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NC State vs. UMKC: Preview, Info & How to watch

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6 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. UMKC Kangaroos
Gametime: 2:00 pm
Streaming: Watch ESPN App (ACC Network Extra)
Location: Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh, NC)

Get to know the University of Missouri Kansas City:
UMKC comes to Raleigh with a not-so-impressive 2-7 record. Notable losses include a 52 point beat-down at the hands of #9 Witchita State and a 21 point thumping from unranked Kansas State,

The Kangaroos are led by Brodrick Robinson, a 6’1 senior who is averaging 12ppg and likes to shoot the 3. He’s hitting 39% of them on the season. In fact, it isn’t just Brodrick who’s putting up a lot of 3 balls, this entire team likes to shoot them. So far this season they have attempted 269 3s, which makes up 46% of all their shot attempts.

Aside from Robinson, UMKC relies on a trio of sophomores in Isaiah Ross (6’4), Xavier Bishop (5’8) and Jordan Giles. (6’7). To put it bluntly, this team is young, small and love to hoist up 3s. It’s not exactly the type of team that you’d, on paper, think would cause NC State any real trouble.

 

What to watch for from NC State

Feed the bigs: Omer Yurtseven has arrived for NC State. He’s score 17 or more in 3 of the past 4 games. During that span, he’s shooting an insane 74% from the floor, including 5-6 from 3pt range. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, Lennard Freeman has quietly become the NATION’S LEADER in offensive rating. These guys are big, strong, and efficient and it’s slowly becoming apparent that the Wolfpack’s real strength lies in their frontcourt. Against UMKC be ready to see a heavy dose of these two as the ‘Roos really don’t have a single guy on their roster who can match up.

The return of Abu?: No word yet on whether this is happening, but Keatts mentioned to the press that Abu has been practicing with the team and is making great progress. Will he suit up in this one? If he does, he’ll likely see minimal minutes. The Pack needs Abu for their ACC run, so don’t be surprised to see them baby him back into game shape. We could be wrong, be we don’t expect them to fully take the reigns off the senior big man for another week or two.

Domination on the offensive glass: If you win the battle on the offensive glass, you are certainly going to give yourself a good chance to win the game. Lately, NC State has been doing a pretty good job there. Torin Dorn has become a rebounding machine from the wing position and Omer Yurtseven currently ranks TOP-10 IN THE NATION in offensive rebounding percentage. UMKC doesn’t have the size or physicality to hang in the paint with these guys, so unless the Pack comes out soft, they should obliterate the Kangaroos in this category.

Trying to figure out the Beverly, Markell balance: NC State has two good point guards. Beverly has done a good job since he’s gotten settled in. He’s really running the team well, dictating pace and protecting the basketball. Meanwhile, Markell Johnson has seen his productivity slip. It’s clear that he is searching out his role right now, and it’s not about minutes. Johnson is going to play, but what is he supposed to do if Beverly is doing a lot of the stuff he wants to do. Keatts is trying to find a balance where both guys can feel comfortable on the floor together. Even with a fall off in production during the Bahama trip, Markell Johnson still is TOP-1o in the nation in assist %,  meaning he’s obviously still making things happen. Keatts is trying to get him to be more of a leader and to be able to play fast but also take care of the basketball.We’re watching this closely, because if he can get these two guys clicking at the same time, along with Al Freeman’s play and the dominance of the frontcourt, then NC State is going to be tough to beat.

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

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16 hours 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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1 day 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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NC State’s DJ Horne Named to Portsmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team

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2 days ago

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April 21, 2024

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NC State’s DJ Horne played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this weekend, and he was named to the All-Tournament Team.

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In 3 games, Horne averaged 14.3 points, shooting 41.5% from the field, and 30% from three.

Horne’s Portsmouth Partnership team made it to the finals, but lost to Jani-King 68-75.

The Portsmouth Invitational is an annual pre-draft camp that has been showcasing College Seniors to professional scouts since 1953.

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NC State Has Shown Interest in Utah Guard Transfer Deivon Smith

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3 days ago

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April 20, 2024

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NC State has reached out to Utah Transfer Guard Deivon Smith (6’0″/173).

Smith filled up the stat sheet every game this year, averaging 13.3 points, 7.1 assists and 6.3 rebounds, shooting 46.7% from the field and 40.8% from three for Utah. He earned All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention this season. Smith had 8 double-doubles and 1 triple-double this year.

Wherever Smith lands, this will be his 4th college. He started at Mississippi St., starting in 8 of the 33 games he played in, averaging 22.5 minutes per game. Smith went on to spend his next two seasons at Georgia Tech. Year 1 in Atlanta, Smith started in 5 of the 24 games he played in, averaging 19.7 minutes per game. In Year 2, he carved out more of a role, starting in 13 of the 24 games he played in for the Yellow Jackets, averaging a career high 24.8 minutes per game.

At Utah this year, Smith broke out and had a career year in every possible way.

NC State is familiar with Smith, offering him back when he was a 4-Star prospect out of Grayson High School in Loganville, Georgia. Rivals ranked Smith as the #53 overall player nationally in the 2020 recruiting class. ESPN ranked him as the #5 player in the state of Georgia. 247Sports ranked him as the #11 Point Guard in his class.

 

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