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NC State ready to face off against former center Manny Bates and Butler | Game Preview and How to Watch

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Butler Bulldogs
Time: 10:00 PM
Location: Bahamas (Battle 4 Atlantis)
TV: ESPN2

NC State takes on a 4-2 Butler team that is picked to finish in the middle of the Big East.

The storyline here is that Manny Bates, NC State’s former center, will be facing off against his old team. Bates left the NC State front court with a bare cupboard when he transferred. However, it has since been filled by two guys that NC State fans are really excited about in Mahorcic and Burns. Will Bates get the upper hand, or will the new look NC State frontcourt prove they’re better off without Bates?

Bates is averaging 12 points, 7 boards, and 3 blocks. That’s a tick-up from what Pack fans were seeing during Bates’s sophomore campaign and kind of what they expected last season before his shoulder injury. So no surprises here. Bates is an elite shot blocker who is decent in the post but will be motivated to prove he’s better off at Butler.

Meanwhile, he needs to do that without getting into foul trouble, as Butler is down a few bigs and will likely be suiting up just 8 scholarship players. Last night against BYU their starting 5 played almost the whole game.

While we are focused on Bates, Butler is really a guard-oriented team, playing 3 guys under 6’4 and with their 4 man coming in at 6’6. This team could cause fits for bigger, slower teams, but NC State is kind of built this way too. The Pack runs out 3 guards under 6’4 and their 4 man is 6’8 but plays more like a wing (Clark is quicker than Lukosious, their 4 man).

The main matchup to watch will be Jayden Taylor vs. Terquavion Smith or Casey Morsell. Taylor is averaging 16 ppg. Taylor has been their go to guy, able to score at the rim or from beyond the arc.

The one area of true concern with Butler is their ability to shoot it. Their 3 guards are all shooting over 40% from long range. This is a team that is going to drive, draw and dish and NC State has struggled at keeping tabs on shooters. They tend to get sucked in and leave shooters open on the perimeter. They need to stay home, close out under control and not allow for Butler to pump fake, drive and start putting pressure on the NC State bigs to stop rim runs.

Butler is a winnable game for NC State, and while the story might be Bates vs the Pack, it’s going to be more about who wins the guard matchup.

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Dof87
Dof87
1 year ago

OH yeah, I forgot about Manny being there. I wish him the best but not today.

Will be interesting to watch big body Burns batlle ball batting Bates.

Last edited 1 year ago by Dof87

NC State Basketball

Previewing NC State’s Opponent: Marquette

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#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette in the Sweet 16 tonight. Here’s a look at the Golden Eagles before tipoff.

Marquette is ranked 8th in the AP Poll.

They lost to UCONN 57-73 in the Big East Tournament Finals.

As a team, they shoot 48.2% from the field, which ranks 23rd nationally. Their Effective Field Goal Percentage is 55.5%, which ranks 15th.

Marquette ranks 15th in Assist/Turnover ratio, 26th in Scoring Margin, and 26th in Assists per game.

Junior Guard Kam Jones leads the Golden Eagles in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game, shooting 50.3% from the field and 41.4% from three.

Senior Guard Tyler Kolek averages 15.3 points and a team high 7.9 assists. He leads the nation in assists per game. Kolek shoots 49.7% from the field and 39.7% from three.

Senior Forward Oso Ighosaro (6’11”) scores 13.6 points per game, and leads the Golden Eagles in rebounding, averaging 6.8 per game. He shoots 58.1% from the field, which ranks 28th nationally.

Junior Forward David Joplin (6’8”) averages 11.0 points per game.

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NC State Basketball

An NC State Win Over Marquette in the Sweet 16 Would Be…

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Awesome. Obviously.

#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette tomorrow night in the Sweet 16. What would a win mean for the Wolfpack? Many things, but here’s just a few:

It would give NC State 25 wins on the year (25-14), which would be the most wins since 1982-83, when the Wolfpack went 26-10, winning the National Championship.

It would mark the 12th time in school history that NC State has won 25+ games in a single season.

1982-83 – 26-10 

1973-74 – 30-1 

1972-73 – 27-0 

1954-55 – 28-4 

1953-54 – 26-7

1952-53 – 26-6 

1950-51 – 30-7 

1949-50 – 27-6 

1948-49 – 25-8 

1947-48 – 29-3

1946-47- 26-5

It would be the 7th time NC State has advanced to the Elite 8 in the NCAA Tournament.

1950

1951

1974

1983

1985

1986

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NC State Basketball

NC State has Won 5 ACC Championships this Year

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NC State has won 5 ACC Championships this year, which is the most of any athletic program in the conference this year.

The Wolfpack has won ACC Titles in Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Men’s Basketball and Gymnastics.

The last time NC State won 5 ACC Championships in one year was 1979-80.

As far as I can tell, here’s a look at the Wolfpack Conference Titles from 1979-80:

Football
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Cross Country
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Men’s Tennis

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NC State Basketball

NC State is 1 of 4 Schools to Have Both Men & Women’s Basketball Teams in Sweet 16

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NC State is 1 of 4 schools to have their Men and Women’s Basketball teams BOTH advance to the Sweet 16, along with Duke, Gonzaga and UCONN.

NC State and Duke are the only two schools in the country to send both Basketball teams to the Sweet 16, and also send the Football team to a bowl game.

This marks only the third time in school history that BOTH teams made the Sweet 16.

Years NC State’s Men & Women’s Teams Made the Sweet 16

1985
1989
2024

Despite the fact that the Men’s team has made the Elite 8 six times (1950, 1951, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986), and the Women have made it 2 times (1998 & 2022), in the three occasions they both went to the Sweet 16 in the same year, neither team advanced to the Elite 8.

In 2024, Why Not Us?

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