NC State Basketball
NC State gets revenge, crushes Notre Dame 76-58
NC State needed to come out and take care of business against a bruised and battered Notre Dame team that had beaten the Pack by 30 earlier this season but had lost 6 straight.
They did.
Three-straight for the Pack!
Final: NC State 76, Notre Dame 58
Light it Red! pic.twitter.com/X2LNQ2TH3w
— NC State Men's Bball (@PackMensBball) February 3, 2018
NC State locked down on defense and played team basketball on their way to a 76-58 home blow out. The Pack shot 50% from the floor, forced 15 turnovers, and outrebounded the Fighting Irish 38-26.
Markell Johnson was the big difference maker. He had 10 assists, making it the 4th consecutive game of double-digit assists and breaking the NC State record of 3 (held by Chris Corchiani). Braxton Beverly wasn’t far behind, adding 6 of his own while pitching in 16 points on 6-9 shooting.
Torin Dorn led the Wolfpack with 21 points. It was his second 20+ point game in a row (he score 20 vs UNC).
Notre Dame was without Bonzie Colson and DJ Harvey, but they did have senior PG Matt Ferrell and big man John Mooney who were both questionable coming in. But it didn’t’ matter, the Wolfpack made everything hard on the Irish. There was the 15 turnovers, but they also shot under 40% from the floor on the game and were abused on the boards.
This was a huge win for NC State. They were coming off of a gigantic road win over rival UNC and were facing questions about their ability to win the ones they are supposed to win.
They didn’t just answer those questions, they made a statement with an 18 point drubbing of Notre Dame.
State is now 6-4 in the ACC with a matchup at Virginia Tech coming up on Wednesday.
What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend TJ Warren? I caught up with the man who won the ACC Player of the Year Award in 2014 to get his take.
What was it like for you watching NC State go from the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament, to winning the Championship, to going to the Final Four?
I’m a second generation Wolfpack basketball player. Wolf blood runs through my veins, so to be able to witness a ride like that was truly amazing.
What did this run say about Kevin Keatts and these players? In what ways did you see them adapt, change or persevere?
I think that is speaks to the heart that the players have. As a 10th seed in the ACC tournament, it’s easy to pack it in and look towards the offseason, but they did the opposite. They bonded together over adversity and that’s what made them so endearing. Hard work in the face of adversity, that’s something that Wolfpack fans can relate to.
As one of the best players to ever wear the Red & White, what did this run mean to you personally?
As I mentioned earlier, NCSU hoops has been in my family for a long time, so it meant a whole lot personally. This run definitely took me back to some of the fond memories I have of putting on the Red & White and playing in front of a packed house at the PNC.
What was the most memorable moment for you?
I think Mike’s shot to tie the game at the end of regulation. It just felt like destiny at that point. Anytime you get to beat UNC and Duke days apart is special too.
How do you think this run can change things for the NC State Basketball program going forward?
I think that it puts us back on the national radar where we belong. After a magical run like that, I think it makes players want to be a part of that. A run like that reinvigorates a program definitely.
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Warren is 1 of only 6 NC State players to ever be named the ACC Player of the Year. In his Sophomore season, Warren was named a 2nd Team All-American by Sporting News and the AP. He averaged 24.9 points per game, which is the 5th best mark in a single season in NC State history. Warren scored 871 points that year, which is the most points ever scored in a single season by a Wolfpack player.
TJ was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
NC State Forward Ernest Ross announced today that he is entering the Transfer Portal.
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Ross played in 14 games this year, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.
Ross was a consensus 4-star player in the 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.
Ross has one more year of eligibility remaining.
NC State has 3 scholarships available now.
Best of luck Ernest!