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NC State looking to stay unbeaten vs. Florida International | Gameday Preview and How to Watch

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1 year ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Florida International Panthers
Time: 9:00 PM
Location: Raleigh, NC
TV: RSN / ACCN

NC State takes on Florida International of Conference USA at 9pm in Raleigh as they look to start the season 3-0.

The Panthers are 2-0 on the season, with wins over Houston Christian and Florida National. This will be their first true test against a power 5 team. Last year they finished 15-17 on the season, finishing 2nd to last in the C-USA East division.

You can expect Florida International to be a guard-led team, with sophomore Denver Jones averaging 17.5 points per game (after avg. 12 in his freshman campaign) and freshman Arturo Dean averaging 16.5 pts per game. This is a team that is going to play fast and try to put up a lot of points.

While the guards score most of the points, their bigs aren’t anything to scoff at. The Panthers have a 7’1 junior center, Seth Pinkney, however, Pinkney is just 200lbs, so he’s going to give up 25lbs to Mahorcic and 75lbs to DJ Burns. It’s not likely he’s going to be getting great position on the block vs. a very strout NC State front line. Meanwhile the 4 position poses a little more complexity for NC State. 6’5 Nick Guadarrama will be giving up 3 inches to Jack Clark, but at 25olbs. he’ll definitely have the strength advantage.

Guadarrama transferred in this season from New Hampshire where he averaged 12 points and 5 boards last season, and while he only shot 30% from 3, he has previous seasons of 37% and 40% (so far he’s 0-6 this season). This guy is some weird hybrid that you don’t see very much in college basketball. He’s a tweener with a ton of mass and solid game both on the perimeter and on the block. This is a strange matchup that Keatts will have to figure out how to defend.

These early games are good for the Pack. Against Campbell they faced a smaller, faster big and tonight they’ll face a shorter, thicker forward. They likely won’t see either of these types of player in the ACC, but when you get to the end of the season in tournament play, its good to have a little experience against everything.

What we’re looking for:
– The main thing we want to see in this one is NC State showing the ability to defend the perimeter and not demand so much help side. That is crucial. As you saw against Campbell, when you leave college shooters open, they hit. NC State needs to challenge every shot and we’d like to see guys not overplay on help side, and hedge a little bit towards their man, trusting the on-the-ball defender to do his job.

– A little better shooting performance maybe. NC State needs Jack Clark and Casey Morsell to be consistent from downtown. These are two guys who are going to get open looks thanks to Joiner and Smith. If they can hit, things open up drastically for everyone else.

How to watch: 
This game is on RSN, which means Regional Sports Network, which in the Triangle means Bally Sports South. Your ACCN stream is going to be blacked out in most of NC, so make sure you figure out a way to get Bally. However, if you are outside NC then you might get the game on ACC Network (on the ESPN app).

To get Bally Sports South you’ll need to subscribe to Direct TV Stream, as they are the only steaming cable package that offers them according to CordCutterNews.com. Otherwise, you’ll have to go the traditional cable or satellite route and get Direct TV or Spectrum (formally Time Warner Cable). If you’re not in the Triangle area, then you’ll have to check with your local cable provider to see if you can get it.

Some people tweet that they use a VPN to get around the blackout on ACCN, but we don’t know anything about that and don’t condone doing that.

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NC State Basketball

Georgetown Transfer Dontrez Styles Commits to NC State!

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6 hours 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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NC State Basketball

NC State Forward Katie Peneueta Enters the Transfer Portal

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2024

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NC State Forward Katie Peneueta is entering the Transfer Portal.

Peneueta transferred to NC State last offseason from Sacramento State, where she averaged 8.4 points, shooting 45.5% from three.

In her one year at NC State, Peneueta only played 8 games for the Wolfpack, battling injuries throughout the year. Peneueta has 1 year of eligibility.

With Peneueta entering the Portal, NC State now has 3 scholarships available heading into the 2024-25 season.

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NC State Basketball

Boston Center Caitlin Weimar is on an Official Visit to NC State

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1 day ago

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April 17, 2024

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Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar (6’4″) is currently on an Official Visit to NC State.

Weimar is the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, and has been named Defensive Player of the Year the past two years. She has earned 1st Team Patriot League Honors the past two seasons.

This year, Weimar averaged 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. As a Junior, she averaged 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds. She shot 55.5% this year, and 59.7% last year.

With NC State not having River Baldwin at Center next year, adding Weimar is an extremely exciting possibility.

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NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend TJ Warren?

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2 days ago

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April 17, 2024

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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.

_______

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.

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