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Sweet 16 Coverage: A Closer Look At Louisville

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9 years ago

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The team that the Pack will face this Friday night in the Sweet 16 is different than the team they played in February. Flashback to that game where the Cards lost at home to NC State by 9 points the Cardinals had Chris Jones who has since been dismissed from the team. On that night Jones played well torching the Pack for 20 points and drawing a number of fouls. Since Jones’ dismissal Pitino has inserted freshman Quentin Snider (4 star 2014) into the starting lineup and he has gained confidence in his stroke the last few games. In the two games Louisville played last weekend, Snider was 4-7 from three point land and a big reason why the Cardinals avoided a first round upset as he scored 16 points versus UC Irvine.

Let’s recap Louisville’s season to get a clearer picture of what the Pack will face this coming Friday.

Recent Form: 

In the last 12 games Louisville has compiled a record of 8-4. The four losses have been to NC State, Syracuse, UNC, and Notre Dame. In this 12 game stretch the Cardinals have not beaten any team of promise besides Northern Iowa if you can call that a good win.

Who to Watch: 

Terry Rozier #0 6-1 190 lbs. SG: Rozier has been the go to man for the Cards all season as he leads their team in scoring at 17.2 per contest. Louisville depends on Rozier to shoulder the scoring load from the outside; however, Terry has proven to be an inefficient scorer. Thus far he is shooting  42 % from the field and an even worse clip from beyond the arc at 31%. The way Terry scores is by attacking the paint and finding his way to the free throw line where he’s 78 percent shooter.  One thing that Rozier excels at is in his effort. He goes 100 percent every time he steps onto the court and his rebounding numbers support this fact as he averages a shade over 5 per game, despite being one of the smaller guys on the court. Louisville becomes a top 10 team when Rozier is in the groove but struggles offensively when he is kept in check.

Montrezl Harrell #24 6-8 240 lbs. PF: The emotional leader of Rick Pitino’s squad is without question Montrezl Harrell as he plays with outstanding energy and effort. He is ultra athletic playing above the rim and using his combination of quickness and leaping ability to hunt the paint as well as the glass. Louisville loves to use Harrell in different spots to make the most of his versatility. Don’t be surprised to find Harrell catch the ball at the top of the key for an isolation play or see Harrell ignite the fast break by bringing the ball up the court himself. On the season he is averaging 15.4 PPG and 9.2 RPG. One of Harrell’s weakness is that he sometimes settles for long jump shots which is not his strength; however, when his does not settle and is locked in few if any in the college ranks are more difficult to stop at the rim.

Rick Pitino: We cannot underestimate the effects that a leader who has won multiple NCAA Championships can have on a game with a week to prepare. Pitino become the first coach to win two NCAA Championships with two different schools and has used his uptempo style of play to wreak havoc on opponents for the past 30 plus years. The man’s sweet 16 record is an astonishing 11-1!

Style of Play: 

Louisville will not hide their cards as they will play their brand of basketball which is uptempo and packed with pressure. The Cardinals believe in speeding up their opponents through full court pressure and using the turnovers forced to create quick buckets. However sometimes their press has the opposite effect which can be just as crippling in the way it can slow a team down. Many teams that have faced Louisville this season have been so cautious in guarding against turnovers that they don’t attack the press for easy baskets. This can wear a team down mentally as they are just getting into their offense as the shot clock is at 25 seconds.

The two man game is a big part of their offense as Pitino likes to match Rozier and Harrell up on the pick and roll. These two are both equipped to score the ball and can create lots of space as Harrell must be respected as not only rolling to the basket but spotting up for a jump shot. As Rozier and Harrell garner so much attention in the two man game others must keep track of Wayne Blackshear who is an adequate spot up shooter from three. This team doesn’t have any cool hand Luke’s anymore but the others must be respected.

Summary: 

This Louisville team is not as dominat of a squad as Pitino has had in recent years but nonetheless a capable group with talent. On the season the Cards have compiled a record of 26-8 in large part because of their defense. The defensive end is where the Cardinals hang their hats as they rank in the top 20 in a couple of defensive team stats including RPG (38.2), SPG (8.3), and BPG (5.5). Louisville is more than capable of losing when teams attack their pressure with good guard play and take care of the ball. If a team is loose with the basketball it only fuels the Cardinals press and allows them to hide their less than stellar half court offense. The reason State beat Louisville in February is because they protected the basketball and looked to score against the press. It will be critical that the Pack come out focused and survive the first 10 minutes of the game come Friday.

