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NC State faces a quick turnaround as they travel to Duke for Monday night’s showdown in Cameron Indoor. Game time is at 7 o’clock with coverage on ESPN. What are some keys to the game for NC State?

Turnovers.

NC State cannot turn the ball over if they want to have any chance at winning at Duke come Monday. The Blue Devils are a dangerous team as they can create baskets in an instance as a result of live ball turnovers. Turnovers are compounded in an environment like Cameron Indoor as each miscue slowly eats away a team’s psyche. Guard play will need to think twice before making long passes and be patient when dealing with Duke’s ball pressure defense. If NC State can keep their turnovers in single digits they have a shot.

Rebounding.

NC State has got to give itself a chance at winning by giving full effort to prevent offensive rebounds. They have striggled to collect misses at key points in the game. Last game they allowed Wake Forest to grab a few offensive rebounds after getting a stop intially only to surrender another possession due to not boxing out. Duke is too good at Cameron at knocking down shots! The best time to shoot the three-ball is off of an offensive rebound, and Duke will punish NC State if they get to the offensive glass.

The Pack must guard their “yard”.

Defense is a team effort but that team effort is useless if individual players constantly get beat off the dribble. NC State has got to keep their man in front of them to limit teams access to the paint. It takes a lot of effort to cut off penetration and to do it without fouling is critical. This lack of being able to defend without fouling and protecting the paint is why NC State is ranked last in team defense in the ACC. They are allowing 84.7 PPG in seven ACC games. That is inexcusable. That stat alone tells the story of why the Pack are 2-5 in ACC play.

The season has been a disapointment to say the least. A team with NC State’s depth and talent should not be 2-5 in the ACC; however, they are. Excuses don’t matter at this point. The Wolfpack cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. Game time is at 7 PM with coverage on ESPN.

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Ballerman4452
Ballerman4452
6 years ago

I hate to say it, but the team played better when Yurtseven wasn’t on the court. That’s why he barely played the 2nd half. The kid is full of potential but is just way too soft.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
6 years ago
Reply to  Ballerman4452

He is either soft or way out of shape. Doesn’t move like the videos we saw before he committed to State.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
6 years ago

Now Tyler, study the lineup changes. Tell Gott what you discovered, because it worked well tonight.

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NC State Basketball

D.J. Burns is OFFICIALLY BACK!

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1 month ago

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April 27, 2023

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

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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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1 month ago

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April 26, 2023

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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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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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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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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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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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