NC State head coach Kevin Keatts talked with the media today before their matchup against Clemson on Saturday. You can watch it here, or read a bulleted breakdown of what he had to say.
Can’t say anymore about Markell Johnson than what has been released by the school. That is all the information the team has as well. Keatts has talked to Johnson. Says NC State acted on it as soon as they had knowledge.
Our team has had to adjust. We are one guard down, and someone else has to step up.
Braxton has been playing well at point guard. One of the leaders in the ACC in assists/turnovers. He’s a little older than a typical freshman. He’s been away from home for two years prior to now.
Also very excited with Lavar Batts. He’s been aggressive on both sides of the ball. He’s sharing the ball and getting out in transition.
Clemson is playing some of the best basketball they’ve played in recent years. They are on the verge of being a Top 25 team. They’ve done a good job over the years developing a system and a style. They make you work for every basket. They have more offensive freedom this year and are getting out in transition.
I try not to focus on ACC play, as much as focusing on the next opponent. I think that can psych your team out.
Malik Abu just had his best practice yet. He was making shots. He was dunking. He’s starting to get it. His timing is stating to come back.
I’m confident of we can shoot like we did against Jacksonville we will go undefeated the rest of the year. They hit those shots in practice and I’ve been waiting for it to translate to a game.
Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.
Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.
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.
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.
He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.
Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.
Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.
Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.
Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.
After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.
ON3 ranks Styles as the #104 overall player in the Portal.
With his final year of eligibility, Styles’ made the right choice this time.
NC State now has 2 scholarships remaining after Styles’ commitment.