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Gameday: NC State opens ACC play tonight vs. Pitt | Game Preview & How to Watch

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1 year ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Pitt Panthers
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Raleigh, NC
TV: ACCN

NC State opens ACC play tonight, at home, against the 5-3 Pitt Panthers.

I’ll spare you the long recap of NC State’s season, since if you’re a reader here you’ve likely been following along. Basically, State is 7-1 on the season and knocked off 2 quality opponents in Dayton and Butler, after taking #3 Kansas to the wire. This prompted Ken Pom to make the Pack the highest-rising ACC team in his latest rankings. All of this from a team that was picked to finish 10th in the ACC.

Now the real challenge begins. Can they keep up this level of play vs. ACC opponents. Tonight we find out.

Pitt is 5-3 with losses to West Virginia, #20 Michigan and VCU. Their 5 wins all against smaller conference teams except for their 29-point blowout of Northwestern. They are also on a 4 game-winning streak, however in the current Ken Pom rankings, NC State slots in as the 2nd best team that Pitt has faced (West Virginia is #25, NC State is #49). The Panthers lost to West Virginia by 25 at home.

So what can we expect…

6’7, 235lb junior Blake Hinson is leading Pitt with almost 17 pts and 7 boards per game. He’ll be an interesting matchup for State. He’s going to match up with Clark at the 4, but he’s 35 lbs heavier. He’s also shooting 60% from 3-point range over his last 5 games.  This is going to be a big test for Jack Clark.

Meanwhile, the Pitt guards are good at pressuring you. Jamarious Burton (6’4) is averaging almost 15 points, 4 assists per game and is shooting 40% from downtown. Greg Elliot (6’3) is averaging 9 points and while only shooting 34% from 3, he’s had seasons where he’s been in the 40% range.  Then you have senior Nelly Cummings who is averaging 9 points but isn’t shooting it well. Cummings, however, is pretty physical for a small guy (6ft).

Their lone true post guy is 6’9, 265lb John Hugley who averaged almost 15ppg last season and was a key guy for Pitt. This year he’s averaging 10 points and 5 boards and isn’t as featured thanks to the addition of Hinson (from Ole Miss). However, he’s still a quality big who can score a little in the post and rebound the basketball.

I know this is Pitt and it’s at home, but this is not going to be a walk in the park for NC State. Pitt has good size and strength up front and has guards who can make things happen. The key for the Pack is to limit drives into the lane. Joiner, Smith and Morsell have done a good job doing that so far, and if it keeps up here, then you’ll force Pitt to shoot over top, which won’t work out well for them (they are shooting 33% on the season from 3). However, let these guards slice and dice you up and you could get yourself in trouble.

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Dof87
Dof87
1 year ago

It will be very interesting to see how deep KK goes into the bench in this game.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State

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59 mins 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 Basketball

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

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6 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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17 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 Forward Katie Peneueta Enters the Transfer Portal

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2 days 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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