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NC State found a way to walk out of Cameron Indoor Stadium for the first time since 1995 with a win. The Pack gave full effort refusing to lose when things got tough and proved they are making some progress. Let’s take a look at last night’s win.

Dennis Smith Jr had an outstanding game, his best in Red & White to date.

NC State needed a monumental effort out of Smith if they were going to win at Duke and he answered the call. Duke could not stop Smith as he torched them to the tune of 32 points. Many of Smith’s baskets came in critical junctures of the game that allowed the Pack to stay in striking distance. The close of the first half appeared to be going in Duke’s favor; however, Smith went on a personal 6-0 run to cut a 12 point deficit to just 6 before the half.

In the second half, Smith continued his stellar play by getting his teammates involved. He recorded all 6 of his assists in the second half leading NC State to shoot 55% from the field to overcome the 6 point halftime hole. It wasn’t just about Smith’s stat line last night. It was about his swagger and desire to do whatever was necessary to win. Dennis Smith Jr has that “it” factor. His competitiveness and desire to win willed his team to victory. His attitude was contagious as each player left it all on the court!

Ted Kapita gave NC State toughness and energy off the bench.

Mark Gottfried said, “have a hunch bet a bunch.” He had a gut feeling that Kapita needed to be the first player off the bench and it paid off! Kapita finished the game with 14 points (6-7 from field) and 10 rebounds! NC State fed off of Kapita’s energy by playing harder which allowed the Pack to survive Duke’s runs. Duke did not have an answer for Ted’s effort as the freshman wanted the basketball more than anyone else on the court. That is why NC State needs him to play more because he brings an edge to the Pack that no one else does. With Ted in the game, NC State plays harder. Kapita should be rewarded with more playing time as he appeared to be a good fit alongside Abu.

NC State showed progress as they found a way to win.

Duke had a couple of opportunities to put the game way; however, NC State refused to quit. The Pack found ways to get stops when they needed to by protecting the paint better in the second half. They did not allow Duke to have uncontested layups. Defensively, they did a much better job at not fouling, as the Blue Devils attempted 21 free-throws on the night.

Offensively the Wolfpack found ways to score when the game was in question. Smith was not alone in making big shots as Maverick Rowan hit tough shots down the stretch. Rowan also came up with clutch free-throws to keep NC State ahead. Malik Abu avoided foul trouble and scored 19 points on 8-12 shooting. It wasn’t about X’s and O’s last night it was the will to win. NC State wanted this game more than Duke, period.

Defensively NC State accepted the challenge but still needs to communicate better.

Overall NC State defended better as they improved in keeping their man out of the paint. NC State players accepted the challenge of taking away the paint off the dribble. Individually, they decided they were not going to allow uncontested layups as they protected the rim. Jayson Tatum missed several layups down the stretch because NC State refused to give up on the play. They recovered and contested well.

Communication still needs improvement, especially on ball screens. NC State guards need to be better at fighting through screens to prevent big men from having to hedge so much. Post players need to communicate frequently to guards to let them know where the screener is coming from as early as possible. Guards will have more time to adjust and fight over the impending screen. Sometimes communication is too late, which puts the Pack in a bad situation where the guard is not aware of the screen, resulting in an advantage for the offense. Last night NC State got lucky that Duke did not hit some open shots.

Coach Gottfried is still figuring his group out.

Mark Gottfried was open about how he is still trying to figure out which lineup combinations work best for his team. Last night BeeJay Anya played just 3 minutes as Ted Kapita captured his usual minutes as a result of his strong play. Kapita gave NC State more energy and versatility because he is capable of playing out of the high post as well as the block. With Kapita and Abu in the game, NC State has two guys that provide spacing under the basket. That space helps Smith when he looks to attack the rim by not having a help-side defender in his pocket.

NC State believes in each other. Their belief in each other is why they still have an opportunity to finish the season strong. I cannot tell you which team will come out on Sunday at Louisville, but I do know that NC State just beat Duke and that is something to enjoy.

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BALLERMAN4452
BALLERMAN4452
6 years ago

I hope this lights a fire under Yurtseven. The kid has potential but is way too soft and ACC teams are quickly figuring that out. Kapita was given a chance and he did really well, and maybe will be taking Yurts minutes if he keeps this up.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
6 years ago
Reply to  BALLERMAN4452

If he doesn’t take Yurts minutes, then Gott’s the most ignorant coach in the league. Yurts can’t play ACC level basketball yet.

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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