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NC State Basketball

Tudor Says State Playing for the Future

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10 years ago

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Well known local sports writer, Carlton Tudor, who is now writing for WRAL says NC State is no longer living in the ‘now.’

“The immediate expectations will be modest.” Tudor writes. “Anything higher than a preseason pick for sixth in the ACC would be surprising. But remember, this season isn’t about living in the moment. It’s about the future.”

The article goes on to talk about the recently high expectations that Wolfpack fans have become accustomed to. Having NBA prospects such as CJ Leslie and Lorenzo Brown made it easy to see that NC State’s ceiling was pretty high, but remember, these were never Gottfried’s guys.

With only sophomore forward T.J. Warren, sophomore playmaker Tyler Lewis and senior center Jordan Vandenberg back, the roster is basically barren of Sidney Lowe recruits.

This is entirely Gottfried’s show now.

The construction of the program envisioned by the coach and State’s administration upon his arrival essentially will begin on Oct. 30 in Reynolds Coliseum against UNC Pembroke and carry through a new-look ACC schedule that will include games at Notre Dame (Jan. 7), Syracuse (Feb. 15) and Pittsburgh (March 3).

It’s true. Look at the roster. Jordan Vandenberg remains the only guy that Sidney Lowe brought in all on his own. Sure, Warren was recruited a little by Lowe and so was Lewis, but Gottfried is the one who sealed those deals. Usually you need to wait 4 years to be able to say a coach is coaching a team of only ‘his players.’ State fans now get to see that a couple years early.

So what does this mean? Well, I think it means that this is the year that we get to see a clearer direction of where the program is headed. This is a group of players that Gottfried has assembled. This is the type of group that he feels can win championships. Sure, they are young and they’re going to make mistakes, but I believe you’ll see a certain attitude shift on the floor. No more ‘too cool for school’ players. No more nonchalant talk. These guys he has coming in are work-horses. They are coachable, hard working, basketball players. They respect the game – all aspects of it – and they feel privileged to be here. Sure, NC State isn’t going to win the ACC in 2013-2014, but it’s going to be a more important year than most think.

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NC State Basketball

D.J. Burns is OFFICIALLY BACK!

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1 month ago

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April 27, 2023

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Well, it’s OFFICIAL. D.J Burns will be returning to NC State for his final year of collegiate eligibility!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DJ Burns / BIG 30♨️ (@dj.b30)

This confirms everything I’d been hearing about the return of Burns. Burns was the key to the Wolfpack offense running effectively this past year. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23, but he elevated his game in ACC play, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in conference games.

Burns is celebrating his return to run with the Wolfpack by dropping his own Big 30 merch. Go over and snag something.

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NC State Basketball

Isaiah Miranda is an Early Entry Candidate for the 2023 NBA Draft

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1 month ago

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April 26, 2023

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The NBA released the names of the 242 players that have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2023 last night, and NC State’s Isaiah Miranda’s name was on the list.

Miranda (7’1″/225) joined the Wolfpack back in December, deciding to forgo the remainder of his prep season. Miranda didn’t see the court for NC State, resulting in a redshirt season.

ON3 ranked Miranda as the #16 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

It makes perfect sense for a player like Miranda, with his height and athleticism, to go through the draft process to be evaluated on what he needs to continue to work on. As an early entrant, Miranda has the ability to pull his name out of the draft and remain a collegiate athlete.

I don’t expect Miranda to keep his name in the hat when the time comes. From what I hear his game has tons of potential, but he still needs to fine tune his craft. Also, Miranda shared this on social media, implying he will be back in the Red and White next year.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra Commits to NC State

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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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NC State picked up their 5th transfer today. Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) committed to run with the Wolfpack today while in Raleigh on an Official Visit.

Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

With news breaking today that Dusan Mahorcic entered the Transfer Portal, the Wolfpack found his replacement. NC State’s frontcourt in 2023-24 currently will be made up of D.J. Burns, Ben Middlebrooks, Mohamed Diarra and Ernest Ross.

Check out these highlights of Diarra.

There is a lot to like in Diarra’s game. He is athletic, can hit a jump shot, put the ball on the floor, can play defense on the perimeter, block shots, and is an aggressive rebounder.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra is On an Official Visit to NC State Today

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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) is on an Official Visit to NC State today. Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Diarra entered the Transfer Portal on March 28th.

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