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Duke and NC State play Monday night at 7 PM on ESPN. Duke recently beat Miami Saturday night in Durham by mixing up lineups in the second half. Jeff Capel started Frank Jackson, Matt Jones instead of Grayson Allen, and Luke Kennard resulting in a 22-1 run to start the second half.

Duke has a quick turnaround to be ready for Monday night’s game aginst NC State. What are some things Duke has done to find success this season? Luke Kennard has been steady offensively averaging 19.7 PPG while shooting 52% from the field as well as 44% from three. In addition to Kennard, offensively Duke likes to push the pace with a drive and kick strategy. Teams struggle to slow down this attack because of Duke’s well-rounded perimeter players.

Defensively, the Blue Devils play an intense man to man defense, featuring heavy ball pressure. Their defense and rebounding took a hit with Amile Jefferson missing games with a foot injury; however, he returned aginst Miami and played 34 minutes grabbing 12 rebounds. Jefferson’s presence on the court is a must for Duke, as he gives them experience, leadership, and toughness.

Jeff Capel decided to put his mark on this team while they await Coach K’s return by mixing up lineups. He was non-committal in the starting lineup for Monday night’s game. Duke has a combination of youth, talent, and experience that few teams in the NCAA have. It will be interesting to see what combinations Capel puts together aginst the Wolfpack.

This season has been a test riddled with controversy, adversity, and injuries. Grayson Allen has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Coach K has missed several weeks due to back surgery. Only four games has Duke had a full compliment of players due to injury and suspensions. These issues have hindered their growth, putting them behind where many thought this team would be at this point in the season.

After all of the adversity, this team looks to be getting back on track after a strong second half showing at home over Miami. They got back to their trademark hard-nosed defense that fuels their offense. The Blue Devils decided in the second half they were not going to lose anymore. Monday night Duke will be ready to build upon the second half where they forced turnovers and shot 66% from the field. Game time is at 7 o’clock with coverage on ESPN.

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WolfPack
WolfPack
6 years ago

We need to know ourselves first period

NC State Basketball

D.J. Burns is OFFICIALLY BACK!

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Well, it’s OFFICIAL. D.J Burns will be returning to NC State for his final year of collegiate eligibility!

 

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A post shared by DJ Burns / BIG 30♨️ (@dj.b30)

This confirms everything I’d been hearing about the return of Burns. Burns was the key to the Wolfpack offense running effectively this past year. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23, but he elevated his game in ACC play, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in conference games.

Burns is celebrating his return to run with the Wolfpack by dropping his own Big 30 merch. Go over and snag something.

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NC State Basketball

Isaiah Miranda is an Early Entry Candidate for the 2023 NBA Draft

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The NBA released the names of the 242 players that have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2023 last night, and NC State’s Isaiah Miranda’s name was on the list.

Miranda (7’1″/225) joined the Wolfpack back in December, deciding to forgo the remainder of his prep season. Miranda didn’t see the court for NC State, resulting in a redshirt season.

ON3 ranked Miranda as the #16 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

It makes perfect sense for a player like Miranda, with his height and athleticism, to go through the draft process to be evaluated on what he needs to continue to work on. As an early entrant, Miranda has the ability to pull his name out of the draft and remain a collegiate athlete.

I don’t expect Miranda to keep his name in the hat when the time comes. From what I hear his game has tons of potential, but he still needs to fine tune his craft. Also, Miranda shared this on social media, implying he will be back in the Red and White next year.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra Commits to NC State

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NC State picked up their 5th transfer today. Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) committed to run with the Wolfpack today while in Raleigh on an Official Visit.

Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

With news breaking today that Dusan Mahorcic entered the Transfer Portal, the Wolfpack found his replacement. NC State’s frontcourt in 2023-24 currently will be made up of D.J. Burns, Ben Middlebrooks, Mohamed Diarra and Ernest Ross.

Check out these highlights of Diarra.

There is a lot to like in Diarra’s game. He is athletic, can hit a jump shot, put the ball on the floor, can play defense on the perimeter, block shots, and is an aggressive rebounder.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra is On an Official Visit to NC State Today

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Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) is on an Official Visit to NC State today. Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Diarra entered the Transfer Portal on March 28th.

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