Today Centennial Authority Executive Director Jeff Merritt announced plans to upgrade PNC Arena along with board Chairman Tom McCormick. McCormick stated, “The proposed enhancement project will help maintain PNC Arena as a world-class facility; positioning the region to further attract elite sports and entertainment events” WRAL SportsFan
Here is a quick rundown of the details of the proposed multi-million dollar renovation:
- Some of the upgrades will be cosmetic as they want to improve the general appearance to attract top level entertainment acts and lure the best athletes for NC State and the Carolina Hurricanes.
- East and West entries will be upgraded cosmetically to give a uniform look to the whole arena.
- To handle the added entertainment options, the North end where the loading dock currently resides will be updated to accomdate more than 800 full and part-time employees.
- The South end will be geared towards the fans as it will include a lounge area, retail space, and a roof top bar & restaurant.
- PNC Arena opened in 1999 and recently under went a face lift in 2010 as luxury boxes were renovated, and in 2014 when LED lights were installed.
Take a look at the renderings of the proposed plan below. Hopefully these plans will be given a green light as it will improve the fans experience and help NC State in its recruiting efforts. It is also great for the city of Raleigh. If you want more information be sure to visit WRAL Sports Fan.
Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.
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.
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.
He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.
NC State already hosted Indiana State Transfer Guard Ryan Conwell last week, and while the Wolfpack coaches like both players, from what I’m hearing, James would be their preference.
NC State hasn’t had James in for a visit, but that could happen soon.
James has 2 years of eligibility remaining.
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