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NC State Basketball

Sustained Success

Published

9 years ago

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After dismantling Duke this past Sunday, NC State faces a new kind of challenge that comes from success. Life in the ACC is a difficult road where ups and downs are common place. State must be on high alert this Wednesday as they face another bitter rival in UNC. Our players must not be ok with just beating Duke. The problem that NC State has fallen victim to all to often is success. It happened a couple of years ago when we knocked off Duke on Tracy Smith’s birthday. All signs pointed up for the Pack only to lead to despair as the team crumbled down the stretch.

That was a long time ago and the team had a completely different make-up with Sidney Lowe at the helm. This years team must use the win against Duke as a lesson. They must use the confidence gained from such a win and use it to their advantage. The reason we beat Duke is simple, we executed the game plan and played with poise and confidence, as well as energy. Our guys are more than capable of replicating such an outing each game! Granted our guys will not shoot lights out each and every night; yet if they play with the desire and focus they can contend for a top 4 finish in the ACC.

In order for State Basketball to continue their accession upwards in the college basketball landscape we must create a ruckus environment each game. The PNC Arena is one of the most difficult venues to play at when it is filled to capacity! Unfortunately it only seems to reach such elite heights twice a year, when Duke or UNC come to town. Imagine the advantage our team would have if we could fill the arena each and every game with 19,000 plus rowdy State fans? I can not think of a more imposing arena to play at!

Frequently I have said how I feel like Coach Gottfried and his Staff are the ones to get NC State to the top once again. This season has been one that could of turned south quickly; however, the team has banded together following an awful loss against Cincinnati. This team hasn’t lost back to back games this season. Give the players credit for sticking together and allowing the coaches to teach them. Against Duke our guys trusted the game plan and were mentally tough enough to see it through. We out fought Duke, who is notorious for its’ fight and effort!

Sitting at 3-1 in the ACC is a great start for the Pack. The schedule grinds on from here; with the Tarheels coming to town this Wednesday. Look for our guys to come out with great intensity and accomplish a great feat in defeating both Duke and UNC in back to back games. These type of results are a must if NC State Basketball wants become a fixture in the top 25. We must battle for respect on Tobacco Road, the best way to accomplish that is to win! There is no better time than the present!

Side Note: Brandon Ingram SF (6-8 180) #12 on ESPN top 100 list for 2015 was court side. Currently he has Duke, UNC, NC State, Kansas, and UCLA as top choices

Tip-Off is slated for 7PM this Wednesday night at PNC Arena.

 

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miscophi
miscophi
9 years ago

Wolfer96 miscophi This strategy works for all games, not just UNC. The Martins can hit the boards because they never stop. This is all about energy and desire, and getting Barber and Turner hungry when they hit the floor. Lacey starts the game with the ball in his hands. The bigs? When you need energy go with Abu/W. If you need enforcers then Anya/F.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

miscophi Will Abu/Washington combo provide enough defensive rebounding? May need to go 3 BIGs and 2 guards to start game. unc will try to get 2nd chance opportunities.

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miscophi
miscophi
9 years ago

Lineup and Minutes:

Start: LACEY 35, MARTIN 20, MARTIN 20, ABU 20, WASHINGTON 20

6th and 7th: TURNER 25 BARBER 20

8th and 9th: ANYA 15 FREEMAN 15

10th: LEE 10

Game starts off with energy; microwave off the bench; fresh energy with Barber; Anya/Freeman in for D and boards, especially when we’re up; Lee finishes both halves with tenacious D. Start off with full or 3/4 press; go zone with Anya/Freeman. Keep both Martins on the floor. And let upper-level ticket-holders come downstairs for the second half. Jeez.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

The Wolf Pack struggle against physical teams (e.g. Cincinnati, West Virgina, UVA). Duke was mostly soft (with the exception of Okafor). While there was a lot of pushing and shoving, duke was not physical as in they don’t wear you down for 40 minutes. This game will come down to who is more physical. I haven’t seen one unc game this season so I am not sure about the toughness of their squad. The Pack will have to do all the things right… boxing out, fighting for loose balls, rebounding, and dumping the ball inside. Anya and our BIGs will… Read more »

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NC State Basketball

NC State Women’s Basketball Ranks 8th in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early 2024-25 Preseason Top-25

Published

19 hours ago

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May 7, 2024

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ESPN released their updated Way-Too-Early Preseason Top-25 for the 2024-25 Women’s Basketball season, and NC State ranked 8th.

8. NC State Wolfpack

The dynamic backcourt that took the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since 1998 returns. Aziaha James (16.8 PPG), Saniya Rivers (12.5 PPG) and Zoe Brooks (9.0 PPG) are enough to keep NC State near the top of a highly competitive ACC. How well a new mix of bigs fits in will determine if the Wolfpack are good enough to win the conference and contend for a trip to Tampa. The experience of River Baldwin and Mimi Collins can’t be replaced, so how well 6-5 recruit Lorena Awou adapts to the college game and 6-4 Boston University transfer Caitlin Weimar, the Patriot League player of the year and two-time defensive player of the year, adjusts to the upgrade in competition will have a big impact on NC State’s season. Previous ranking: 8

(ESPN)

ACC Teams in the Top-25

4. Notre Dame

8. NC State

11. Duke

12. Louisville

17. UNC

18. FSU

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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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5 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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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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5 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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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

Published

6 days 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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