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NC State Basketball

NC State Upsets #2 Arizona 90-84 in the Battle 4 Atlantis!

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6 years ago

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Welcome to the Kevin Keatts Era of basketball ladies and gentlemen.

NC State defeated #2 Arizona 90-84 in the Battle 4 Atlantis down in the Bahamas. The last time NC State beat a Top-5 team was when the Wolfpack defeated #2 ranked Duke on January 11th, 2015.

From the tipoff, to the end of the game, NC State controlled this basketball game. Over the first four games, the Wolfpack won because they forced the other team to commit an obscene amount of turnovers.

That wasn’t the story tonight.

In fact, Arizona only committed 8 turnovers tonight.

What happened?

NC State wasn’t scared of #2 Arizona. Not one bit.

In fact, Arizona out rebounded NC State 39-31, and actually only committed 8 turnovers, compared to the Wolfpack’s 10.

How did this happen?

The Wolfpack wanted it more. They were more consistent. They were more clutch. They had an answer for every Arizona surge. They were poised.

Allerik Freeman looked like a star, posting a stat line of 24 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds.

But the hero of the night was none other than Braxton Beverly, who almost wasn’t allowed to play this season, if it wasn’t for the reversal of the NCAA’s decision on his eligibility. Beverly had 20 points, hitting 3 of his 5 shots from 3-point land. It was the ice running through his veins at the end of the game that kept the Wildcats from creeping back. He hit a three-point dagger at the 4:19 mark, and then after that he hit 7 of 8 free throws to put the knife in the steak.

10 points in the final 4:19.

Kevin Keatts team was resilient, and he made these players believe that they belonged on this court. He told the media that they weren’t looking to earn moral victories in the Bahama’s, and his words became prophetic.

They shot 50% from the field, 40% from three, and 80% from the charity stripe against the #2 team in the land.

NC State wasn’t lucky tonight.

They simply were the better team.

And nothing about tonight’s performance looked like a fluke.

The victory didn’t look like an oversized shirt on a little kid. It looked like a tailor made slim fit suit that they were meant to wear.

 

 

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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.

NC State Basketball

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

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10 hours 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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22 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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23 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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1 day 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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