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NC State takes on Northern Iowa at 3pm: Preview, Info & How to Watch

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6 years ago

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Kevin Keatt’s Wolfpack survived and advanced in the ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ last night, toppling #2 Arizona 90-84. They suit up again today with a quick turnaround against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers in the semis.

Gametime: 3pm
How to Watch: ESPN2
Location: Atlantis, Bahamas

Get to Know Northern Iowa
The Panthers come into this game 4-1 after beating SMU last night, in the first round. So far their only loss has come, coincidentally, to the Tar Heels (86-69).

They are led by 6’10“ senior Bennet Koch. He is a skilled big man who can step out and knock down the jumper. Now, he’s certainly no Deandre Ayton (who hurt NC State in the paint last night), but he can do some damage if you’re not ready. He is averaging 16 points and 8 boards.

Most of their other offense is going to come from their guards Juwan McCloud, Tywhon Pickford, and Spencer Halderman who score 12, 10 and 9 respectively. This team can hurt you from 3 if you’re not careful. That’s what happened to SMU last night. They made six 3’s early in the game and helped them jump out to a 15 point lead.

Looking back against UNC, the gameplan seemed to have been pound it inside against the Panthers. UNC forward Luke May took 16 shots and scored 26 points against them.

What to Watch For

NC State is sure to be a little tired after that emotional win over Arizona, but they have to turn around and do it again today.

Lucky for them, Markell Johnson should be fresh. He sat out a good portion of the 2nd half with cramps. They also will have fresh Malik Abu, who is still shaking off rust and only logged 17 minutes.

Look for the Wolfpack to really attempt to bother the UNI guard with the press. They turned it over 18 times last night against SMU and looked a little loose with the ball when given strong pressure.

Also watch for NC State to really attack them in the paint. The Panthers aren’t short, but they’re not very strong. Lennard Freeman and Malik Abu should be able to have big games in this one

Torin Dorn was somewhat quiet last night as the twin towers in the middle didn’t allow him to get to the rim as much as he’d like. UNI doesn’t have as much size and strength so you might see an eager Dorn looking to break out.

A win in this one would likely have NC State meeting up with #5 Villanova on Friday.

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

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

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17 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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ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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

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1 day 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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