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NC State Basketball

NC State Put Together a Season for the Record Books

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4 weeks ago

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NC State lost to South Carolina 59-78 in the Final Four this evening, and while a loss is always disappointing, what this Wolfpack team did this season was nothing short of remarkable.

There was a lot of unknowns surrounding this squad entering the 2023-24 season. NC State had lost 4 starters (Diamond Johnson, Jakia Brown-Turner, Jada Boyd, Camille Hobby). As a result, the Wolfpack entered the season unranked.

At one point this season, NC State went from unranked to #3 in the land, and finished the regular season ranked 11th.

The Wolfpack are 1 of 8 teams in Women’s College Basketball history to start unranked and reach the Final Four (NC State did the same thing in 1998).

NC State finished with 31 wins, marking only the 2nd time in program history the Wolfpack has won 30+ games in a single season. The only other time NC State has won 30+ games was in 2021-22, when the Pack went 32-4.

The Wolfpack were picked to finish 8th in the ACC in the Preseason Poll, and earned the #2 seed in the ACC Tournament. That’s tied for the biggest jump into the ACC Top-4 since the Preseason Poll started in 1991-92.

The Pack made it to the ACC Tournament Championship Game for the 18th time, and the 4th time in the past 5 seasons. The Wolfpack are now tied for the most ACC Title Game appearances.

The Wolfpack beat 9 ranked teams, tying a program record.

NC State went to the Final Four for only the 2nd time in program history, joining the 1998 squad in the record books.

The Wolfpack were extremely balanced, with 5 players averaging double figures. They were 1 of 11 schools to do so.

Junior Guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers both earned a spot on the All-ACC 1st Team.

More could be said, but I think you get the point. Tonight ended in a loss, and that will always sting, but this Wolfpack teams was one of the best Women’s Basketball Teams to ever wear the Red and White.

 

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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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travelwolf
travelwolf
25 days ago

The game was like watching a WNBA vs us. I don’t think it’s fair to have so many tall players on one team:)

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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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27 mins 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.

 

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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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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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12 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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ECU Transfer Power Forward Ezra Ausar (6’9″/240) was on an Official Visit to NC State yesterday, and according to analysts at ON3 and 247Sports, things are trending in the right direction for the Wolfpack.

Jamie Shaw of ON3 submitted a prediction for Ausar to eventually commit to NC State yesterday morning.

Cory Smith of 247Sports submitted a crystal ball projection for Ausar to run with the Wolfpack this morning.

Ausar just wrapped up his Sophomore season in Greenville, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field. As a Freshman, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Ausar is a consensus 4-Star prospect in the Transfer Portal, and ON3 ranks him as the #60 overall player in the Portal and the #10 Power Forward.

Originally from Atlanta, Ausar played his Senior Season of High School at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. ON3 ranked Ausar as a 4-Star prospect coming out of high school, the #94 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Ausar has visited Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, met over Zoom with Georgetown, and had an in-home visit with Utah. John Calipari and his staff at Arkansas have been in touch with Ausar, as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and St. John’s. (Link)

At this point, it’s good news that Ausar has no visits scheduled after the visit to NC State.

Ausar has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and NC State currently has 1 scholarship remaining.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

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13 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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NC State 2024 signee Zamareya Jones has played in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic over the past month.

In the McDonald’s game on April 2nd, Jones had 13 points, helping her East squad defeat the West.

 

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In the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21st, Jones had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She also hit the game winner for Team Flight.

Jones is a 5-star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 21st overall nationally by ESPN.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Kevin Keatts and DJ Burns Sounded the Siren at the Canes Game Tonight

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23 hours ago

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April 30, 2024

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NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts and the beloved DJ Burns were both Siren Sounders for the Canes this evening, with Carolina defeating the Islanders 6-3, winning the Round 1 series 4-1.

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