NC State vs. Wake Forest: Info, Preview, Keys to the game & How to Watch

Published

6 years ago

February 17, 2018

NC State Wolfpack vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Gametime: 4:00 pm
TV: ACC Network (Fox 50 in Raleigh)
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Getting reacquainted with the Deacs…

Since last time these two met, Wake has dropped 6 of their last 8
2nd to last in ACC at 3-11
Coming off a win over 79-62 win over Georgia Tech
7’1 junior center Doral Moore is playing great basketball. Last 3 games he has notched double-doubles.
Over last 3 games, Moore has 43 points and 38 rebounds.
6’3 junior guard Bryant Crawford has also been dominant. Over past 3 games, he has 63 points and 23 assists.

Keys to the game for NC State…

Get Yurtseven back on track. He’s played just so-so over the past few games. They need him in this one. He had 22 points and dominated Moore their first meeting.
Play your game. There isn’t any crazy game plan in this one. These teams match-up pretty well and there aren’t many mismatches that NC State needs to worry about. Who plays harder and executes better? That is who will win.
Stop Moore and Crawford. These are the guys that Wake is going to go to. Yurt did a good job vs. Moore in game one, but he’s a better player now. Crawford wants to get to the basket, and that has been a problem for NC State this season. Markell must keep him out of the lane, but he’s been playing at a very high level.
Dominate on the boards. In game one, NC State won the battle on the glass 44-37. That is one of the big stats to watch in this game. If State can win there and in the turnover column, they have a huge advantage.
Get Dorn going. Torin Dorn is the x-factor on this NC State team and he has a matchup he could take advantage of today (6’7 Terrance Thompson). Dorn had 11 points in the first meeting, but he missed a lot of open shots. He’s been hot as of late and could have a big game today.
A Beverly Game. This is the type of game where Braxton Beverly will play a big role. He has a good matchup with Wilbekin (a guy who matches him in size and quickness) and he had 10 points, 9 assists and 5 boars in the first meeting.
Keep up the hot shooting! NC State is coming off a 2 game streak where they’ve put up their best shooting %’s in the ACC season. 55.1% vs Syracuse and 54.7% vs. UNC. It’s not luck, it’s shot selection and playing unselfishly that is leading to this hot streak.

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

22 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

2 days 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.