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Player Preview: Get to know grad-transfer SG Sam Hunt

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7 years ago

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Over the next two weeks we will be previewing the NC State Basketball team prior to their first exhibition game on Nov 4th. Today, we take a closer look at grad-transfer, Sam Hunt.

How did he get here?

This has been a pretty crazy off-season, so if you’ve kind of lost track of the NC State basketball roster, you’re not alone.

After Kevin Keatts was named head coach the dominos began to fall. Obviously, Dennis Smith Jr opted for the NBA Draft, but with him went Maverick Rowan and Ted Kapita. Also gone were Beejay Anya (graduated) and Terry Henderson (was not granted injury waiver, and graduated).

Suddenly, Keatts was left with a depleted roster, especially at the guard spot. The only remaining player who played any sort of significant minutes was Markell Johnson. That meant Keatts needed to pick up a few guys and fast.

One of those pickups was from right down the highway. Sam Hunt had just finished his junior season, but he also had finished his coursework and North Carolina A&T and graduated. This allowed him to become a grad-transfer and not have to sit out a season.

Meanwhile, Keatts quickly looked around the nation at coaching changes to see if he had relationships with any players who were now looking for a different situation. One of those kids was Lavar Batts, who had recently de-committed from VCU and knew Keatts well. After picking up Batts, the dots began to connect for Hunt. He was close with Batts and he had always wanted to play in the ACC.

“That’s (Lavar Batts) my little brother,” said Hunt. “He’s a great kid, and he’s so competitive. That’s what I really love about him, he competes. And he listens. A lot of kids don’t want to listen.” he told the N&O back in May.

That connection and the opportunity to play right down the road, but for an ACC team was exactly what he was looking for. Hunt decided on NC State shortly after Batts did.

What kind of player is he?
Hunt is a 6’2, 175lb guard. He’ll likely slot in as a 2 guard on this roster since Batts and Johnson will be more than enough to go around at the point.

Hunt averaged 15 points his sophomore year and 12 his junior year at NC A&T. He is a crafty guard who a nice lefty jump shot. He likes to shoot off the dribble and did a lot of isolation scoring at A&T. He has a quick release and a solid handle.

How will he fit at NC State?
It’s yet to be seen how Keatts will use his players, but in the past (at UNCW) he has been guard heavy. This year he will be counting on major minutes from Abu and Yurtseven, so you likely will see a 3 guard, 2 big lineup.

In that lineup, you will certainly see Markell Johnson, Torin Dorn and Al Freeman heading things up. You will also get Lavar Batts in there to spell Johnson and maybe even Dorn or Freeman if he wants more ball handling.

With the news that Braxton Beverly has been ruled ineligible, it might open up some extra minutes for Hunt. He showed that he can really get hot on the teams trip to Italy where he dropped 21 points in a loss. However, NC State has filed for a Braxton Beverly appeal, so if he were to get reinstated it might eat into Hunts ability to find minutes.

At the end of the day, the truth is that Hunt will have to earn his minutes, but NC State is at a spot where if you can score, you will play. With Henderson and Smith Jr. gone, NC State really needs guys who can fill it up and Hunt is looking to show that he’s that guy.

Hunt will wear #15 for NC State this season.

Check out these highlights of Sam Hunt while at NC A&T’s summer league.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Mohamed Diarra Will Not Return to NC State for Final Season

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8 hours ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.

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Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.

Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.

Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.

The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross.  Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.

With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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1 day ago

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April 23, 2024

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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.

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

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2 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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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.

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

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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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.

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