.”

Costner said that the changes in the locker room created a next man up mentality that allowed guys, including the two former Wolfpack members, to flourish.

For example, Williams started the season on the bench, averaging roughly 20 minutes a game. But around Jan. 18, he saw his minutes rise. After ten straight 30- and 40-minute games with double-digit scoring in eight of them, Williams became a key component in the team’s rise in the rankings.

“At the beginning of the season, I had to find my comfort level,” Williams said. “I wasn’t getting into the game often. But once coach gave me the opportunity to get into the starting lineup and get 30 and 40 minutes a game, I have been able to take advantage of it.”

Costner found his comfort level as well. Though he is scoring a career-low 13 points a game, he has become very effective of late, averaging 16.4 points in the month of February.

Costner says this is a product of his improving health. Last season, Costner broke his shinbone. After mission all of 2012-13, Costner said that the process has been a slow and painful one.

“Initially, I had to adapt to the flow of things,” Costner said. “It is hard to just jump right in after missing a whole year.

“But as my leg has gotten stronger, I have gotten more confident, and I feel like I am pretty much back to normal.”

Currently, neither Williams nor Costner has heard anything from NBA teams about a call up. And with March 1 being the deadline for players to sign contracts and remain postseason eligible, it appears that both guys will finish the season as D-Fenders.

Costner and Williams said that all they are focused on right now is helping the team reach the playoffs and winning an NBADL championship. They can deal with business portions of basketball after the season is over.

“One thing that all my coaches have told me to control what I control,” Williams said. “And all I can do right now is continue to play hard and well here.”

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Pack in the Pros

T-Wolves Sign Former NC State Forward TJ Warren for Remainder of the Season

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Back during the first week of March, former All-ACC NC State Forward TJ Warren signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After finding success as a scoring option off the bench, the T-Wolves signed him to another 10-day contract.

With only 11 games remaining in the regular season, Minnesota went ahead and signed him for the rest of regular season yesterday.

In the 7 games Warren has played for the T-Wolves, he has averaged 4.1 points per game in 14.0 minutes of play, shooting 47.8% from the field and 38.2% from beyond the arc.

Warren has not played in Minnesota’s past two games, but he has a chance to prove his worth once again tonight in the T-Wolves matchup vs. the Pistons. As things currently stand, Minnesota sits in 3rd place in the Western Conference.

Here’s a look at the former ACC Player of the Year’s stats over 10 seasons.

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Former NC State All-American Nyheim Hines Signs 1-Year Deal With Cleveland

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Former NC State All-American Nyheim Hines has signed a 1-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth up to $3.5 million.

Maybe Cleveland will use Hines to his full potential. If you’re not using him as a Swiss Army Knife in the passing game, you’re wasting an opportunity.

The former All-ACC Running Back Hines missed all of last season due to a torn ACL he suffered in a boating accident.

This will be Hines’ 7th season in the NFL.

When you look at what former NC State players have done in the NFL, Hines ranks in the Top-10 in Rushing and Receiving.

His 1,015 rushing yards ranks 7th in school history and his 10 rushing touchdowns rank 9th. Hines’ 240 receptions rank 8th and his 1,778 receiving yards rank 10th.

In the return game, he’s one of the best to represent NC State in the NFL as well. His 1,015 punt return yards ranks 2nd in school history and his 817 kickoff return yards rank 6th. Hines’ 2 punts returned for TD’s ranks 3rd, and his 2 kickoffs taken to the house ranks 1st.

 

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Former NC State Quarterback Jacoby Brissett Signs 1-Year Deal with Pats

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Former NC State Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is signing a 1-year deal with the New England Patriots, rejoining the team that drafted him in the 3rd Round back in 2016.

The deal is worth $8 million.

After the Pats traded away Quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars yesterday, it’s abundantly clear what they are planning to do with the 3rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After winning a Super Bowl in his lone season in New England in 2016, Brissett went on to spend 4 seasons in Indy, before spending the next 3 seasons in 3 different cities: Miami, Cleveland and Washington.

Brissett has had a great career as a backup Quarterback through 8 seasons in the NFL, playing in 79 games (starting 48), throwing for 10,574 yards and 51 touchdowns, with 23 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 85.3.

Brissett ranks 5th in NC State history in career passing yards and touchdowns, and 3rd in QB Rating by a former Wolfpack player in the NFL.

Prior to making a dime from New England in 2024, Brissett has made $50.9 million through his first 8 seasons in the league.

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Former NC State Defensive Tackle Justin Jones Signs with Arizona

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Former NC State Defensive Tackle Justin Jones (2014-17) has signed a 3-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

The deal is worth a total of $30.1 million, with $19.75 million guaranteed.

Jones spent the past two seasons in Chicago, where he started in every game, recording 101 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

In 2018, Jones was taken in the 3rd round by the Chargers. After playing in 15 games as a reserve as a rookie, Jones started for the Bolts for the next 3 years before signing with the Bears.

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