What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend TJ Warren? I caught up with the man who won the ACC Player of the Year Award in 2014 to get his take.
What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?
I’m a second generation Wolfpack basketball player. Wolf blood runs through my veins, so to be able to witness a ride like that was truly amazing.
What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?
I think that is speaks to the heart that the players have. As a 10th seed in the ACC tournament, it’s easy to pack it in and look towards the offseason, but they did the opposite. They bonded together over adversity and that’s what made them so endearing. Hard work in the face of adversity, that’s something that Wolfpack fans can relate to.
As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?
As I mentioned earlier, NCSU hoops has been in my family for a long time, so it meant a whole lot personally. This run definitely took me back to some of the fond memories I have of putting on the Red & White and playing in front of a packed house at the PNC.
What was the most memorable moment for you?
I think Mike’s shot to tie the game at the end of regulation. It just felt like destiny at that point. Anytime you get to beat UNC and Duke days apart is special too.
How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?
I think that it puts us back on the national radar where we belong. After a magical run like that, I think it makes players want to be a part of that. A run like that reinvigorates a program definitely.
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Warren is 1 of only 6 NC State players to ever be named the ACC Player of the Year. In his Sophomore season, Warren was named a 2nd Team All-American by Sporting News and the AP. He averaged 24.9 points per game, which is the 5th best mark in a single season in NC State history. Warren scored 871 points that year, which is the most points ever scored in a single season by a Wolfpack player.
TJ was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
NC State Forward Ernest Ross announced today that he is entering the Transfer Portal.
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Ross played in 14 games this year, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.
Ross was a consensus 4-star player in the 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.
Ross has one more year of eligibility remaining.
NC State has 3 scholarships available now.
Best of luck Ernest!
The picture says it all. He has no concept of what’s going on defense. His defense is the guy that’s taking the ball out of the basket and throwing it in. Hire a defensive minded assistant and then stay away from them. Go recruiting, that’s all you can do.
Gott, You are awesome recruiter. Keep recruiting, but we need to hire someone who can actually coach defense to team. We need system. We need discipline. We need Communication. We need defensive scheme.
Stop with this non sense of free style defense. There are no such thing as free style defense. Defense is fruit of disciplined team effort.
Coach Gott,
Everyone knows you can produce great guards. Work on getting our big me above average.
#GETEMRIGHTCOACH!
Great analysis
wolfpack74, consider how young this team is and how sometimes, there are five players on the floor who are playing together in their first season together. It’s a whole nother level they need to adjust to. No one’s arguing with you that the team needs to play better defense but it’s early still. A new coach? Please!
You start by getting another coach. Or getting an assistant that can coach defense.
If I was AD I would be having a little chat with Coach after that loss. Team is so undisciplined ridicules!! Just like the football team.
Agreed. If the head coach isn’t strong in an area of the court (Gott doesn’t seem to be strong anywhere but recruiting) then you get assistant coaches who are better. This of course doesn’t look good for the head coach who’s getting paid a ton of money but why not even out the pay a little to have a better assistant coach.
Losing on the road with basically a 6 man rotation is forgivable. And a lot of the turnovers in the first half seemed related to nervous energy – I suspect that problem will fix itself. I’m sad about Anya; what a disappointment he is for the program and his teammates. For someone of his size and potential, as a senior, to not be able to rebound or defend his position is depressing.