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NC State Basketball

NC State Push Past Hokies 69-53

Published

9 years ago

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Ralston Turner found his shot from distance as he led the team with 18 points while shooting 4-8 from three point land. NC State finally had a relatively stress free game at PNC Arena, which has seen some real nail bitters this season. The keys to this game was always on the Pack’s shoulders as they were by far the more talented and established team. We had to be focused both defensively and offensively in order to come away with the victory. Although the team played well there were a handful of moments that the team looked dead on defense. To close out the first half State allowed Justin Bibbs to get clean looks, which he did not waste. Fortunately for the Pack Bibbs 19 points were not enough for the Hokies as he didn’t have much help on the night.

I was impressed with NC State’s help side defense. VT does not have any threat on the block; however, they are quick and use a 5 out offense that generates lots of cuts and movement. On a number of occasions I was pleased to hear our guys communicating with one another to help navigate through all of the screens and backdoor cuts. Trevor Lacey was excellent on defense in my opinion as he took away passing lanes that helped prevent a couple of sure layups with his ball pressure. BeeJay Anya officially registered 3 blocks on the night, but he altered many more shots. He was also much improved in pick and role defense. He hedged the ball well and didn’t give any clean looks to the guard looking to shoot the three pointer. This is a sign of improvement and shows that BeeJay is working hard to become more than just a shot blocker.

Offensively our guys moved the ball well and were able to use our size to overmatch the Hokies. Not only did our length help down low, but our guards were able to get clean looks on the perimeter. Ralston looked great tonight. His movements were much more fluid than previous games. I also noticed that he was not wearing a heavy wrap on his knee, the light schedule has been beneficial for Turner. One of the surprises on the night was the fact that Kyle Washington didn’t play a single minute. This is his first DNP on the season. I am not sure we should read too much into this decision by Gottfried, but I think it speaks volumes about the depth that we have in the front court. Anya, Freeman, and Abu played well and consistently play within themselves. Kyle sometimes has a tendency to play outside of the team given his aggressive nature on the offensive end. As he learns to play within his strengths I am confident that he will gain some of his minutes back. Most importantly for this team is to play to our strengths and not do too much. The beauty of our team is that we have a number of guys that compliment each other and when we play together we are capable of beating any team in the country. We must stick to the script!

This was a good win but lets be honest Virginia Tech is not very good. State must put this win behind them and get ready for a step up in class as they take the short trip to Chapel Hill this Tuesday. UNC looked solid today as they dismantled Georgia Tech winning by 29 points. NC State must come ready to play. Tip-off is slated for 8PM and can be seen on ACCN/Raycom.

 

 

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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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8 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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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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20 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 Basketball

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

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21 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 Basketball

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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