 

 

 

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
8 years ago

Can’t believe the sweet 16 game is merely hours away. Our front court better be ready to step up. There were a lot of whistles in the Thursday games which has me a bit concerned. I think we’re going to need all 4 of our BIGs to step up for this game. Boxing out, rebounding, defending, scoring. My guess is that Anya will pick up some quick fouls which means that Abu and Freeman will have to play extended minutes with Kyle coming in for 8-10 minutes. It’s about time for Turner to shake off the poor 2 of 12… Read more »

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
8 years ago

We seem to have an interesting mix of recruits on this team: Cat – 4-5 star Lacey – 4-5 star Abu – 4 star Anya – 4 star Kyle – 4 star Caleb – 4 star Cody – 4 star Turner – 3-4 star Freeman – 3 star Dez – 2-3 star So for anyone thinking that we don’t have the talent/experience of other teams I beg to differ. We won’t match the recruiting power of Kentucky but our average is 4 star which has to be way above the last 30 year average. My hope for State was to… Read more »

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
8 years ago

2 teams playing their best backetball this season. It will be a fun matchup.

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grggaertner07
grggaertner07
8 years ago

Interesting analysis.   As we all know, NCSU has not been static in its game either.   Since playing Lville, NCSU’s team has witnessed the emergence of a more well-rounded inside game.

On a side note, please edit the word ‘dominate’.    It should read ‘dominant’ in the context of the sentence.   thanks!

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NC State Basketball

NC State Guard MJ Rice Will Be Returning Soon After Stepping Away for a Period of Time

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3 days ago

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September 20, 2023

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NC State Guard MJ Rice (6’5″/215) announced yesterday that due to personal reasons, he had to step away from the basketball program, but was excited to be back with his teammates soon. He was clear that his commitment to NC State hasn’t wavered.

(Tweet)

Life is much bigger than sports. These young men are human beings first and foremost, and as we all know, this life is never simple and easy.

Rice transferred to NC State this offseason from Kansas with three years of eligibility remaining. The former High School McDonald’s All-American didn’t get a lot of playing time in his Freshman season at Kansas, averaging 7.6 minutes per game in only 23 games played.

Coming out of Prolific Prep in California, Rice averaged 20.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a Senior. Rivals ranked him as a 5-star prospect, ON3 ranked him 24th nationally, and ESPN ranked him as the #1 player in the state of North Carolina.

Whatever Rice is working through, we value him as a person more than we do a player.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Announces Hiring of Larry Dixon as NC State Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

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1 month ago

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August 24, 2023

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RALEIGH – NC State men’s basketball head coach Kevin Keatts announced Wednesday that Larry Dixon has joined his staff as an assistant coach.

Dixon comes to NC State after spending the last five seasons as an assistant coach at South Florida.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted in January to allow two more assistant coaches on men’s basketball staffs. Dixon, will serve as one of the Pack’s two new assistant coaches that can engage in coaching activities but may not recruit off campus.

“I think Larry is a great addition to our staff,” Keatts said. “He’s a North Carolina native that has dedicated himself to a coaching career since graduating from college. He started at the high school level in North Carolina and eventually moved up to college and now has been a Division I assistant coach for almost 20 years. I think his experience is going to be a great asset for me and our coaching staff, as well as the young men in our program as we develop them on and off the court.”

Larry Dixon joined the USF coaching staff as assistant coach on May 12, 2018.

In just his second season with the team in 2018-19, Dixon helped USF to the top win turnaround in the NCAA during the 2018-19 season, as the Bulls won 14 more games than the previous season. In addition, USF turned in a 24-14 overall record to set a new single-season school record for wins. The Bulls would go on to win the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) championship and claim the program’s first postseason title since 1990.

Dixon also played an instrumental role in the development of 2019 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Laquincy Rideau and 2019 American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Alexis Yetna.

Dixon helped USF become one of the top defensive teams in the NCAA during the 2019-20 season, finishing the year ranked 20th in scoring defense by allowing only 62.7 points per game. The Bulls limited eight teams to fewer than 60 points during the season and held 27 of their 31 opponents under their scoring average at the time of play. The Bulls also ranked 44th in the nation in turnovers forced with 15.6 per game, and stood 65th in the NCAA in steals with 7.5 thefts per game.

