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Florida State will host NC State this Wednesday night at 7 o’clock with coverage on ESPN2. The Seminoles are 20-4 and ranked 14th in the most recent rankings. Leading the Noles is Dwayne Bacon averaging 17.6 PPG. The super sophomore has been outstanding for coach Leonard Hamilton leading a talented group that currently sits 8-3 in ACC play. What do you need to know before NC State migrates south?

Florida State’s last game.

The Noles beat the Clemson Tigers 109-61 behind Dewayne Bacon’s 29 points on 10-14 shooting (6-9 3FG). Bacon’s 29 points matched his career high. Not only was Bacon great but the Noles forced the Tigers into 22 TO’s which they converted into 35 points. Florida State has plenty of athletes who get after it on the defensive end as they force 15.2 turnovers per game. Their plus 2.82 turnover margin leads the ACC. Joe Lunardi of ESPN recently had the Tigers seeded as a 10 in his NCAA Tournament projections. Florida State has not lost at home this season a fact they will look to continue come Wednesday.

Florida State is as talented as any team in the NCAA.

Coach Leonard Hamilton spoke about how he is challenging his team each day to take that step to become a great team. He feels that they are getting closer to their potential but still have work. Throughout Florida State’s lineup, they have guys capable of playing well on both ends of the court. Defensively they are among the best at forcing turnovers and using them to propel their offense. As a whole, they are allowing 72.9 PPG, 42.7 FG%, and 33 3FG% making life difficult for opposing teams.

Offensively Bacon is the complete package; however, he is not alone. Supporting Bacon is Jonathan Issac and Xavier Rathan-Mayes who average 12.8 and 10.3 PPG respectively. Issac is a 6-10 freshman with the versatility to score inside as well as outside. Xavier Rathan-Mayes is averaging 10.3 PPG although he capable of exploding on any given night. This season Rathan-Mayes has done a better job at playmaking for his teammates averaging 4.7 APG. The Noles are averaging 80 PPG in ACC games this season, good enough for a plus 7.1 scoring margin in conference play.

What lies ahead for Florida State?

The Seminoles are 20-4 on the season with an 8-3 record in ACC play trailing UNC by one game for first place. The Noles host NC State on Wednesday night before traveling to Notre Dame on Saturday. Leonard Hamilton’s group have their eyes set on winning the ACC regular season crown and have a favorable schedule to accomplish this feat. With seven games remaining only two are aginst ranked opponents although both are on the road. Dwayne Bacon is one of the premiere players in the NCAA as he is getting more comfortable each game. Florida State has the talent and ability to make plays on both ends of the court to make a deep run this March.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

This FSU team is talented like the Pack but they are playing like I had wished the Pack would play before the season started.

0
wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

I disagree with the assertion that this team has talent. Sure they can shoot sometimes and rebound once in a while. But talent is more than playing offense.

0
Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago
Reply to  wolfpack74

You can have talent and still lose. Talent is not the same as well coached, plays hard, disciplined, etc. DSJ is a talent. He is currently not well coached. Torin Dorn is a talent. He is also not well coached. Wait there’s a theme here.

0
wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

What SPF are the basketball players going to use at the beach? That is the important question.

2

NC State Basketball

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

Published

2 days ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

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

3 days ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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

3 days ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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

4 days ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

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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