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GAME PREVIEW: Getting to know Penn State

Published

6 years ago

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NC State basketball got a much-needed rest over the past week and is set to take on Penn State tonight in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. (7:15pm on ESPNU).

The Nittany Lions come in 6-1 with an 11-point loss to #16 Texas A&M and an insane 31 point win over Pitt. So who is this team and what type of matchup can we expect?

Tony Carr is a 6’5 sophomore who was named to the Big-Ten All-Freshman team last year is back and their defacto leader. He’s a highly efficient scorer who can do it all. He’s averaging 20 ppg, shooting 50% from the floor and knocking down 65% of his 3s. He is basically Allonzo Trier lite. Trier (Arizona’s leading scorer) came in with eye-popping scoring and efficiency stats just slightly better than Carr and NC State focused on taking him out of his game. They were successful early on, limiting to 3 first-half points. Al Freeman will likely once again be faced with the same task in this one. Slow down Carr and don’t let him get off. Doing this will be a deciding factor in this ball game.

Lamar Stevens is a 6’8 sophomore forward who is this team’s second-leading scorer. He’s putting up 14 points and 7 boards per game. He’s a versatile big who is pretty bouncy, however, at only 226lbs, he isn’t really that tough to move around.

From there it’s kind of a team effort for Penns State. They have three guys in the 10ppg range, but none of them are really prolific scorers, wow you with assists or rack up the rebounds. Check out these highlights of Penn State’s loss to #16 Texas A&M.

Watching some Penn State video will show you that they aren’t the most disciplined team out there. It’s not so much their guards, either. They haven’t done a bad job at taking care of the ball. It’s been their defense in the paint. When challenged with bigger, stronger guys, they have struggled. Against A&M they were outrebounded by 13.

Where the Nittany Lions really can match up with the Pack is by creating turnovers. They rank 2nd in steals (in the Power 5), while State sits at 6th. So you’re looking at two elite teams in that category.

Overall, this is a young Penn State team, but also an experienced one. They returned 5 of their top 6 scorers from last year, but all of their big time players are sophomores.

Expect a fast-paced chaotic game when these two teams meet.

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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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5 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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17 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 Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

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18 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’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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