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3 Double-Doubles help Wolfpack outlast Robert Morris, 81-69

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6 years ago

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NC State finally played to their strength and it paid off with a 81-69 victory over Robert Morris.

All of NC State’s losses have followed the same pattern. Poor volume shooting from the guards, and low usage, but high efficiency from the bigs.Tonight was different.

NC State’s guards once again had an off shooting night, but instead of forcing shots up, they went inside. The Pack’s 3 double-doubles (Yurtseven, Dorn, Freeman) was too much for the Colonials to handle.

Here are the quick hits from tonights win:

 

  • NC State finally got their bigs the basketball and it paid off. Abu, Lennard Freeman and Omer Yurtseven combined to go 16-25 (64%). That would seem impressive, but it’s becoming the norm. These guys, at the moment, are one of the most efficient front courts in the nation. NC State needs to continue to play through them.
  • Torin Dorn attacked the rim all night. We mentioned earlier in the week that he needed to initiate more contact and work on getting to the line to increase his offensive efficiency and he did just that. His 8 trips to the line was a season high. He finished with 17 points and 10 boards.
  • Huge game for Lavar Batts. The freshman was a huge spark off the bench tonight and can be credit for turning the tide in this one. His 9 points and 2 assists aren’t going to jump off the page, but it was his tenacity on defense, and his hounding of the Robert Morris guards that were the difference.  His shot needs some work, but his ability to get into the lane and make things happen is what this team is missing with Markell Johnson still suspended.
  • Braxton Beverly and Al Freeman once again were ice cold. They finished 2-18 (11%) and 1-8 from 3pt range. It’s a tough call with these two. One one hand, you know they are capable scorers and you want to try to get them going. On the other hand, they’ve already shot you out of a few games and when you’re bigs are playing at this level, you really can’t warrant these guys shooting that much, with that percentage.  That being said, I didn’t think these guys took many bad shots tonight. They didn’t heave anything up early in the shot clock. They were just off. Freeman came into the game shooting only 26% from 3pt range, so credit him for not taking as many in this one. He shot only 2, his lowest amount of attempts on the season.
  • NC State dominated Robert Morris on the boards 48-38. They also finished with 21 second chance points to the the Colonials 12. That was the difference.

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

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5 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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18 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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