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NC State vs Syracuse: NCAA Implications

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Tomorrow NC State will host the Syracuse Orangemen in the final home game on the season. Syracuse received less than pleasant news today as they were hit hard for numerous infractions that will penalize their program for years to come. Will this have a bearing on tomorrow’s contest? I am not sure how Syracuse will respond but I have noticed over the years that teams usually band together and play extremely hard as their program has been run through the mud. NC State must be prepared to close the season with a win!

In my opinion Syracuse will be a great test for the Pack and help prepare them for the NCAA Tournament. It is no secret that the Orangemen will play a 2-3 match up zone, this fact should be enough for our guys to really hone in tomorrow. Throughout the season we have struggled against the zone as we have been pleased to move the ball around the perimeter and then settle for a long outside shot. We cannot fall in love with the three ball tomorrow if we want to win. Cat Barber and Trevor Lacey must attack the gaps and find our big men for easy baskets. I think this game could be a great matchup for Kyle Washington as he would give Syracuse a fit flashing the middle which is a soft spot of the zone. Kyle has the skill set to catch the ball and score it from that distance. Coach Gottfried will be able to keep him at bay by only allowing him to flash the middle and work in the focused area.

Defensively NC State must keep tabs on Trevor Cooney who has the ability to score in bunches from distance. On the season he is averaging 13.5 points per game and he attempts 7.2 three’s per contest. Although Cooney is their leader from the perimeter the engine that makes the Orangemen run is Rakeem Christmas. The 6-9 250 pound senior is averaging 17.9 points a game and is ripping down 9 boards per to sweeten the pot. Hopefully our big men are excited to play against someone who has been a nightmare underneath all season. BeeJay Anya has proven to up his game each time he squares off with a hearalded big man. Will he step up once again?

If State can take care of home court tomorrow afternoon then they will be a lock for the NCAA Tournament. There shouldn’t be any question of having to win X number of games in the ACC Tournament this coming week. Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Wolfpack as a 9 seed in the West region. NC State should have their eyes set on a higher goal than a 9 seed. If the Pack can find a way to win tomorrow and find a way to rip off two more wins in the ACC Tournament it is certainly possible that they could end up as a 7 seed. This would allow them to avoid a second round matchup against a #1 seed.

State finds themselves in familiar territory as they must find a way to play their best basketball entering into post season play. Over the last 5 games they are 4-1, but I do not feel like we are operating as efficiently as we could be. Trevor Lacey has been out of sort of late but I am confident that he is about to get his act together starting tomorrow afternoon. I predict that he will break out of his funk in a big way in front of the Wolfpack faithful. Cat Barber has cooled off of late but I too think that he will be a tough matchup for teams in the NCAA Tournament. One thing that the Pack has on their side is the element of surprise. Each game it seems that someone different catches fire to save the day; however, what if a couple of guys catch fire for a couple of games together? We have proven all season that we are capable of beating any team in the country, but our guys must find it in themselves to garner the energy and focus needed to win each game. The greatest show on earth is within State’s sights but invitations are not handed out easily…now is the time to claim our spot!

 

Tip-Off is set for 12PM at the PNC. If you can’t make it out the game will be televised on CBS.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
8 years ago

I think Lacey may be having the same problem that TJ had at the end of last season. He was playing too many minutes and it caught up with him.

Coach needs to give Lacey more breathers and have him distribute more rather than trying to score himself.

NC State Basketball

D.J. Burns is OFFICIALLY BACK!

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Well, it’s OFFICIAL. D.J Burns will be returning to NC State for his final year of collegiate eligibility!

 

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A post shared by DJ Burns / BIG 30♨️ (@dj.b30)

This confirms everything I’d been hearing about the return of Burns. Burns was the key to the Wolfpack offense running effectively this past year. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23, but he elevated his game in ACC play, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in conference games.

Burns is celebrating his return to run with the Wolfpack by dropping his own Big 30 merch. Go over and snag something.

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Isaiah Miranda is an Early Entry Candidate for the 2023 NBA Draft

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The NBA released the names of the 242 players that have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2023 last night, and NC State’s Isaiah Miranda’s name was on the list.

Miranda (7’1″/225) joined the Wolfpack back in December, deciding to forgo the remainder of his prep season. Miranda didn’t see the court for NC State, resulting in a redshirt season.

ON3 ranked Miranda as the #16 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

It makes perfect sense for a player like Miranda, with his height and athleticism, to go through the draft process to be evaluated on what he needs to continue to work on. As an early entrant, Miranda has the ability to pull his name out of the draft and remain a collegiate athlete.

I don’t expect Miranda to keep his name in the hat when the time comes. From what I hear his game has tons of potential, but he still needs to fine tune his craft. Also, Miranda shared this on social media, implying he will be back in the Red and White next year.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra Commits to NC State

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NC State picked up their 5th transfer today. Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) committed to run with the Wolfpack today while in Raleigh on an Official Visit.

Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

With news breaking today that Dusan Mahorcic entered the Transfer Portal, the Wolfpack found his replacement. NC State’s frontcourt in 2023-24 currently will be made up of D.J. Burns, Ben Middlebrooks, Mohamed Diarra and Ernest Ross.

Check out these highlights of Diarra.

There is a lot to like in Diarra’s game. He is athletic, can hit a jump shot, put the ball on the floor, can play defense on the perimeter, block shots, and is an aggressive rebounder.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra is On an Official Visit to NC State Today

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Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) is on an Official Visit to NC State today. Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Diarra entered the Transfer Portal on March 28th.

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