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Inside Look: The Review

Published

9 years ago

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Last night’s game was a hot topic this Monday morning. There was plenty of controversy and storylines to fuel speculation on a number of topics ranging from Karl Hess to how did Lacey’s shot not count? Did Karl Hess really call a technical foul on Gottfried 4 minutes into the game? Yes he did! Was it warranted? I don’t think so, especially given the fact that this was his first time officiating (an NC State game) since the infamous night he threw out Tom Gugliotta and Chris Corchiani two years ago.

Let’s take a look at the events that transpired that lead up to Trevor’s incredible shot at the buzzer. The final minute of the game was some of the most exciting basketball I have witnessed in some time. It started with a clutch one dribble pull up by none other than Trevor Lacey that put State up 54-53 with 35.1 seconds remaining. The Terriers didn’t go away though, they took a tough contested shot and somehow got the offensive rebound and called a timeout. Out of the timeout Justin Gordon hit a tough contested layup with 1.9 seconds! Timeout NC State.

Lets dive into my role. I am the replay technician for all NC State Men’s Basketball games. My job is to dial up the required play for the officials if there comes a time in the game that needs a closer look. What’s most commonly reviewed? Flagrant fouls, questionable three pointers, who last touched the ball, and more often than not timing issues. Last nights game had a plethora of reviews, seriously they kept me on my toes.

The common theme in the reviews last night were timing issues that were brought center stage by Trevor Lacey’s spectacular one legged three pointer. These next comments may not be popular but here is the truth…

The officials did their due diligence by checking the time following not only the last made shot by Wofford to insure that 1.9 seconds was indeed the correct time, but they also reviewed the time following the first miss by Wofford to make sure they had the correct time before Justin Gordon converted the contested layup! Out of the timeout Trevor caught the ball right at half court took one dribble and then one step and let it fly………SPLASH!!!!! Players storm the court! Reynolds Coliseum doesn’t disappoint in its’ swan song as the noise levels reached deafening pitches.

While mayhem erupts on the court, I know that this play must be reviewed. I key up the play and have it ready to roll as the officials march towards the table. Side note it can be pretty stressful to have the hopes of not only the team but many fans awaiting the final review. I took a quick moment while the officials were constantly replaying the shot back and forth to look around. Not only were there three officials conversing with me but I could see the importance of the final call on the faces of both teams that were gathered around.

The reason for the confusion was that the red light and the clock on the court read 0.0 but as the officials went frame by frame the clock in the bottom of the screen didn’t update as quickly as the clock in the video. The only reason why is because they had the action paused in order to get a closer look at the ball and the time. While the action was paused the time at the bottom of the review screen doesn’t update instantaneously. As the officials were going frame by frame, I zoomed into the ball and sure enough it was still in Lacey’s hand with the red light on and zeros across the board as well at the bottom of the monitor! My heart sank because first and foremost I wanted the Pack to win, especially in such dramatic fashion in the final game in Historic Reynolds Coliseum.

Now I am sure many were watching the broadcast and have a different opinion. The ball was out of his hand with .1 second left! This may be true, but the TV bottom line bug is simply an estimation of the official time on the court. The time that I had projected on my review screen is synced up directly to the time box on the court. This reflects the official time that the refs must go by! Sometimes the truth hurts. The correct call was made by the officials. Unfortunately for the Pack that meant a heartbreaking loss, despite a great effort by Lacey at the end.

I also want to note that John Clougherty who is the supervisor to ACC officials was in attendance and spent considerable time reviewing the play after people had cleared out. He jotted down some notes and left without discussion.

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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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12 hours 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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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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2 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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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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NC State Basketball

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

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2 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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NC State Basketball

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

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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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.

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