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3 Keys to State’s First Round ACC Tourney Matchup with Pitt

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9 years ago

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State and Pitt have already met this season, however these two teams are very different than they were on January 3rd when the Pack torched the Panthers 68-50. Back then State was poor defensively, struggled with pressure and didn’t know who their point guard was. The loss to NC State began a stretch where Pitt lost 6 of their next 9.

Today you’re looking at a Wolfpack team that has played strong defensively, handles pressure with ease and has Cat Barber, who might be the best PG in the ACC at the moment. The Pack has also won 5 of their last 6 (with wins against Louisville and UNC) all but locking them into the NCAA tournament. Pitt on the other hand is flailing. The Panthers had a dominant mid season stretch but have lost their last 3 games (Wake, Miami, FSU), putting them square on the NCAA bubble.

Tonight the teams meet again in the first round of the ACC Tournament in what should be a very interesting game. The Panthers are in a must win situation if they want to punch their ticket to the big dance, while the Pack is playing for seeding. Here are some keys to todays game:

Stop Jamal Artis
Who? That’s the question many Pack fans are asking after seeing who Pitt’s leading scorer is. Artis is a 6’7 sophomore who has emerged as a go-to scorer for the Panthers. He’s leading the team at 13.8 and has been hot as of late. He’s a guy who can score inside or out and someone who could really give State trouble.

Get Lacey/Turner Going
This comes as no surprise to State fans. If Lacey and Turner are on, NC State is hard to beat. Last time out against Pitt, Lacey dropped 19 and Ralston followed up with 16.

Crush Their Will Early
As we mentioned, Pitt is going to be going hard. They are desperate for a win and need a run to get off the NCAA bubble. State is already likely in but with that good news comes some pause. They have not handled success very well this season. After beating #2 Duke they lost 4 of their next 5. After beating #15 UNC they fell to lowly Boston College. Gottfried’s teams have always played well in the ACC Tournament, but he’s never had a team that already knows their NCAA fate. This one could be interesting.

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GoPack1
GoPack1
9 years ago

Wolfer96 I agree with with you. I think Cody should get atleast a couple of minutes. After all, we dont want him to transfer away. Hes a nice weapon on defense and on transition.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

Finally Cat shoots over 50%. It’s funny how the game opens up for you when you start hitting 3’s. When Turner is off he is off. Good thing he stopped at 5 three point attempts.

I know coach is paring down his rotations but I feel bad for Cody. He plays so hard I feel like he deserves at least a few minutes a game.

Talk about a guard dominated offense, Cat had more points than entire front court combined and Lacey scored the same points as entire front court.

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NC State Basketball

Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar Commits to NC State

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7 hours ago

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April 26, 2024

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Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar (6’4″) has verbally committed to NC State for her final year.

Weimar took an Official Visit to NC State a little over a week ago.

She is the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, and has been named Defensive Player of the Year the past two years. She has earned 1st Team Patriot League Honors the past two seasons.

This year, Weimar averaged 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. As a Junior, she averaged 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds. She shot 55.5% this year, and 59.7% last year.

With the exodus of River Baldwin, picking up a commitment from Weimar is massive.

With the addition of Weimar, NC State now has 2 scholarships available heading into the 2024-25 season.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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1 day 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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2 days 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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