Game Time: 7 o’clock | TV: ESPN2 | Location: FSU

Florida State and NC State square off tonight as the Seminoles look to remain undefeated at home. The Wolfpack are trying to gain a big road win to shock some much-needed life into their season. What are the keys to the game for NC State?

The Pack must give themselves a chance tonight by winning the hustle battle.

Florida State is the superior team as evident by their 20-4 record; however; NC State, has a fighter’s chance if they control the boards. The Noles and the Pack are even in RPG at 37. The Wolfpack must be aggressive attacking the glass on both ends of the court, especially securing the defensive glass. Florida State’s offense is potent and cannot be allowed extra possessions as a result of offensive rebounds. NC State’s defense has struggled mightily but needs to help themselves by rebounding the basketball. Abu and company will need to put a body on every FSU player as they are too long and athletic to out jump for rebounds. In each of FSU’s four losses this season, they have lost the rebounding battle.

NC State will need to keep turnovers to a minimum as Florida State excels at creating easy offense off turnovers.

The Pack has been solid offensively the past two games averaging 1.25 points per possession but has nothing to show for it. Florida State is among the best at creating turnovers as opponents are averaging 15.2 a game. NC State will need to handle FSU’s pressure defense as they extend their defense beyond the three-point line to disrupt teams offensive flow. Teams can beat the Noles off the dribble because of their aggressive defensive tactics; however, they are solid at their help-side rotations. The Pack must attack the paint to draw help-side defenders and not hesitate at getting rid of the ball. Florida State recovers quickly on defense which is why NC State must be decisive. The Wolfpack has players capable of getting to the paint it is just a matter of not settling for contested jump shots.

The Wolfpack must be ready to defend in transition.

Florida State is great in the open court as they have guys who run the floor hard looking to score. Dwayne Bacon and company are capable of scoring quickly off of teams makes or misses. Wolfpack guards will need to get back defensively if they don’t FSU will be shooting layups all night. NC State cannot afford to celebrate any made shots because the Noles will push the ball up the court to take advantage.

A road matchup aginst a team that is undefeated at home presents quite the challenge as well as an opportunity for NC State. The Wolfpack have a chance to notch another big win on the road. They desperately need a good effort tonight to gain some confidence to finish the season on a positive note. Can NC State hang with the Noles tonight at 7 o’clock? Tune into ESPN2 to find out.

NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

19 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Matthew Bradham

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) has announced his commitment to NC State!

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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.

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.

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

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining. With James’ commitment, NC State currently has 1 scholarship available for next season.

NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill is on a Visit to NC State

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) confirmed with me that he is currently on a visit at NC State.

Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons this season. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #78 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

According to a source, the NC State Coaching Staff is extremely high on Hill, and they are recruiting him as a Point Guard.

NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.