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NC State Basketball

Tyler White: We’re the Red and White from State

Published

10 years ago

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A week ago today I had a renewed sense of pride for my alma mater. It was a great atmosphere in Historic Reynolds Coliseum. It was the Men’s Basketball kick off to the upcoming 2014-2015 campaign. The highlight of the evening wasn’t the current teams scrimmage however it was the first annual Throwback game.

Players of note that played in the Throwback game included, Rodney Monroe (All-Time Leading Scorer), Chris Corchiani (All-Time Leader in Assists), Julius Hodge (First Team All-American), Tom Gugliotta (All-American), Derrick Whittenburg (The Shot), Vinny Del Negro (15 year NBA Vet and Former Head Coach in the Association), Monte Towe (1974 National Championship). The game had plenty of plays that I am sure older pack fans could appreciate. For example, I never witnessed a game by Rodney Monroe, but quickly realized why he is the All-Time leader in points. Throughout the warm up period I could only recall a couple of shots that even hit the rim. He proved to still be a crafty scorer and it was easy to see how Corchiani ended up with so many assists at the end of his career.

My main purpose in this article is to instill confidence and call to remembrance just how storied of a program we have at NC State. We are and will always be a Basketball School! We are one of only 14 programs in the NCAA to win multiple NCAA Championships. NC State Basketball ranks 25th in all-time wins at 1,617 and counting.

Personally I have been a State fan my whole life, granted I am only 24 years old; however, I have not been accustom to much of the storied success that many witnessed in the 70’s and 80’s. However this past Friday I felt like I was a part of history and for that moment I could only imagine what it would have been like to be on campus after we won the 83’ title in Albuquerque New Mexico in the Pit.

I was fortunate to have a front row seat at all the work and effort it takes to be successful in the ACC. During my tenure as a manager, I recognized what must be sacrificed in order to win. It takes a group of talented individuals willing to put aside personal glory in order to come together as one. It takes playing for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back. When Gottfried arrived on campus, I am afraid we were a group of individuals playing for ourselves; however, in my last two seasons we came together for a common goal and had successes. I will never forget the run to the sweet sixteen.

Things are looking up for our Basketball Program. We have a great staff that has stability and makes it a point to honor our rich history and tradition. The players are aware of our tradition, I was proud to see how all of our current players intently watched and honored the players who paved the way for them to play at NC State. It is an honor to wear the Red and White…

With three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, look for the Pack to push that streak to four! The pieces are in place. How good will this group be? Can they overcome the loss of ACC POY T.J Warren? Who will step up and be a leader? The answers to these questions are to be determined, but I can say with confidence that the current group of players will find the answers. CBS picked the Pack to finish 7th in the final standings. In my opinion they will overachieve as a team and play their best basketball come February and March!

The first game is slated for November 8th at PNC Arena TBA. Lets approach this season with optimism and rally behind this group! I can assure you that they will put a great product on display and make you proud to wear the Red and White!

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NC State Basketball

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

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11 hours 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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NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

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21 hours ago

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April 22, 2024

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What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s DJ Horne Named to Portsmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team

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2 days ago

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April 21, 2024

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NC State’s DJ Horne played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this weekend, and he was named to the All-Tournament Team.

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In 3 games, Horne averaged 14.3 points, shooting 41.5% from the field, and 30% from three.

Horne’s Portsmouth Partnership team made it to the finals, but lost to Jani-King 68-75.

The Portsmouth Invitational is an annual pre-draft camp that has been showcasing College Seniors to professional scouts since 1953.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Has Shown Interest in Utah Guard Transfer Deivon Smith

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2 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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NC State has reached out to Utah Transfer Guard Deivon Smith (6’0″/173).

Smith filled up the stat sheet every game this year, averaging 13.3 points, 7.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds, shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.8% from three for Utah. He earned All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention this season. Smith had 8 double-doubles and 1 triple-double this year.

Wherever Smith lands, this will be his 4th college. He started at Mississippi St., starting in 8 of the 33 games he played in, averaging 22.5 minutes per game. Smith went on to spend his next two seasons at Georgia Tech. Year 1 in Atlanta, Smith started in 5 of the 24 games he played in, averaging 19.7 minutes per game. In Year 2, he carved out more of a role, starting in 13 of the 24 games he played in for the Yellow Jackets, averaging a career high 24.8 minutes per game.

At Utah this year, Smith broke out and had a career year in every possible way.

NC State is familiar with Smith, offering him back when he was a 4-Star prospect out of Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. Rivals ranked Smith as the #53 overall player nationally in the 2020 recruiting class. ESPN ranked him as the #5 player in the state of Georgia. 247Sports ranked him as the #11 Point Guard in his class.

 

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