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NC State Basketball

Scouting the Competition: Wake Forest

Published

10 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
7pm | Raleigh, NC | ESPNU

NC State faces off against Wake Forest tonight at 7pm in a game that is huge for the Wolfpack. After escaping Miami with a 1 point win, Gottfried’s group sits at at 5-4 in the ACC.

First off, let’s take a step back and examine the season thus far. Coming in, most figured that NC State would be sitting close to the bottom of the conference after losing 4 of their starters from last season. Now past the midseason mark, State is looking to break through to the top half of the conference standings. You have to admit that this is a pretty remarkable feat for a team running out a group of guys that barely any experience in ACC play. Despite being young, this team has shown toughness, heart and the ability to grind out close games at home and on the road. However, the the true challenge still awaits. With a game against Wake tomorrow, and string of 3 consecutive road games, the Wolfpack can make or break their season over the next two weeks. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Here is the rundown on the Demon Deacons:

– Since we last saw Wake Forest they have lost 4 of their previous 6 games, falling to Clemson, Syracuse, GT and Duke. The Deacs are another team that has played above expectations so far this year, but lately have seemingly hit a wall. Wake has fallen to 4-6 in the conference and will be desprate for a win against the Pack. A loss here for Wake puts their backs against the wall for a NCAA Tournament berth (if they’re not already.)

– One reason for Wake’s recent struggles might be thanks to losing their leading scorer, Codi Miller-McIntyre, to a sprained ankle. He was lost early in the GT game and then did not play against Duke. Without CMM Wake really struggles. Reports are saying that he tested his ankle at practice on Sunday, but it’s still unclear if he will play Tuesday. If they have to play without him State will definitely have the advantage.

– The Deacs will be looking to go to Devin Thomas and Travis McKie (both averaging 11 ppg). While both are talented, both are bigs and NC State will likely pack in the zone and make Wake beat them from the outside. The lone scorer from the perimeter becomes Tyler Cavanaugh, who torched the Pack for 16pts last time out. However, without CMM getting into the lane and pressuring the defense, Cavanaugh becomes much easier to guard. He’s a spot shooter and isn’t very dangerous off the dribble. I expect Miller-McIntyre to at least try to play, but if he’s favoring his ankle he won’t be nearly as explosive off the dribble, which is his bread and butter.

– Last time out, Wake won a close one thanks to a 4 stride, double euro-step layup by Codi Miller-McIntyre (which the officials certainly missed).  The layup, however, was not the reason State lost. They lost because they could not stop Wake inside. Moto and Thomas combined for 31 points. Actually the stats in that one were pretty even outside of State’s abyssmal 3 point shooting. They only hit 15% from beyond the arc and shot 42% for the game (below their season average of 46%). If the Pack can limit Wake’s touches inside and continue their dominance on the boards from their last meeting, they should walk away with the W.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Women’s Basketball Ranks 8th in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early 2024-25 Preseason Top-25

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1 day ago

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May 7, 2024

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ESPN released their updated Way-Too-Early Preseason Top-25 for the 2024-25 Women’s Basketball season, and NC State ranked 8th.

8. NC State Wolfpack

The dynamic backcourt that took the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since 1998 returns. Aziaha James (16.8 PPG), Saniya Rivers (12.5 PPG) and Zoe Brooks (9.0 PPG) are enough to keep NC State near the top of a highly competitive ACC. How well a new mix of bigs fits in will determine if the Wolfpack are good enough to win the conference and contend for a trip to Tampa. The experience of River Baldwin and Mimi Collins can’t be replaced, so how well 6-5 recruit Lorena Awou adapts to the college game and 6-4 Boston University transfer Caitlin Weimar, the Patriot League player of the year and two-time defensive player of the year, adjusts to the upgrade in competition will have a big impact on NC State’s season. Previous ranking: 8

(ESPN)

ACC Teams in the Top-25

4. Notre Dame

8. NC State

11. Duke

12. Louisville

17. UNC

18. FSU

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NC State Basketball

The Roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball Team is all but Set Heading into 2024-25

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5 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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NC State does have 1 scholarship available, and could still add a player out of the Transfer Portal. With that being said, the roster for the Men’s Basketball team is pretty much set for the 2024-25 season.

Non-graduates had to enter the Transfer Portal by April 30th, and Graduates had to enter by May 1st. Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell both made public announcements that they were returning, but the closure of entrance to the Portal means that Breon Pass, Ben Middlebrooks, Dennis Parker Jr. and MJ Rice are all set to return next season.

In a world where the Transfer Portal has all but become free agency in College Basketball, with some players switching schools on an annual basis, it’s encouraging that Kevin Keatts not only recruited a Top-10 Transfer Class, but also recruited a majority of the eligible players to stay. Three players that could transfer entered the Portal (I’m not counting Mohamed Diarra in these numbers, who opted to go pro), while 6 opted to continue running with the Wolfpack.

As a result, below is a breakdown of the roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball team heading into 2024-25, realizing the Wolfpack could still add one player (this team is deep).

1 year of Eligibility 

Guard Michael O’Connell
Guard Marcus Hill
Guard Breon Pass
Guard/Forward Jayden Taylor
Forward/Guard Dontrez Styles
Forward Ben Middlebrooks
Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

2 Years of Eligibility

Guard/Forward MJ Rice
Guard Mike James
Guard Jordan Snell (Walk-On)
Guard KJ Keatts (Walk-On)

3 Years of Eligibility 

Guard/Forward Dennis Parker Jr.

4 Years of Eligibility 

Guard Paul McNeil
Guard Trey Parker

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Men’s Basketball 2024 Transfer Class Ranks in the Top-10 Nationally

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6 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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NC State’s Men’s Basketball team has picked up 4 players from the Transfer Portal this offseason, and the class ranks 10th nationally according to ON3, and 15th nationally according to 247Sports.

ON3

247Sports

NC State’s 2024 4-Man Transfer Class

Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville)

Guard/Forward Dontez Styles (Georgetown)

Guard Mike James (Louisville)

Guard Marcus Hill (Bowling Green)

NC State still has a chance to move up in the rankings. East Carolina Power Forward Ezra Ausar just wrapped up an Official Visit to NC State, and things are looking good for the Wolfpack. ON3 ranks Ausar as the #67 overall player in the Portal, and the #15 Power Forward.

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

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6 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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Andy Katz is beginning to make his rounds for his Offseason Convo series, and he took the time to meet with NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts.

In their conversation, Keatts talked about what this run has meant to Raleigh and the Wolfpack fans, how it has helped sell the program the way it deserves to be in recruiting, and even how it helped and hurt in the world of the Transfer Portal.

Check out the conversation below:

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