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NC State Basketball

Wolfpack tame Panthers 68-50

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9 years ago

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Hats off the the Pack as they responded to Coach Gottfried’s demands of playing with energy, effort, and pride. The Wolfpack played with the requisite energy and effort to hold the Pitt Panthers to 32 percent shooting and swatted a total of 9 shots. BeeJay Anya turned away 3 shots to lead the Pack and Lacey was right behind him with 2 on the day. Two of the more exciting blocks came from the Martin Twins, both Cody and Caleb displayed graceful athleticism to erase a couple attempts by Pitt.

Anyone who watched this game knew that the players have been under the microscope the past couple of days at practice. Following the horrible home loss to the Bearcats Gottfried vowed that Wolfpack nation would see a change.  I saw a change in the seriousness and approach in our guys as the ball was tossed upwards. Gottfried was a maniac on the sidelines demanding perfection and execution that lead to some fiery exchanges with his players. One timeout was called after Pitt scored an easy transition bucket, only to have Coach Gottfried to tug the 5 men on the court by their jerseys in tight. Within this huddle everyone’s manhood was questioned and sought after! Following this timeout State put on a clinic defensively.

A common sight tonight was the Wolfpack players in everyones pocket it didn’t matter if their man had the ball or not. I absolutely loved the energy and effort the Twins turned in. They both affected the game on both ends. It was a positive sight to see Cody taking a big step forward in joining Caleb today. I truly believe that these two players will be cornerstones for the Pack in the years to come. Cody worked his tail off this past week and reaped the rewards today playing a grand total of 9 minutes. Look for him to earn even more PT as the season marches on.

After being MIA last game Trevor and Ralston came out and played beautifully. The two combined for 35 points while shooting 62 percent from the field. Ralston also had his best game defensively and set a great example for the younger guys by listening to Gottfried. Every time the Panthers tried to whittle away at the lead, either Trevor would hit a signature pull up or Ralston would hit a tough three-pointer off a screen. Lacey also weaved his way through the Panthers defense with some tremendous ball-handling and nifty finishes inside.

By getting the win today the Pack find themselves atop the ACC at 2-0 with a difficult three game stretch ahead. Wednesday; State travels up to Charlottesville to face the 3rd ranked Cavaliers. Following that game NC State hosts Tobacco Road in Duke and UNC. Many may cringe at the thought of having to play two top 5 teams in back to back games, but Gottfried has a different mindset. In his post game report he spoke of the great opportunity ahead for him and his players. He said that he relishes the challenge and loves to compete against the best of the best. This is why Gottfried is the man for the job! He doesn’t shy away from a challenge and he is confident enough to see the process through. Look for the Pack to play with great effort from this point on.

NC State vs UVA is scheduled for Wednesday at 7PM and can be seen on ESPN 2.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

I liked the lineup changes. Starting Abu over Anya. Abu while still raw is much more active and has earned that starting spot. I also liked that the other Martin twin got some more burn. Those twins show great energy and hustle which many of our other players lack. -Turner finally broke out of his funk but at this point he seems too streaky to be relied upon.  -Cat has shown again that he is more of an individual contributor and not a true PG.  -Lacey was strong with the ball today and played some good D.  -Anya played better… Read more »

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kjefferson776
kjefferson776
9 years ago

Good game but they still need to play that kid Desmond Lee more he’s a great slasher an a greater defender!

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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5 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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NC State Basketball

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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