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Putting NC State’s 8-2 start into perspective

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Now that we’re about a third of the way through season 1 of the Kevin Keatts era, we felt like it was a good time to step back and see where this team really is.

When the Wolfpack knocked off Arizona, they were the #2 team in the nation. Immediately after that victory, there was a lot of celebration, but also a lot of questions.

Is NC State really this good? Is Kevin Keatts some kind of sorcerer who in only a few months turned a group, picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC, into a national contender?

Two consecutive losses, one to Tennessee and one to Northern Iowa, pumped the breaks on those thoughts pretty fast.

After the ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’ Wolfpack fans needed to process what just happened. Is this team going to be one of those State teams who beats some great teams, but loses to some awful teams? Did they just catch Arizona on an off night? Or is this just a really good team who is still learning to master this system?

A win over a very good Penn State team, in a grind it out sort of fashion, really amplified these questions and gave people a little more hope that ‘maybe this team is a little better than we thought after all.’

They have since won 2 games against weaker teams and have 3 more before ACC play. So where does this team stand? Maybe taking a look at where some of their opponents are now will give us a better idea.

 

The Quality Wins:

#2 Arizona Wildcats: The win over Arizona went from outstanding, to just good in a matter of a few days. The Wildcats were #2 when NC State beat them, but after that loss they went on to drop 2 more, leaving the Bahamas 0-3.

So what have they been up to since? Well, they’re back on track. They beat a good UNLV team, then knocked off #7 Texas A&M (#1 in RPI), and just last night they beat a quality Alabama team. Arizona, may not be the #2 team in the nation, but they will likely be a Top 15-20 team by season’s end and this will be a big-time non-conference win for the Wolfpack.

Penn State: The win over the Nittany Lions was nice on paper, but if you’ve watched Wolfpack basketball for a long time, you’ll know that this type of game is one that usually ends up in the ‘L’ column. It’s against a quality opponent that isn’t ranked but is playing well, State coming off two losses, they are physical and active, they play tough defense. Just to be blunt about it, NC State under Mark Gottfried (most likely) loses that game.

So what has Penn State done since their loss to the Pack? Well, hard to tell. They beat a so-so Iowa team and they lost at the buzzer to a Wisconsin team that has been up and down. Our guess is that Penn State finishes out the season in the RPI top 100, making this a good but not great victory.

The Losses:

UNI (Northern Iowa): Just because you’ve never really heard of UNI doesn’t mean that this was a bad loss. In fact, UNI is #19 in the RPI right now. NC State only lost by 4 to the Panthers and had they been fresh, we believe the Wolfpack would have pulled this one off.

So what has UNI been up to since their win over the Pack? Well, they lost to #5 Villanova, beat that good UNLV team and won a cupcake vs. UT Arlington. That means that UNI sits at 7-2 with their only losses to #9 UNC and #5 Villanova. This is a very good, very well-coached senior-led team and you’ll likely find them in or near the Top 25 by seasons end.

 

Tennessee: NC State fans usually would place themselves in a tier with Tennessee in most years, and would likely expect to beat them at home or on a neutral court. That’s why they weren’t really happy when the Pack went ice cold and ended up losing to the Vols by 9. But this Tennessee team isn’t really your typical group. This is a big, strong athletic group that has some leadership and currently sit 6-1 with their only loss coming to #5 Villanova.

So what have the Vols been up to since they beat State? Sure, they had two cupcake wins, but they also sprinkled in a 7 point victory over Georgia Tech in Atlanta. As of the writing of this article, Tennessee is actually sitting at #24 in the AP poll and is #7 in the RPI.

 

Where does that leave NC State?

Taking a closer look, you see that the Wolfpack really hasn’t lost a bad game. They are 8-2 with wins over #2 Arizona and Penn State. Their losses have been to two Top-20 RPI teams., both on a neutral court and both were 1-day turnaround games.

Look at it this way. This is a group that is still learning to play together, they are still conditioning their bodies to play at this pace, and they are still learning this system. Their only two losses were in a tournament situation (back to back games) that they’d only see again in the ACC Tournament.

Could the Pack be 10-0 right now? Sure. if they had proper rest for those two losses, maybe they have their legs and didn’t shoot so poorly. Maybe they grind out those wins, and maybe they don’t. Either way, both of their losses were close games and they’ve yet to find themselves an opponent they can’t compete with. If they can take care of the next 3 games, get rested, get healthy, then Wolfpack fans should be very happy with where their team is and where they could end up going.

NC State Basketball

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

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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

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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

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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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NC State Basketball

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

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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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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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