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4-Star Mady Traore Expected to Suit up for NC State Soon

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6 months ago

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4-Star Center/Forward Mady Traore (6’11″/195) committed to NC State late in the recruiting process, back on July 29th, but he hasn’t put on a jersey for the Wolfpack yet.

He chose to run with the Pack over an impressive offer sheet that included Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, LSU, Pitt, Seton Hall, Tennessee, USC, Virginia Tech, Wichita State and others.

Traore is originally from France, and what has kept him from getting on the court thus far has been Visa issues and passing the English competency test.

From what I’m hearing, Traore will be able to start practicing with the team on December 8th, and should be able to play by December 17th.

The Wolfpack find themselves in a different position than they did last year, with depth in the front court. Dusan Mahorcic and DJ Burns have developed a good rotation at the Center position, logging 21.9 and 16.6 minutes per game respectively. Ernest Ross is also getting some run, averaging 9.9 minutes per game, and has also been thrown out there at the 4 with both Mahorcic and Burns. Ebe Dowuona has sparingly seen the court thus far, averaging 2.7 minutes per game. Then there is Greg Gantt, who has battled issues ever since arriving in Raleigh, and has played in only one game thus far, logging 11.5 minutes.

Where would that leave someone like Traore? From what I’m hearing, he could be a guy that could log 5-10 minutes per game.

Traore’s upside is insane. He has a pretty shot, and can shoot the 3. He has handles like a Small Forward, but stands 6’11”, and has a 7’3″ wingspan.

We’ve been excited about Traore ever since he committed, and can’t wait to see him on the court suited up in Red and White.

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Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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Rev
Rev
6 months ago

So WTF?. Now he is not coming according to Cory Smith. This is looking like a Fuster Cluck to me.

0
Papajohn
Papajohn
6 months ago

I can’t imagine him getting any minutes this season. The 17th is Vanderbilt, and it’s all ACC after that.
Gantt appears to be coming back, and based on what we saw last night, I think he’ll get decent bench minutes. That’s 3 deep at PF (Clark, Ross, Gantt) and at center (Burns, Mahorcic, Dowuona). All of whom are experienced.
Traore should redshirt, but it sounds like he isn’t interested. Which likely means he doesn’t expect to use up his eligibility.

0
Afterglow
Afterglow
6 months ago

Good to know. I’ve been asking about this kid for quite some time. Thanks for the update, Pack Insider!

0
Dof87
Dof87
6 months ago

Its hard to see a true (or should I say ‘cru’) freshman coming in as ACC play starts picking up minutes. But even if he can’t help us this year during games (a big guy in practice is always helpful), he’ll have a big head start on next year.

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travelwolf
travelwolf
6 months ago

Kid has unbelievable potential. I just hope some of our players were paying attention in French class…

0

NC State Basketball

D.J. Burns is OFFICIALLY BACK!

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1 month ago

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April 27, 2023

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Well, it’s OFFICIAL. D.J Burns will be returning to NC State for his final year of collegiate eligibility!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by DJ Burns / BIG 30♨️ (@dj.b30)

This confirms everything I’d been hearing about the return of Burns. Burns was the key to the Wolfpack offense running effectively this past year. He averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23, but he elevated his game in ACC play, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in conference games.

Burns is celebrating his return to run with the Wolfpack by dropping his own Big 30 merch. Go over and snag something.

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NC State Basketball

Isaiah Miranda is an Early Entry Candidate for the 2023 NBA Draft

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1 month ago

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April 26, 2023

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The NBA released the names of the 242 players that have filed as early entry candidates for NBA Draft 2023 last night, and NC State’s Isaiah Miranda’s name was on the list.

Miranda (7’1″/225) joined the Wolfpack back in December, deciding to forgo the remainder of his prep season. Miranda didn’t see the court for NC State, resulting in a redshirt season.

ON3 ranked Miranda as the #16 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

It makes perfect sense for a player like Miranda, with his height and athleticism, to go through the draft process to be evaluated on what he needs to continue to work on. As an early entrant, Miranda has the ability to pull his name out of the draft and remain a collegiate athlete.

I don’t expect Miranda to keep his name in the hat when the time comes. From what I hear his game has tons of potential, but he still needs to fine tune his craft. Also, Miranda shared this on social media, implying he will be back in the Red and White next year.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra Commits to NC State

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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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NC State picked up their 5th transfer today. Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) committed to run with the Wolfpack today while in Raleigh on an Official Visit.

Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

With news breaking today that Dusan Mahorcic entered the Transfer Portal, the Wolfpack found his replacement. NC State’s frontcourt in 2023-24 currently will be made up of D.J. Burns, Ben Middlebrooks, Mohamed Diarra and Ernest Ross.

Check out these highlights of Diarra.

There is a lot to like in Diarra’s game. He is athletic, can hit a jump shot, put the ball on the floor, can play defense on the perimeter, block shots, and is an aggressive rebounder.

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NC State Basketball

Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra is On an Official Visit to NC State Today

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1 month ago

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April 24, 2023

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Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) is on an Official Visit to NC State today. Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.

In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

Diarra entered the Transfer Portal on March 28th.

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