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Another game of NC State at full strength, another impressive win. The Wolfpack used big games from Terry Henderson and Dennis Smith Jr to topple the Stags 99-78.

Better spacing  leads to hot shooting night
NC State shot 53% from the floor and 52% from 3 point range in the victory. Henderson hit 6-10 from beyond the arc (finished with 25pts)  and Dennis Smith went 5-7 from 3point range (finished with 17 points). You also had Abu going 6-9 from the field, Yurtseven going 6-11 and Dorn going 3-6.

So yeah, you get the point. The team was hitting their shots. But this was more than a team that had a good night, it was the product of good, clean, open looks. You are starting to see just how valuable Omer Yurtseven is. All of the sudden the team is dying to dump it down to him or find him in the middle of the zone. The reason is, he’s a playmaker. He’s not a black hole in the post. Yurt is catching the ball and reading the situation. Most of the time he’s drawing attention and kicking it out for open shots, but sometimes if the help is late, he’s making them pay by scoring.

This type of ‘point-center’ brings an entirely new wrinkle to the Wolfpack offense and literally changes this basketball team. The spacing and opportunity that this kid is creating just with his presence is enough to make nights like this not so surprising.

 

Abu showing signs of resurgence
We’ve been admittedly hard on Malik Abu this season. I mean, it’s not like his stats have been bad at all, it’s just that Abu has NBA level talent, and he has the ability to literally take over the game on the inside. But this season, we’ve seen him turn into more of a midrange shooter and someone who is not as interested in mixing it up physically in the paint. We wondered if it was him trying to stay out of foul trouble, or him wanting to showcase his jumper a little more.

Whatever it was, it seems like he’s done with it and back to beasting. Sure, he still took a few midrange jumpers, and you know what, he’s actually making them this season, so you can’t complain. However, in this one, we saw him start really playing more physical. He attacked the rim and played a little more with his back to the basket at times. This versatility is what makes him so special. He needs to show teams he can abuse them in the paint, and then step out every now and then to flash his jumper. With Yurtseven in the fold, it allows Abu to play his natural position and really gives him much more space to work. Offensively it was good to see him attacking and playing in the role that he’s been so successful with in his year at NC State.

It wasn’t only on offense where we thought Abu looked better. It was also on the boards. He was much more active in this one finishing with a team-high 8. Overall, a big step forward for Malik in this one.
Roles are starting to be defined
The keys to this season are going to be less about wins and losses at this point, and more about improvements and team building. This year Gottfried has a young team with very little true veteran leadership. The good news is that the schedule has been pretty easy. This is giving the team time to figure themselves out, find their roles, and get used to playing together.

With the team back at full strength, you are starting to see real roles emerge. Smith Jr is fitting in nicely as a lead guard who can and will score. He is really getting good at picking his spots and scoring within the flow. Henderson and Dorn have really not had too much trouble figuring out their roles. Henderson seems to have taken a little more of a scoring role as of late, and Dorn, who started the season red-hot, has since taken his foot off the gas a bit. These two will likely fluctuate in their shot totals and final scoring numbers but make no mistake, both are probably going to be near the top of the scoring leaders at season’s end.

Rowan is still a wild card at this point. Not so much a wild card in the sense of you don’t know what he’s gong to give you. I think that is very clear. I think it’s still to be seen how much he’s relied upon to score. Right now he’s coming off of a 3 week hiatus (due to concussion), and is being eased back into shape. In his absence, NC State has gotten big time minutes from Henderson, Dorn and Smith. Rowan at full strength will just add another capable scorer to the mix. The key is that it doesn’t seem like anyone is going to have to shoulder the load as the ‘go-to’ guy. Smith, Dorn, Henderson and Rowan can all give you elite scoring numbers on a given night.

Markell Johnson is seeing his minutes dip just a bit, but that was expected and it has nothing to do with his play. The kid is an absolute stud and going to be someone who is a major role player on this basketball team. He’s going to slot in a lot more as a backup to Smith and a little less alongside Smith. There will be times when the two play together (esp. if Smith keeps scoring like he is), but with Dorn, Henderson and Rowan playing well, Johnson becomes a 6th or 7th man who brings energy off the bench and heady, athletic floor leader who if it weren’t for Smith, woudl be the Pack’s lead guard.

In the front court, you are seeing the rotation start to become clear. Yurtseven is such a game changer that he’s already seeing major minutes and becoming a major part of the offense. He is going to be the guy in the paint. Then you have Abu. The more Abu shows he can dominate the boards and attack the rim, the more minutes he’s going to see. With Kapita being totally capable and Anya playing better as of late, Abu is still in a sense, fighting for minutes. If, however, Abu plays like he did against Fairfield then it’s pretty obvious that he’s going to be a guy who State relies upon to lead them on the boards and be their workhorse in the paint.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

Remember guys, this was Fairfield, not Duke, UNC, Virginia, Miami, Syracuse, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Clemson, Wake, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech,or Boston College. Those are the measurement games not these warm ups.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Gott better start thinking beyond this season. Dennis, Yurt7, and Terry are probably gone after this season. He better start giving Shaun Kirk more minutes before we lose another kid to transfer. Markell, Kirk, Kapita, and Hicks are the core of the future.

