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NC State 82 Saint Louis 70: BY THE NUMBERS

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5 months ago

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NC State was carried by the sharp shooting efforts of DJ Horne and Casey Morsell this evening in the Wolfpack’s 82-70 win over Saint Louis. Let’s take a look at the victory…BY THE NUMBERS.

  • As a team, NC State shot extremely well, making 50% from the field and 36% from three.
    • On a disappointing note, the Wolfpack shot 50% from the free throw line, making 11 of 22. That’s unacceptable.
  • Defensively, I love creating 18 turnovers, and scoring 29 points off of those Turnovers.
    • I hate allowing Saint Louis to shoot 50% from the field.
  • When you look at the fact that both teams shot the same percentage from the field, it makes it a little easier to determine what separated the victor from the loser.
    • As mentioned above, NC State scored 29 points off of turning Saint Louis over 18 times.
      • The Billikens on the other hand only managed to turn the Wolfpack over 6 times, scoring only 2 points off of turnovers.
        • Props to the Wolfpack for taking care of the basketball tonight.
    • NC State is going to look back on this game later in the year, and thank the Lord they found a way to win.
      • Saint Louis led for 23:35. In comparison, the Wolfpack led for only 13:37.
    • What gave NC State the edge to grab the lead and not let go of it?
      • The sharp shooting efforts of Casey Morsell and DJ Horne in the 2nd half.
        • Horne scored 14 of his 18 points in the 2nd half, going 4 for 5 from three (4-6 in the game).
        • Similarly, Morsell scored 2/3rds of his points in the 2nd half, scoring 14 in the 2nd period of play.
          • Morsell, like Horne, went 4 for 5 from three in the second (4-6 in the game).
        • NC State doesn’t win this game if Morsell and Horne don’t go flipping 8 of 10 from three in the 2nd half.
  • Thanks primarily to the defense of Morsell, Saint Louis’ leading scorer Gibson Jimerson only had 7 points, on 1 of 8 shooting.
    • He is averaging 16.8 points per game.
  • Two defensive compliemnts in a row here…NC State held Saint Louis to 1 of 12 from beyond the arc. On the year, the Billikens are shooting 39.2% from three.
    • Defending the three isn’t typically the Wolfpack’s calling card, so kudos to being strong where you’re typically weak.
  • DJ Burns was the only other Wolfpack player to score in double figures, with 13 points on 5 of 10 shooting.
  • Who was the MVP tonight?
    • The Wolfpack was +20 with DJ Horne on the court, which led the team.
  • Not counting the players that entered the game in the final couple of minutes, Dennis Parker Jr.’s -4 was the lowest on the team.
    • Parker did lead NC State with 7 rebounds, and scored 8 points on 4 of 8 shooting.
  • I haven’t been the biggest fan of Mike O’Connell’s play for much of this season, but he was solid tonight, pacing the Pack with 5 assists and 0 turnovers.
    • The Wolfpack were +13 with him on the court, which was tied with Morsell for the 2nd best number on the team.
  • One of the more disorienting things for me, is to try to understand Keatts’ philosophy of playing time.
    • After the Tennessee game, I would have expected Kam Woods and MJ Rice to get more playing time against Saint Louis.
    • That almost seemed like it was going to happen, with both of them being the first two players to sub in for the Wolfpack, with roughly 14 minutes left in the 1st half.
    • In the end, Woods played 4 minutes and Rice played 2. Make it make sense.
  • I’m a big Ben Middlebrooks fan. Once again, he maximized his playing time, with 9 points, 4 boards and 2 steals in 15 minutes.
    • NC State was +11 with Middlebrooks on the court, which was 4th best on the team.
  • Casey Morsell scored 20+ points for the 2nd time this season.
    • Earlier this season, he scored 28 points against BYU.

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Basketball

NC State is Adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach

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3 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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According to reports, NC State is adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach.

Nelson was only at UMASS for 1 season under Frank Martin. Prior to that, Nelson was the Head Coach at Holy Cross for 4 seasons, posting a 27-84 record.

Prior to taking the Head Coaching mantle at Holy Cross, Nelson was at Marquette for 5 seasons, spending the first 3 as an Assistant Coach, and the final two as an Associate Head Coach. Prior to Marquette, Nelson also served as an Assistant Coach at Ball St., Drake, Arkansas and Marshall.

Before coaching basketball, Nelson played for the University of Florida from 1999-2003. He was All-SEC twice, and earned Third Team All-American honors. When he left Gainesville, he was the Gators’ all-time leader in three pointers made, and ranked 2nd in steals.

As a Senior in High School, Nelson was a McDonald’s All-American.

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NC State Basketball

Ernest Ross Announces He is Returning to NC State

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4 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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Power Forward Ernest Ross announced this morning that he is returning to NC State for his final year of eligibility.

 

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Last Friday, Ross committed to UTSA after entering the Transfer Portal on April 17th, but it looks like he had a change of heart over the past couple of days.

NC State has been in desperate need to add a Big out of the Portal. They have hosted ECU’s Ezra Ausar and Georgia’s Frank Anselem-Ibe, but neither of them have found a home yet. With the addition of Ross, NC State has added depth in the Frontcourt, and unless something changes, their roster is full with 13 scholarship players.

Ross played in 14 games this past season, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.

Ross was a consensus 4-star player in NC State’s 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.

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NC State Basketball

A Matchup Between NC State & Marquette Next Season Might be in the Works

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4 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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According to NCAA.com’s Andy Katz, a matchup between NC State and Marquette next season might be in the works.

This past year, the Wolfpack defeated the Golden Eagles 67-58 in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

NC State and Marquette have played one another 6 times overall, with the Wolfpack holding a 4-2 lead in the series, winning the past two matchups.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Men’s Basketball Will Play in the 2025 Maui Invitational

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5 days ago

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May 14, 2024

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The NC State Men’s Basketball Team will be playing in the 2025 Maui Invitational, on November 24-26 in Hawaii. This will mark the first time that NC State has ever played in the Maui Invitational.

NC State will be joined by Baylor, Oregon, Seton Hall, Texas, UNLV, USC and Chaminade.

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