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!
Offense looking like its coming together (still need work). We still have to work on perimeter defense before conference play.
I can’t wait for the Miami game. Enough of these cream puffs, I want to see what this full complement of players can do against a good team.
not to disappoint you but.. our RPI is 30… MIami’s is 96. that’s worse than TSU’s
Yeah but they are a well coached team and they are an ACC team. RPI’s don’t really mean anything this early. For instance, 8-3 Florida who lost to FSU is ranked #4 in RPI and 12-0 UCLA who beat Kentucky at Kentucky is #15.
we are 10 to 12 games in so it’s fair to say that the RPI while not a infallible measure is beginning to be more and more accurate and 30 and 96 is a huge jump TSU who when we played them was 56. They are 63 now and Miami is 76 which closes the Gap substantially. i believe that we will see that type of game when we play Miami.
9 assists by Smith is the stat line that I am most impressed by. The ball movement was much better. We were swinging the ball from one side of the court to the other, then going into the post and looking for the open man. I much prefer the Dennis that gets his guys involved and looks less to shoot. When he did shoot he mostly had his feet set and shoulders squared. Shooting off a pass a few times.
Just caught the game on stream and right off I am impressed by Yurt7’s ability to catch, pass, shoot, and really drive the offense from the high post and low post areas. This kid will help everyone’s 3 point shooting % with his passing and decision making from the post. The offense is no longer perimeter dominated, it’s much better balanced. This is what I was wanting to see all season.
Hey we outrebounded someone!