Anthony
Anthony
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

Kirk isn’t gonna transfer.

A. He came in knowing he’d be a three or four year guy.
B. His Little Brother is gonna be a walk on next season.

Terry is probably gonna be here. he’s said multiple times that he wants to and is gonna apply for a 6th year. and the precedent (sp?) has already been set by players this year (Alex Murphy, Tyler Ennis) to give it to him. And he Loves Raleigh.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Reply to  Anthony

I hope Terry does stay. He’s the best shooter on the team but 6 years is a long time to be in college.

Anthony
Anthony
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

yea but he has said multiple times he wants to stay.

WolfPack
WolfPack
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

No, Gott need to think about this season. Next season is next season. We need to focus on maximizing the talent we have this season. next season roster is way on the bottom in our priority list. I don’t understand why you think about next season.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Reply to  WolfPack

That kind of thinking is why this staff is having to scramble all the time after transfers and early departures. A good program has to not only think about the current season but many seasons to come. Keeping all the guys happy and productive is part of the job of a coach.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

Don’t forget about Dorin and Rowan.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Reply to  wolfpack74

Of course.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Markell is our point guard of the future. He could potentially play 4 years and still have a chance at the NBA. But he needs to work on his outside shooting and FTs. It’s rare to see a guard struggle at the FT line.

Anthony
Anthony
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

He was a streaky shooter in HS. Avg 31 a game. i THINK the shooter gets better as the season and his career progress. No idea about his free throws. he has good form i think that may be a part of his freshman wall.

Anthony
Anthony
7 years ago

also Abu had 9 boards no 8.

Jeff Tyson
Jeff Tyson
7 years ago

Quick edit note: Should be “rout” not “route” in title.

mc991
mc991
7 years ago

Nice take. Agree with everything said.

NC State Basketball

An NC State Win Over Marquette in the Sweet 16 Would Be…

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Awesome. Obviously.

#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette tomorrow night in the Sweet 16. What would a win mean for the Wolfpack? Many things, but here’s just a few:

It would give NC State 25 wins on the year (25-14), which would be the most wins since 1982-83, when the Wolfpack went 26-10, winning the National Championship.

It would mark the 12th time in school history that NC State has won 25+ games in a single season.

1982-83 – 26-10 

1973-74 – 30-1 

1972-73 – 27-0 

1954-55 – 28-4 

1953-54 – 26-7

1952-53 – 26-6 

1950-51 – 30-7 

1949-50 – 27-6 

1948-49 – 25-8 

1947-48 – 29-3

1946-47- 26-5

It would be the 7th time NC State has advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.

1950

1951

1974

1983

1985

1986

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NC State Basketball

NC State has Won 5 ACC Championships this Year

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NC State has won 5 ACC Championships this year, which is the most of any athletic program in the conference this year.

The Wolfpack has won ACC Titles in Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Men’s Basketball and Gymnastics.

The last time NC State won 5 ACC Championships in one year was 1979-80.

As far as I can tell, here’s a look at the Wolfpack Conference Titles from 1979-80:

Football
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Cross Country
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Men’s Tennis

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NC State Basketball

NC State is 1 of 4 Schools to Have Both Men & Women’s Basketball Teams in Sweet 16

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NC State is 1 of 4 schools to have their Men and Women’s Basketball teams BOTH advance to the Sweet 16, along with Duke, Gonzaga and UCONN.

NC State and Duke are the only two schools in the country to send both Basketball teams to the Sweet 16, and also send the Football team to a bowl game.

This marks only the third time in school history that BOTH teams made the Sweet 16.

Years NC State’s Men & Women’s Teams Made the Sweet 16

1985
1989
2024

Despite the fact that the Men’s team has made the Elite 8 six times (1950, 1951, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986), and the Women have made it 2 times (1998 & 2022), in the three occasions they both went to the Sweet 16 in the same year, neither team advanced to the Elite 8.

In 2024, Why Not Us?

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NC State Basketball

#3 seed NC State Holds on Against #6 Seed Tennessee, Defeating the Vols 79-72 to Advance to the Sweet 16

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#3 seed NC State held on last night, defeating #6 seed Tennessee 79-72 in Reynolds Coliseum to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 5th time in the last 6 tournaments.

The Wolfpack led by only 1 after the 1st Quarter, but they looked like they had things under control at halftime, leading by 18 points.

At one point, NC State led by as much as 20 points in the 3rd Quarter, but the Lady Volunteers weren’t about to give up.

With 4:19 left in the 4th, Tennessee cut the lead to 2 points, but NC State might have bent, but they wouldn’t break.

Junior Guard Aziaha James led the way with 22 points and 7 assists, which were both team highs. She scored 7 points in the final 3.5 minutes, helping to squash tue Last Vols’ comeback attempt.

Junior Guard Saniya Rivers had 20 points (6-14 FG) and 6 boards.

Freshman Zoe Brooks was clutch off the bench, chipping in 16 points and 6 boards.

This marks the 16th time the NC State Women’s Basketball team has advanced to the Sweet 16.

The Wolfpack will play #2 seed Stanford on Friday night at 7:30pm on ESPN in Portland.

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