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GAME NOTES: NC State Takes on EKU at 8pm

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10 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs Eastern Kentucky Colonels
8pm | ESPN 3 | PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC

NC State is coming off what was likely their best performance of the season. TJ Warren led the way with huge help from Cat Barber and Jordan Vandenberg as they took down a very talented (but shorthanded) Florida Gulf Coast team. Tonight they face another talented mid-major team that has a good chance at winning their conference this season.

Opponent: Eastern Kentucky (6-1)

Get to know Eastern Kentucky: Mark Gottfried isn’t messing around with his scheduling. While Eastern Kentucky might not be a household name, they are a very quality opponent. Coming off a 25 in season and their first postseason win in 68 years (CIT), the Colonels are starting to get some recognition. This season they are the favorite to win the Ohio Valley Conference thanks to a lot of returning talent.

Who have they beat this year?: Here is another team that is about to really get their first challenge. They biggest names they’ve beat are FIU and Kennesaw. Their only loss this season has come at the hands of Youngstown State, a team that has actually been pretty impressive this season.

Who are their top players? They did lose their go-to guy from last season. Mike DiNunno(15 ppg, and 4 assists) was really the guy that made their offense go. The senior point guard did it all for the Colonels last year, but all is not lost with him graduating. Glenn Cosey, a 6 ft guard who came in from Columbus State Community College is a true scorer and a real playmaker. Cosey is currently leading the team in scoring at 19ppg. This is coming on the heels of a sophomore year where he scored 18ppg at his community college.

Can NC State beat them? This is a talented team, but if State plays anywhere near as well as they played vs. FGCU, then they shouldn’t have a problem. State has the definite advantage in the paint where EKU is small and has had trouble on the boards, but it will be a test for Cat Barber and Dez Lee who will need to step up and show their shutdown defensive skills against Cosey. EKU will certainly have trouble keeping up with State’s pace of play and they really don’t have anyone to match up with Warren, but again, this team is talented and has years under their belt, so the Pack can’t take them lightly.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is Currently Visiting NC State

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13 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is on a visit to NC State currently, according to a source.

Indiana State Transfer Ryan Conwell was on campus last week, but he just committed to Xavier.

From what I hear, the staff preferred James over Connell anyway. A plus with James is he has 2 years of eligibility, whereas Conwell has 1.

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.

Rivals ranked James as the #71 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, and ESPN ranked him as the #7 prospect in the state of Florida.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years. This year, he averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds.

For a more extensive look at James’ game, click here.

Rivals ranks James as the #77 overall player in the Transfer Portal.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State

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17 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.

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.

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.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

NC State already hosted Indiana State Transfer Guard Ryan Conwell last week, and while the Wolfpack coaches like both players, from what I’m hearing, James would be their preference.

NC State hasn’t had James in for a visit, but that could happen soon.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Casey Morsell is the 4th Player in NCAA History to Start 41 Games in a Season

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22 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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NC State Guard Casey Morsell started 41 games for the Wolfpack this season, becoming the 4th player in NCAA history to do so.

 

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A post shared by NC State Basketball (@packmensbball)

Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.

Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.

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NC State Basketball

Georgetown Transfer Dontrez Styles Commits to NC State!

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Georgetown Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/212) has committed to NC State!

Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.

Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.

After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #104 overall player in the Portal.

With his final year of eligibility, Styles’ made the right choice this time.

NC State now has 2 scholarships remaining after Styles’ commitment.

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