In 2021-22, Dixon helped develop Russel Tchewa and Corey Walker Jr. into one of the best frontcourt tandems in the league. The Bulls were again among the top defensive teams in the country, ranking 45th in the NCAA in scoring defense (64.9 ppg).

Dixon came to Tampa after five seasons as an assistant at Georgia Southern under head coach Mark Byington. Prior to his stint with the Eagles, Dixon had collegiate assistant coaching jobs at Winthrop (2007-12), East Carolina (2005-07), South Carolina State (2003-05) and St. Andrews College (2002-03).

In his final season at Georgia Southern, Dixon helped lead the Eagles to a 21-12 record, including an 11-7 mark in the Sun Belt. In 2016-17, he helped Georgia Southern reach the postseason for the first time since 2006, playing in the College Basketball Invitational.

Prior to arriving at Georgia Southern, Dixon spent the 2012-13 season as head coach at York Comprehensive High School in York, S.C.

During his five seasons (2007-12) on the coaching staff at Winthrop under head coach Randy Peele, Dixon was recognized as the top assistant coach in the Big South by Fox Sports.

Before entering the college game, Dixon served as the head coach at Garinger High School in Charlotte, N.C. for three seasons. In 2001, he led Garinger to a North Carolina High School sectional championship and earned Mecklenburg County Coach of the Year honors from the Charlotte Observer. Dixon also spent one season as an assistant at Carver High School in Winston-Salem, N.C. and one season at South Rowan High School in his hometown of Salisbury, N.C.

Dixon graduated from Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, N.C) in 1996, where he was a four-year letterman as a player. He was named the team’s most improved player following his junior season and the top defensive player after his senior season. He helped the Golden Bulls to a pair of CIAA Southern Division titles and a championship game appearance as a sophomore.

A native of Salisbury, N.C., Dixon has two children, Devin and Leah.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Releases 2023-24 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule

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1 month ago

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August 9, 2023

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NC State released their 2023-24 Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule today.

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Below is a look at each teams 2022-23 record, postseason play results, followed by their final rankings according to the NET and KenPom.

The Citadel – 2022-23 Record – 10-22. NET Ranking: 330/KenPom: 327
Abilene Christian – 2022-23 Record – 13-17. NET Ranking: 204/KenPom: 193
Charleston Southern – 2022-23 Record – 10-21. NET Ranking: 304/KenPom: 302
(Vegas Showdown) Vanderbilt – 2022-23 Record – 22-15. NET Ranking: 81/KenPom: 81 (Won 2 games in the NIT)
(Vegas Showdown) Arizona St. – 23-13. NET Ranking: 61/KenPom: 55 (Lost in 2nd Round of NCAA Tournament)
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(Vegas Showdown) BYU – 2022-23 Record – 19-15. NET Ranking: 84/KenPom: 77
@ Ole Miss – 2022-23 Record – 12-21. NET Ranking: 129/KenPom: 122
Maryland Eastern Shore – 2022-23 Record – 18-13. KenPom: 251
UT Martin – 2022-23 Record – 19-14. NET Ranking: 251/KenPom: 273
(Hall of Fame San Antonio) Tennessee – 2022-23 Record – 25-11. NET Ranking: 5/KenPom: 6 (Lost in Sweet 16 of NCAA Tournament)
Saint Louis – 2022-23 Record – 21-12. NET Ranking: 97/96
Detroit – 2022-23 Record – 14-19. NET Ranking: 212/KenPom: 200

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NC State Basketball

NC State Men’s Basketball to Play Vanderbilt in Opening Round of Vegas Showdown

Published

2 months ago

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August 8, 2023

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The bracket for the Vegas Showdown on November 23-24 has been released, and NC State will play Vanderbilt in the opening round on ESPN2. They will either play Arizona State or BYU the following day, depending on how it shakes out.

Vanderbilt finished the regular season last year with a record of 22-15, and were ranked 81st according to KenPom. Arizona St. finished the regular season with a record of 23-13, and were ranked 55th according to KenPom. BYU finished the regular season with a record of 19-15, and were ranked 77th according to KenPom.

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