Mark Armstrong of ABC 11 dropped a missile on Wolfpack nation last night with this segment.

Here is my 6pm Gottfried report: pic.twitter.com/QpIVEppC9B

— Mark Armstrong (@ArmstrongABC11) February 13, 2017

Armstrong is saying that multiple sources are telling him that over the weekend the decision was made that Gottfried would not return after the season. However, NC State quickly came out with an official statement making it clear that Gottfried was still the coach and nothing had been decided.

So what is the truth? Believe me, we’ve been on the phone constantly over the past few hours and have talked to every source we’ve had over 8 years and here is what we’ve got:

– There has been no ‘official’ decision to let go Gottfried, but the NC State decision makers have seen just about enough. But that doesn’t mean he’s gone. They are letting him ride out the season (as of right now) and while there is probably a decent chance it’s the end of the line for him, I’m very confident that Mark Armstrong’s source may have jumped the gun in saying “it’s been decided.”

– Armstrong also reported that NC State has put out preliminary feelers for Archie Miller. Let me just say this. If your are an AD and you are about to finish last in the ACC and you are even THINKING about getting rid of your coach, then you are not doing you job if you AREN’T putting out feelers at this point. Has Debbie Yow contacted Archie or his agent? Nope. Have donors reached out to people that know Miller to gauge his interest? Pretty good chance that’s a yes. But again, this really isn’t any breaking news. It also doesn’t mean that Gottfried is leaving. It just means that it’s a possibility and options are open right now. I also know that NC State does not have a coach waiting in the wings. So the theory that they are letting go of Gottfried because they have someone lined up, is 100% wrong as of this moment.

So where is Armstrong getting his information? I don’t know. He’s pretty well connected, but we’ve gotten different information from three separate sources that have been very accurate with this type of information in the past. All three are saying basically that “yeah, they’re mad, but they haven’t decided he’s gone for sure.” Could they be shielding the truth in hopes to keep the info under wraps until the proper time? Sure. That is very possible, however all we can do is report the information we’re given.

Either way you cut it. If anything Armstrong says ends up being true, then it’s a straight up embarrassment for our program. If this somehow does turn our to be correct then whoever is out there leaking this information is doing NC State no good at all. Thomas Allen (4 star, 2018 commit) has already reached out to a member of the media to try to figure out what is going on at NC State (however he tweeted last night that he is still committed – which is not really news since he has already signed is LOI.) You have a basketball team who still has a little less than 1/2 the ACC season left to play wondering if their coach has basically been fired. You have now made it clear that Archie is in our sights and likely have pushed Dayton’s timeframe up to put together some mega package to attempt to keep him around.

NC State once again finds themselves in a embarrassing situation with what looks like all their dirty laundry hanging out for everyone to see. I’m not sure if this is the fault of the program itself, a very leaky board of trustees, or media members who jump to conclusions when it comes to NC State.

However you slice it, are you really surprised? You’re an NC State fan. You’re used to Murphy’s law always being in order.

NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

18 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.