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Lacey Answers The Bell in Win Over Boise St.

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9 years ago

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With the game in doubt under two minutes State needed a boost. In steps Trevor Lacey! The ball is rotated over to him on the wing and he sees daylight and darts into the lane to convert a difficult reverse layup with 1:05 remaining. Not to be outdone Lacey hit his signature pull up over Boise State big man Nick Duncan with 25.2 seconds left to ignite the Wolfpack faithful in attendance and seal the victory for the Pack!

Boise State posed a number of difficulties for the Pack; however, it was an excellent opportunity for Gottfried and his staff to experiment with different lineups to solve the unique 5 out offense that Boise State ran. Ball movement and dribble drives put immense pressure on our big men early which gave way to State using a much smaller line to defend on the perimeter. The line up used in the waning minutes of the game included Lennard Freeman, Caleb Martin, Ralston Turner, Trevor Lacey, and Cat Barber. This particular unit used its quickness and ball pressure to make things difficult for the Broncos.

Traditional basketball and line-ups went out the window and is why this was an important game that could prove to be a great lesson to recall come March! In the NCAA Tournament you have to play 2 games in 3 days, which does not leave much time to prepare. State has had a hurried first 6 games of the season that has put them in the situation of playing 2 games in 3 days; this is by design! Everything Gottfried does is geared towards March.

What hit the mark?

Crunch Time = Lacey Time

 Much of the game Trevor deferred to his teammates looking to get others into the groove, while being cautious to call his own number. Make no mistake about his passive nature early as him not being dialed in! I could see it in his eyes when the game was on the line he wanted the ball in his hands, he knew he could get his shot at the end and convert!

I loved the way Trevor took the ball to the paint with confidence with a minute left and used excellent body control, as well as the rim to protect the ball from being blocked by his defender! Then moments later the ball found him again, this time with a big man on him only to take one hard dribble to pull up right in the big man’s face! Splash nothing but net! After that possession Lacey grabbed a rebound where he soared over not only 3 Boise State players but also 3 of ours as well to secure the victory. Trevor is becoming a star and a leader for this team!

Versatility:

NC State has a group of players that have very diverse skill sets and strengths that will be great assets as the season marches on! Tonight we were able to play small ball while still out-rebounding the Broncos to the tune of 38-33 on the glass! This speaks volumes for the desire and effort that our team is displaying night in and night out. Another strength of our team is ball handling. In any given line-up the Pack has four guys capable of jumpstarting the fast break, this is a luxury that Gottfried loves as he is notorious for having a lethal fast break.

Rim Protection:

I am starting to see that the Pack is gaining a reputation of protecting the rim! Officially State only blocked 4 shots on the night; however, I could see uncertainty in the Broncos as they drove to the basket. This caused the Broncos to hesitate and forced them into much more difficult shots due to them looking over their shoulders. In the post game conversation with Bronco’s Head Coach Leon Rice mentioned the fact that his team was not confident taking the ball to the rim because of the reputation the Pack has at blocking shots! This will pay great dividends as the season goes on!

This was a great win for the Wolfpack against a veteran team that will be a major factor in the Mountain West this season, don’t be surprised if this team punches a ticket for the big dance. I was proud of how our guys defended and played with confidence down the stretch.

State will hit the road for the first time this Tuesday as they travel to Purdue to represent the ACC in the Big Ten Challenge. Purdue will put the Pack’s rim protecting at center stage as they have twin towers in Isaac Hass (7-2) and A.J. Hammons (7-0). The Boilermakers beat BYU in their last contest 87-85!

Tip-Off is scheduled for 9PM and can be seen on ESPNU

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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7 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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NC State Basketball

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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