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NC State Rally’s After Keatts’ Ejection to Beat Wake Forest 83-76

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4 months ago

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For the first time since 1988-89, NC State has started ACC play 5-1, defeating Wake Forest 83-76 tonight.

The Wolfpack didn’t lead in this game until the 2:17 mark in the 2nd half.

With 3:31 left in the 1st half, NC State head coach Kevin Keatts was hit with a double-technical foul, after a no call on a foul on Dennis Parker Jr. As a result, Wake Forest hit all 4 free throws, putting the Deacs up by 10, which is what they ultimately led by at the half.

At one point, Wake Forest led by 12 points right before halftime.

NC State shot the ball well all night, shooting 55.6% in the first half, 51.9% in the 2nd, and 53.7% for the game. Oddly enough, the Wolfpack just won a game in which they didn’t hit a single three-point shot, going 0-8 from beyond the arc.

On the other hand, NC State locked down on defense in the 2nd half. The Demon Deacons shot 53.8% from the field in the first half, hitting 4 three pointers. In the 2nd, the Wolfpack weren’t having it, holding Wake to 33.3% in the 2nd half, making only 2 three-pointers.

Senior Guard DJ Horne led the Pack in scoring once again, pacing NC State with 21 points, hitting 9 of his 19 shots. The Wolfpack were +17 with Horne on the court, which was the best on the squad.

With that being said, my MVP of the night was Junior big fella Ben Middlebrooks, who scored a career high 14 points, shooting a perfect 5 of 5 from the field, and 4 of 4 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed 6 boards. The Wolfpack were +15 with Middlebrooks on the court, which ranked 2nd on the team.

With 46 seconds left on the clock, Middlebrooks made an And-1 layup, and as he walked away hyped up, he incidentally bumped into Wake’s Hunter Sallis, who instantly got in Middlebrook’s face. The result was a technical foul on each, with the technical fouling Middlebrooks out of the game. Mohamed Diarra somehow felt the need to go get in the face of Sallis, which resulted in the two of them receiving technicals for “head-butting” each other, leading to the ejection of both players. In my opinion, there was no head-butting, and Diarra alone deserved a technical, which would have put the Wolfpack in a very precarious position. NC State got lucky in this instance.

It was an emotionally charged game, culminating with DJ Horne giving the referee the double bird after he turned his back with 2.2 seconds left, which went unseen to the referee, but not the television camera. Not a good look for Horne.

With that being said, kudos to Horne for owning it after the game. We all are guilty of making poor choices at times when emotions are high.

Did I mention that DJ Burns left the game early, and was throwing up in the tunnel.

In the end, NC State has shown some extreme resolve as of late. Against Notre Dame, they led for the first time with 0.6 seconds left. Tonight, they led for the first time with 2:17 left.

It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Wolfpack deserve respect for starting 5-1 in the ACC.

The Wolfpack will look continue to hang out in 2nd place in the ACC standings on Saturday, when they host Virginia Tech at Noon.

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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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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
3 months ago

The Atlantic Coast Conference announced that it has issued a reprimand to NC State’s DJ Horne following Tuesday night’s Wake Forest at NC State men’s basketball game.

We say BFD. Let’s Go ACC.

-1
wolfpack74
wolfpack74
3 months ago

We saw great coaching at halftime and beyond. We need KR but not KK. Suggest using KR as head coach. Save money for NIL by firing useless KK.

-1
thenewclass13
thenewclass13
3 months ago
Reply to  wolfpack74

god shut up. if you think KR and gthe other assistants weren’t executing KK’s gameplan than you’re an idiot.

1
62forthepack
62forthepack
3 months ago

I think Jeffrey Anderson should go to the same place Carl Hess is!!!

0

NC State Basketball

The Roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball Team is all but Set Heading into 2024-25

Published

3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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NC State does have 1 scholarship available, and could still add a player out of the Transfer Portal. With that being said, the roster for the Men’s Basketball team is pretty much set for the 2024-25 season.

Non-graduates had to enter the Transfer Portal by April 30th, and Graduates had to enter by May 1st. Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell both made public announcements that they were returning, but the closure of entrance to the Portal means that Breon Pass, Ben Middlebrooks, Dennis Parker Jr. and MJ Rice are all set to return next season.

In a world where the Transfer Portal has all but become free agency in College Basketball, with some players switching schools on an annual basis, it’s encouraging that Kevin Keatts not only recruited a Top-10 Transfer Class, but also recruited a majority of the eligible players to stay. Three players that could transfer entered the Portal (I’m not counting Mohamed Diarra in these numbers, who opted to go pro), while 6 opted to continue running with the Wolfpack.

As a result, below is a breakdown of the roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball team heading into 2024-25, realizing the Wolfpack could still add one player (this team is deep).

1 year of Eligibility 

Guard Michael O’Connell
Guard Marcus Hill
Guard Breon Pass
Guard/Forward Jayden Taylor
Forward/Guard Dontrez Styles
Forward Ben Middlebrooks
Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

2 Years of Eligibility

Guard/Forward MJ Rice
Guard Mike James
Guard Jordan Snell (Walk-On)
Guard KJ Keatts (Walk-On)

3 Years of Eligibility 

Guard/Forward Dennis Parker Jr.

4 Years of Eligibility 

Guard Paul McNeil
Guard Trey Parker

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Men’s Basketball 2024 Transfer Class Ranks in the Top-10 Nationally

Published

4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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NC State’s Men’s Basketball team has picked up 4 players from the Transfer Portal this offseason, and the class ranks 10th nationally according to ON3, and 15th nationally according to 247Sports.

ON3

247Sports

NC State’s 2024 4-Man Transfer Class

Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville)

Guard/Forward Dontez Styles (Georgetown)

Guard Mike James (Louisville)

Guard Marcus Hill (Bowling Green)

NC State still has a chance to move up in the rankings. East Carolina Power Forward Ezra Ausar just wrapped up an Official Visit to NC State, and things are looking good for the Wolfpack. ON3 ranks Ausar as the #67 overall player in the Portal, and the #15 Power Forward.

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

Published

4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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Andy Katz is beginning to make his rounds for his Offseason Convo series, and he took the time to meet with NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts.

In their conversation, Keatts talked about what this run has meant to Raleigh and the Wolfpack fans, how it has helped sell the program the way it deserves to be in recruiting, and even how it helped and hurt in the world of the Transfer Portal.

Check out the conversation below:

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NC State Basketball

Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State

Published

5 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Guard Michael O’Connell announced today that he will be playing his final year of eligibility at NC State next season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael O’Connell (@michaeloc_12)

Today was the final day graduate players could enter the Portal.

This past season, O’Connell averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wolfpack, starting 22 of the 41 games he played in.

O’Connell took over as NC State’s starting Point Guard on January 30th in a win against Miami.

He only scored in double figures in 9 of his 41 games this season, but 6 of those came in postseason play (5 in the ACC Tournament). O’Connell took things to another level in the ACC Tournament, playing aggressive on the offensive end, looking for his shot, and attacking the rim.

NC State played it’s best basketball of the season when O’Connell was running the show. He ranked 3rd in the ACC in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.5).

Heading into next season, with a lineup filled with new faces, having the calming presence of a veteran leader like O’Connell is reassuring.

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