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NC State Basketball

The Sprint to March Begins Now

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9 years ago

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All that stands between NC State and the greatest show on earth is 5 games. Two of these game are within the friendly confines of the PNC. This Saturday the Hokies make the trip down from Blacksburg to try and gain a rare ACC win. On the season VT has only registered 2 wins in the ACC, but the Pack cannot simply overlook them come Saturday. If State comes out flat and drops the game against the Hokies then we have zero chance of punching our ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Following our game this Saturday State travels to bitter rival UNC to try and atone for a loss earlier in the season where the Tarheels were able to squeak by with the win.

Momentum is on the Pack’s side coming off a huge win at Louisville. Caution must be heeded for a young team as they recently beat a top ranked team only to face an unheralded opponent after a week off. This is where we will be able to see how effective Coach Gottfried is at reaching his team. As they practice these next few days it will be critical to keep a one game approach as looking behind or ahead can easily result in a devastating home loss. The key to the last five games are the same keys that have been important the whole season.

1. Limit Turnovers:

Cat has done an extraordinaire job in the past five game of taking care of the ball without sacrificing the attacking nature that must be employed to win. Others have followed Cat’s lead by not turning the ball over in our end of the court. The best example of this came last game as the Pack handled one of the best pressing teams in the ACC and country in Louisville. If the Wolfpack can continue to take care of the ball there is no reason why they cannot win out over these last five games.

2. Control the Glass:

NC State has shown that they are capable of out-rebounding any team on a given night; however, they must protect the offensive glass.  All five guys must crash the boards on the defensive ends to cut down on second chance points. Recently I have been impressed with Trevor Lacey and his willingness to mix it up underneath. The burden will be on Abu, Washington, Anya, and Freeman to step up to the challenge of not allowing any team to out-rebound the Pack.

3. Defend:

Make no mistake about it the main reason why State beat the 9th ranked Cards this past weekend is because they stepped up to the challenge and played excellent defense. Throughout the game State didn’t allow the leading scorer in the ACC (Terry Rozier) to have any clean looks and even held him under double figures on the day. As we look ahead there will be ample opportunities for State to prove that this defensive effort wasn’t a fluke. A week from today State faces UNC and must be ready to stop Marcus Paige. Paige has been a thorn in the Pack’s side since his arrival on campus a few years ago. Cat and company must step up and provide great effort and help in order for State to finish this season on a high note.

4. Energy:

In these last five games I am 100 percent confident that at least one of these games NC State will have an off night shooting the ball; but that is no excuse to pack the tent. The Wolfpack must summon all the required energy each and every time out if they want to achieve their goals of making the Tournament. Depth is not an issue so there is no reason why any one player should be taking any plays off. I am confident that we can go 8 or 9 deep if needed and still be competitive in stretches. Our guys must recognize this fact and leave it all on the court.

What are your keys to State finishing the season a perfect 5 and 0?

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
9 years ago

You fought to add hitting free throws.  If we could shoot 75% as a team, we won’t be in the position we are now.   Free throw shooting has killed us for the past three years.  Gott needs to stay off the Rome show and teach the players how to shoot free throws.  Free throws, free throws and more free throws.

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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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3 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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