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NC State will look to have more energy and focus as they square off aginst Syracuse tonight at 7 o’clock with coverage on ESPN2. The Orange have not won a single road game this season. NC State, on the other hand, has been solid at PNC Arena with an 11-2 record. What are the keys to the game for NC State to beat Syracuse?

NC State cannot be content to pass the ball around the perimeter aginst the 2-3 zone.

Syracuse uses a 2-3 matchup zone defense that leverages their length to force teams to beat them from the outside. NC State must be disciplined to penetrate the interior with the pass as well as the dribble. The Wolfpack will not be successful if they casually pass the ball around the perimeter settling for contested threes. Dennis Smith and company must be willing to attack the gaps to draw attention finding the open man. A lineup that has both Smith and Johnson could be helpful as that would give NC State two players capable of attacking the seams to draw extra defenders. Malik Abu must move constantly looking to find the soft spots underneath, also looking to attack the offensive glass.

Defensively NC State will need to stop Andrew White and Tyler Lydon.

At Lousiville NC State allowed Donovan Mitchell to have clean looks early, the result was devastating. Tonight they cannot allow White to get going early because he is capable of carrying the Orange. White is averaging 25.5 PPG over the last two games as Syracuse beat Wake and FSU. The scouting report on White is that he is a shooter the Pack must run him off the three-point line, leaving him open will be costly. Andrew White leads the ACC in made three-pointers per game at 3.2.

Tyler Lydon presents a different challenge with his ability to stretch the floor with his jump shot. NC State has struggled at defending stretch fours. Lydon is shooting 44% from the three-point line on the season and is playing with confidence. The strategy for the Pack has to be to sell out hard on Lydon, therefore, forcing him to dribble. If Lydon is allowed to catch and shoot NC State will be in for a long night.

Play with energy and emotion.

NC State can hang with any team if they play with fire and energy; however, too often they haven’t. It is frustrating that this is an issue especially at this point in the season. Syracuse will be desperate to notch their first road win of the season. NC State has got to come out with intensity to take the Orange out of their comfort zone. The Wolfpack need to be physical taking the fight to them. Attacking the rim on offense as well as extending pressure defensively. The Wolfpack must create some excitement early in order to get the crowd behind them Game time is at 7 o’clock with coverage on ESPN2.

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Wormncsu
Wormncsu
7 years ago

When he took Smith Jr out around that 8 min mark and put in Johnson momentum changed drastically and we never recovered.

0
wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

Fire Gott. Can’t get any worse can it?

1
mc991
mc991
7 years ago

16 point lead with 8 minutes to go… no excuse.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is Currently Visiting NC State

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14 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is on a visit to NC State currently, according to a source.

Indiana State Transfer Ryan Conwell was on campus last week, but he just committed to Xavier.

From what I hear, the staff preferred James over Connell anyway. A plus with James is he has 2 years of eligibility, whereas Conwell has 1.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

Rivals ranked James as the #71 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, and ESPN ranked him as the #7 prospect in the state of Florida.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years. This year, he averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds.

For a more extensive look at James’ game, click here.

Rivals ranks James as the #77 overall player in the Transfer Portal.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State

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18 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

NC State already hosted Indiana State Transfer Guard Ryan Conwell last week, and while the Wolfpack coaches like both players, from what I’m hearing, James would be their preference.

NC State hasn’t had James in for a visit, but that could happen soon.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Casey Morsell is the 4th Player in NCAA History to Start 41 Games in a Season

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23 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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NC State Guard Casey Morsell started 41 games for the Wolfpack this season, becoming the 4th player in NCAA history to do so.

 

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A post shared by NC State Basketball (@packmensbball)

Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.

Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.

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NC State Basketball

Georgetown Transfer Dontrez Styles Commits to NC State!

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Georgetown Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/212) has committed to NC State!

Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.

Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.

After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #104 overall player in the Portal.

With his final year of eligibility, Styles’ made the right choice this time.

NC State now has 2 scholarships remaining after Styles’ commitment.

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