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NC State Basketball

NC State Handles Business in Overtime, Defeating Oakland 79-73 to Advance to the Sweet 16

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1 month ago

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#11 seed NC State outscored #14 seed Oakland 13-7 in Overtime, propelling the Wolfpack to the Sweet 16 for the 1st time since 2015.

NC State led against #14 Oakland all the way until 2:49 left in regulation, when the Grizzlies’ Trey Townsend made a basket plus the foul, putting his team up by two. Both teams exchanged free throws, but with the Pack trailing by 1 with 54 seconds left, Senior Guard Michael O’Connell made an and-1 layup, putting NC State up by 2. Ultimately, Oakland’s Jack Gohlke’s free throws with 40 seconds left propelled the game to overtime.

Senior DJ Burns was not to be reckoned with tonight, scoring 6 of his 24 points in overtime. Burns, who has been averaging 24 minutes per game, proved doubters wrong tonight, playing 42 of the 45 minutes, which is a new career high. Burns was 9 of 12 from the field, and simply couldn’t be stopped. When Oakland doubled him, he passed the ball out for 4 assists. Burns grabbed 11 boards, giving him his first double-double of 20-10 at NC State, and only the 2nd of his career.

The last player to have a double-double of 20+ points and 10+ rebounds was Lorenzo Charles, in 1985.

The Wolfpack’s offensive attack was one of the most balanced performances of the season. Five NC State scored in double figures, and Junior Jayden Taylor was close behind with 8 points.

Junior Michael O’Connell, who has found new offensive confidence at the end of the year, had 12 points and 8 assists, shooting 4 of 7 from the field, and 3 of 5 from three. In a game when Oakland was playing zone, and Senior DJ Horne hit 1 of 6 from three, someone needed to step up from beyond the arc, and O’Connell was up to the task.

Junior Mohamed Diarra had yet another double-double, this time with 11 points (5-9 FG) and 13 rebounds, to go along with 3 blocks. Diarra has posted double-doubles in 3 straight games, and in 4 of the last 5. He has recorded 10+ rebounds in 6 straight games.

Horne and Senior Casey Morsell both chipped in 11 points apiece.

This Wolfpack team played with grit, didn’t cave under pressure, and found a way to make buckets when they needed to, as well as defensive stops.

Oakland’s Coach Greg Kampe said before the game that their plan was to prevent Burns from getting the ball. The thought was their zone would rattle Burns, crashing on him even if he did get the ball.

The Pack’s plan was to relentlessly feed Burns the ball, and the collapsing defense couldn’t phase the player whose legend only continues to grow as each day of March goes by.

NC State will play the winner of the Marquette vs. Colorado game in the Sweet 16 next week.

 

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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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WolfPackJames
WolfPackJames
1 month ago

Oh man what a game. I got nervous but my lucky chair is still working. Go Pack!

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NC State Basketball

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

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2 hours 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

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

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20 hours 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

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1 day 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

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2 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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