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Is the win over Maryland a Turning Point for NC State?

Published

10 years ago

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With TJ Warren a late scratch due to a sprained ankle, it was Ralston Turner who picked up the Wolfpack and carried them to victory over Maryland.

After a sloppy first half that had state shooting 22%, they calmed down, got focused and made a stand. Junior Ralston Turner went on an amazing stretch, hitting five 3s in the second half and finishing with 23 points and 7 boards.

Here is ‘our take’ on the Wolfpack win.

– Without Warren, the team was forced to reinvent themselves.
This game could end up being a blessing in disguise. Without Warren to bail them out on 1/2 of their possessions, this team had to trust one another, step up to the plate, and make some plays. The defense, the poise, and the teamwork were on full display in the second half when NC State made their run that won them this ballgame.

– Cat Barber is becoming a point guard.
First off, I know I’ve been hard on Barber in some of these columns, but I think he’s going to be an elite point guard in this conference and I think he was focusing too much on the wrong things. Tonight he started slow, but really controlled the game in the second half. He took smart shots, used his quickness to get in the lane and find open men, and he picked his spots like a true PG. With that said, I think you also have to credit Mark Gottfried. You have to be absolutely out of your mind if you’re one of these people on the forum calling for this guys head. He’s a winner and showing all the signs of being a great coach. He made the move to go exclusively with Barber (which I felt was a mistake not easing Lewis out, but that’s what he did), but instead of stubbornly leaving Cat in there to work through his mistakes, he’s lately been very quick to sub him out and teach him a lesson before putting him back in. He’s coaching this kid, he’s molding a scoring guard into a point guard and it’s starting to show.

-Ralston Turner was white hot.
Turner put on a display that even Scott Wood would be proud of. Here is a guy who teammates were saying could lead the team in scoring. Former players told me that when he’s hot, Turner shoots as well as Wood. I thought it was all hype. I thought that Turner was a good shooter, but wasn’t at ‘takeover’ level. I was wrong. Turner single-handedly won this game for NC State by hunting down his shot and burying it in defender’s faces. I think you’re going to see Gottfried try to work Turner into the rotation a little more, giving him another scorer to compliment TJ when he gets back.

-Dez Lee was in ‘lockdown’ mode
Turner provided the offense, but man, Dez Lee was a monster on the defensive end. This kid plays textbook defense. He’s down in a stance he knows the scouting report on his man and follows it perfectly. He goes over ball screens when he needs to and under them when there’s no threat of an outside shot. Lee still hasn’t gotten his offense going at the level we think he can, but his defense is elite level. He’s strong, he’s quick and he’s very smart with his positioning. He absolutely put Maryland’s lead scorer, Dez Wells on lock. Wells was frustrated all night and could only muster 2-11 shooting for 10 points. Lee was co-player of the game alongside Turner. Check out the interview with Lee and Turner…

-Bigs working themselves out
I think you’re seeing a coming of age for NC State’s bigs. Anya is transitioning to a more prominent role and Kyle Washington is becoming more of a scorer. Freeman is also making huge strides offensively. When these things start really clicking, teams are going to need to start writing these guys into the scouting report.

-Tell me again that this team doesn’t love their coach….

Next up is GT, Sunday at 1pm.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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3 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) has committed to NC State!

Hill took an Official Visit to NC State this past weekend.

This past season, Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons. 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 #81 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

Even though 247Sports and ON3 consider Hill a Shooting Guard, NC State is recruiting him as a Point Guard.

Hill is the 4th player to transfer to NC State this offseason, joining Louisville’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield & Mike James, and Georgetown’s Dontrez Styles.

With the addition of Hill, NC State now has 1 scholarship remaining for next season.

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

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3 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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