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NC State looks to revenge their first ACC loss as Miami travels to Raleigh this Saturday to face the Wolfpack. Game time is at 3 o’clock with coverage on The ACC Network. What must NC State do to beat the Hurricanes?

The Wolfpack need to build upon their last game offensively.

NC State had a solid game offensively as Dennis Smith posted a triple-double and Maverick Rowan scored a career-high 31 points. The Wolfpack shot 51.5% from the field as well as 43.8% from three. Smith tallied 15 assists masterfully distributing the ball to the open man. Not only did Smith dish the ball out well but he did it under control by registering just two turnovers. Malik Abu played well running the court hard and finding openings underneath.

Miami will look to cut off Smith when he drives the basketball which is why NC State must move off-ball. Dennis will need to be prepared to get rid of the ball quickly instead of dribbling the air out of the basketball. Miami will sell out to stop his penetration meaning that other players will be open to attack the Hurricanes disadvantaged side. The Wolfpack must be active as well as ready to make quick decisions before Miami can recover. Ball movement can go a longs ways to solving Miami’s defense.

Defensively NC State has to take a stand aginst Miami.

A reoccurring theme is NC State’s defensive efforts. The Pack has not been able to get stops this season. Defending the pick and roll has been a thorn in the Pack’s side. Dennis Smith needs to be consistent in his approach to defending the pick and roll by not switching as often( in depth ). Too often teams get mismatches because the Wolfpack switch on pick and rolls leaving a big man on a guard or vice versa. Dennis can minimize this by fighting through screens on defense to stay with his man. Miami will put Newton in pick and rolls as he excels at turning the corner to get to the basket. The Pack must find a way to protect the paint off the pick and roll if they are going to beat Miami.

The Wolfpack must be willing to adjust.

In NC State’s last two games they have allowed a player to get going early. Aginst Louisville Donovan Mitchell scored early and often on his way to 28 points. Syracuse’s John Gillion got comfortable early building his confidence as he tallied 43 points on 13 shots (14-14 FT). Players have to listen to the staff because I know they were preaching to not go under screens after Gillion hit a couple of threes. Miami has players capable of scoring in bunches, NC State must take it upon themselves to stop them before things snowball.

NC State sits at 3-7 in the ACC and 14-9 overall heading into Saturday’s matchup. The Pack have had nice moments this season, but have not been able to put it all together. Results have not matched up to the perceived talent the Wolfpack possesses. Miami offers an opportunity for NC State to execute offensively aginst a tough defensive team that got the better of them earlier in the season. NC State will be tested individually as the Hurricanes have talent throughout their lineup. The question remains can NC State forget the past and gel together to play on both ends of the court? Game time is at 3 o’clock with coverage on The ACC Network.

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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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