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Wolfpack Shocks #11 Syracuse 66-63

Published

10 years ago

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In a must win situation, NC State did what they couldn’t do a few weeks ago and knocked off Syracuse.

TJ Warren led his team with 28 points and 8 boards, while senior Jordan Vandenberg had the game of his career. Vandy finished 5-5 with 10 points and 5 boards and helped keep the Orange off balance in the lane.

This win gives NC State a very real shot at playing in the NCAA tournament and gives them a matchup with either Clemson or Duke tomorrow. Before we get into all that, however, let’s break down how the Pack was able to upset #11 Syracuse.

TJ Warren at it again

You could see it in his eyes. TJ Warren wasn’t going home without a W. He knew this team was capable, but he knew he needed to have a big game….so he did.

Warren scored 28 points on 9-21 shooting and really willed the Wolfpack to this win. While they needed everyone of his buckets, what he did on defense maybe be even more impressive. CJ Fair had scored 50 points over his 2 previous games and was really leading the Orange offense. Against State Fair had only 9 points on 3-16 shooting and it was all because of the quality job TJ Warren did.

How this kid doesn’t get tired is beyond me. He works tirelessly to get open on offense, pushes himself to give that extra burst when he makes his move to the hoop and throws his body around like he’s invincible, then on the other end he’s guarding the oppositions most versatile player and usually shutting them down. Fair couldn’t get anything going. Warren was too long for him to get clean looks, he was too quick for Fair to get by him off the dribble, he was completely in shut down mode and took the Orange best player out of the game.

Warren showed up huge on both ends of the floor in this one and by the looks of it…he’s not done yet.

 

Jordan Vandenberg Plays the Perfect Game
I’m so happy for the guy. Years of waiting, but finally it’s his time and on the biggest stage he played his biggest game.

Vandy finished with 10 points of 5-5 shooting, grabbed 5 boards and was an enforcer in the paint. He was in the right place at the right time all night long, finishing dunks, knocking down jumpers and dishing out some great passes.

I actually can’t think of a mistake that Jordan made tonight…this was his perfect game.

 

Defense that just won’t quit
This team went on lockdown mode against Syracuse. With all the talk about the Syracuse zone and how hard it is to score against, State was actually the game that looked like the defensive masterminds. They held the Orange to only 32% from the field. Now, this is a team that shoots 43%. It’s also a team that rebounds like animals, however State held them in check, only getting out-rebounded by 3 (36-33).

Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant did everything in their power to keep Syracuse in this game, but it wasn’t enough. The Wolfpack defense was swarming and relentless all night long.

 

Point Guard Production
Cat Barber played great once again. Sure, he did get a little loose with the basketball (4 TOs), but he was a big reason that the Pack won this game. He dished out 6 big assists and had 2 huge steals to go with 4 points. Barber was able to get into the zone and find the open man. He was great on the break and he is starting to become a true PG. His defense on Ennis was also impressive. While Syracuse PG did drop 21 points, Barber did a great job of making it hard for him to get open looks.

Tyler Lewis also played a very strong game. Early on Lewis was the only offense State could muster outside of Warren. His two 3’s in the first half were huge. He finished with 7 points, 2 assists and one TO.

 

The highlights:

And for anyone who has ever questioned Gottfried, please take a look at this interview. This man cares about his players, he cares about this school….

and…the heart-attack inducing finale

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is Currently Visiting NC State

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7 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

Published

11 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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17 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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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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