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NC State vs. Georgia Tech : Info, Preview, Keys to the game & How to Watch

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6 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack @ Georgia Tech
Gametime: 8:00 pm
TV: ACC Network (WRAL in Raleigh)
Location: Atlanta, GA

Get to know the Yellow Jackets …
The Yellow Jackets come into this game at 11-18 on the season and 4-12 in the ACC. They currently sit at 13th in the ACC and have lost 7 straight and 11 of their last 12.

This is a team that has struggled. This is also a team that has nothing to lose and that makes them dangerous.

They are led by sophomore guard Josh Okogie. He is their only true go-to guy at this point. He’s a 6’4 guard who is shooting 42% from the floor and 37% from long range. He’s not extremely quick or athletic, but he’s a competitor who finds ways to score it. Here he is dropping 35 points, 14 boards and 5 assists on FSU.


Aside from Okogie, they rely a lot on the play of senior Tadric Jackson. He is a 6’2 guard who until recently hasn’t really been much of a factor. He was shooting just 29% from beyond the arc on the season, but over the past 3 games, he’s found his rhythm. During that span, he’s scored 45 points and did it by knocking down 9 or his last 23 (40%) from 3pt range.

Inside the Jackets have 6’10 senior Ben Lammers, who has recently decided to get involved offensively. He’s averaging 11 ppg but he put up 22 on UVA two games ago.

Georgia Tech may . have had a much better season had they not lost star freshman PG (and second-leading scorer) Jose Alvarado, who is out for the season with a fractured elbow.

In the ACC ranks, Georgia Tech is 13th in FG% and dead last (32%) in 3-point percentage, which is another big stats for Keatts. They are 12th in rebounding and 9th in offensive rebounding. They are 13th in assists, however they do rank 6th in steals.

Keys to the game for NC State…

  • Play your game. GT wants to play slow. NC State can’t let that happen. They have to push the pace and make the Jackets, who are without their PG, uncomfortable.
  • Don’t settle for 3s. Yes, NC State has shot it really well lately, but this is a trap game for the Pack. They must establish dominance in the paint early on if they want to blow out Georgia Tech.
  • Stop Okogie. NC State has done a pretty good job of defending bigger guards all season long. From Trier of Arizona to Tyus Battle of Syracuse, and then the lockdown job they did on Robinson from BC. They need to do it once again. If they do, they win this game with ease.
  • Focus on today. There is so much talk about scenarios and who goes where if certain teams win certain games. NC State needs to block it out for just 2 hours tonight. Focus on destroying the Yellow Jackets and move on to the next one.
  • Get Yurtseven going. GT is going to have a tough time trying to guard Yurtseven with Lammers. He’s a lumbering big who doesn’t like to extend his defense too far from the paint. With Yurtseven working the pick and pop on the high screen, NC State should have plenty of good looks.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is Currently Visiting NC State

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11 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is on a visit to NC State currently, according to a source.

Indiana State Transfer Ryan Conwell was on campus last week, but he just committed to Xavier.

From what I hear, the staff preferred James over Connell anyway. A plus with James is he has 2 years of eligibility, whereas Conwell has 1.

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.

Rivals ranked James as the #71 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, and ESPN ranked him as the #7 prospect in the state of Florida.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years. This year, he averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds.

For a more extensive look at James’ game, click here.

Rivals ranks James as the #77 overall player in the Transfer Portal.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State

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14 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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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.

NC State already hosted Indiana State Transfer Guard Ryan Conwell last week, and while the Wolfpack coaches like both players, from what I’m hearing, James would be their preference.

NC State hasn’t had James in for a visit, but that could happen soon.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

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NC State’s Casey Morsell is the 4th Player in NCAA History to Start 41 Games in a Season

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20 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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NC State Guard Casey Morsell started 41 games for the Wolfpack this season, becoming the 4th player in NCAA history to do so.

 

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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.

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Georgetown Transfer Dontrez Styles Commits to NC State!

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1 day ago

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April 18, 2024

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Georgetown Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/212) has committed to NC State!

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.

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