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What does Blake Harris’ eligibility mean for the NC State backcourt?

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6 years ago

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Last night, NC State was notified by the NCAA that transfer PG Blake Harris would be eligible to play immediately.

This comes just one year removed from having to fight the NCAA to consider Braxton Beverly eligible for simply attending a few summer school classes, and two years removed from the NCAA not giving Terry Henderson an extra year due to medical hardship after breaking his foot in the very first game of the season. So you can see why everyone was so surprised when the NCAA made this ruling.

Harris transferred from Missouri midway through last season, so it was believed that he would be eligible after the holiday break.

Harris’ argument to play immediately was partly due to the fact that he had an ill family member and he wanted to be closer to home. While it seems obvious for the NCAA to be lenient in this case, in the past we’ve seen them deny waivers on the same grounds.

With this news, the news of the new draft rules and the death of the RPI, it seems as if the NCAA is trying to right some of their wrongs and change the notion that they’re old, self-serving and out of touch.

So, how does this change the NC State backcourt rotation?

Markell is the starter at PG, there are no questions there. And until yesterday, it was believed Braxton Beverly would once again be his backup. However, the news of Harris’ immediate eligibility may change things up just a bit.

It’s likely that Keatts won’t really know his exact depth chart until a few games into the season. But the initial thought is that it will give him some room to tinker with Beverly seeing more time at the 2 (where he’s a lot more dangerous.)

Beverly is a unique player. What he lacks in height and ACC-level quickness, he makes up for in leadership and long-range shooting. However, he’s not without flaws.

As a freshman, Beverly hurt the Pack defensively when he was matched up with bigger, faster and stronger guards.  When the dust settled, he was second to last in most defensive categories (ahead of only Sam Hunt). This is where having Harris in the mix will be huge.

Keatts has Markell, Harris, Beverly, Devon Daniels, CJ Bryce and grad transfer Eric Lockett. That’s six quality players hoping to fill 2 or 3 positions. Obviously a good problem to have.

If you want our opinion, we think you’ll see Markell, Daniels, and Bryce in the starting 5, We believe the flow of each game will dictate how Keatts handles his rotation.

Get into a shooting funk and need more scoring? In goes Beverly.

Need to absolutely lock down on defense? You could see Markell, Harris and Bryce all at once.

Heck, if NC State starts struggling on the boards, you may end up seeing only two of these 6 in the game, with Dorn moving to the 3, Funderburk at the 4 and grad transfer Wyatt Walker at the 5.

Harris brings elite quickness, the ability to defend at a high level and good size to the PG position. At the same time he’s not a great shooter and there are times when he is a little impatient in wanting to get to the rim. This is the type of player that should actually compliment Beverly perfectly.

Braxton is known to be patient, heady and has a great stroke (especially in big situations). So, on paper, Keatts has a combination for nearly every situation that could arise.

The point to take away here is that Harris’ addition from the get-go makes NC State even more dangerous. We saw what Keatts could do with a depleted roster. Now we’ll get to see what he can do with one that is busting at the seams.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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7 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) has committed to NC State!

Hill took an Official Visit to NC State this past weekend.

This past season, Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons. 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 #81 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

Even though 247Sports and ON3 consider Hill a Shooting Guard, NC State is recruiting him as a Point Guard.

Hill is the 4th player to transfer to NC State this offseason, joining Louisville’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield & Mike James, and Georgetown’s Dontrez Styles.

With the addition of Hill, NC State now has 1 scholarship remaining for next season.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Mohamed Diarra Will Not Return to NC State for Final Season

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1 day ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.

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Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.

Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.

Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.

The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross.  Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.

With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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2 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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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.

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

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3 days 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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