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Final Thoughts: On NC State’s win over Notre Dame

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6 years ago

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  • This was the game that NC State has, in recent history, lost pretty consistently. This was the hump that Gottfried’s team could never get over. This was a mental toughness win and it may prove more than the UNC or Duke game, that Keatts isn’t just winning basketball games, he’s changing a culture. The local media didn’t want to crown the Pack after they beat Duke and UNC, because they were almost sure a let down was coming. But an 18 pt beatdown of Notre Dame should have some of these doubters jumping on the bandwagon.
  • We wrote a full on article about it this morning, but Torin Dorn has been an ‘x-factor’ for this basketball team. I think if you really examine why he’s had so much success, it’s because he allows Keatts to play small ball without giving up much of anything. Not only is giving you a huge mismatch on the offensive end when he slots in at the 4, but on defense, he’s no liability. He gives you the toughness and the rebounding that you thought you’d be getting from Abu or Freeman, but he’s able to guard those stretch 4s as well. Credit Keatts for giving Dorn his mojo back. This is a totally different player than we saw that the second half of last year, or even early on in ACC play this year. He’s found his role with the team and he’s become one of the most important guys on this roster.
  • Markell Johnson was unreal. Another double-digit assist night, making it 4 straight and breaking Chris Corchiani’s record. Johnson has changed this team. He’s creating so much havoc off the dribble, getting in the lane and then looking to create for his teammates. This type of PG is the most dangerous type of player that you can have on your team. He can single-handedly ruin your defense, and that’s what Johnson is doing. Add in the fact that he has elite vision, and he’s just scratching the surface with his scoring abilities and Pack fans may be witnessing the emergence of a kid who could end up being one of the best PGs in school history. Yeah, we said it and we really do believe Johnson is going to be THAT good.
  • Abu finally breaking out of his slump. He had 8 points and 5 boards in 30 minutes, which was good to see. He’s still not playing at the level we believe he can, but at least he really got after it vs. Notre Dame. It’s tough to say what was going on with the senior big man. It’s either that his injury has lingered or created some doubt in his mind, or something was going on off the court that twas affecting him. Either way, it seems like he’s finally back and ready to give NC State a whole new look. With Abu playing up to his capabilities, this team can get go big without getting slow and that’s a look they haven’t shown much of this season.
  • Beverly isn’t getting much hype, but the kid has been a savior for this team. Keatts should be credited for putting him in a position to be successful as well. You wouldn’t think a 5’10 kid would be who you want slotting into your 2 spot, but it has really worked out. He gives you a second PG on the floor, but also a shooter who can stretch the D. His ability to compete at his size, as a true freshman is really unbelievable. He quietly dropped 16 pts and 6 assists vs ND. He’s going to have a long, successful career in Raleigh.
  • Keatts is the real deal. All you have to do is watch this team on the floor and listen to them in the locker room to understand what’s going on. Keatts is working with 2 seniors (who haven’t really been giant factors as of late), a bunch of freshmen, some grad transfers, one junior and one sophomore. This team shouldn’t be 6-4 in the ACC, but here they are. This is what happens when you demand buy-in, take training seriously and preach togetherness on and off the floor. This is fun to watch.
  • This week could be a huge week for the Pack. They go to VT, where it won’t be easy to come away with a W. Then they welcome UNC to the PNC. If they can come out of this stretch with one win, then they should be just about ready to punch their tournament ticket.

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NC State Basketball

Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar Commits to NC State

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2 days ago

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April 26, 2024

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Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar (6’4″) has verbally committed to NC State for her final year.

Weimar took an Official Visit to NC State a little over a week ago.

She is the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, and has been named Defensive Player of the Year the past two years. She has earned 1st Team Patriot League Honors the past two seasons.

This year, Weimar averaged 18.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. As a Junior, she averaged 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds. She shot 55.5% this year, and 59.7% last year.

With the exodus of River Baldwin, picking up a commitment from Weimar is massive.

With the addition of Weimar, NC State now has 2 scholarships available heading into the 2024-25 season.

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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3 days ago

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April 25, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) has committed to NC State!

Hill took an Official Visit to NC State this past weekend.

This past season, Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #81 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

Even though 247Sports and ON3 consider Hill a Shooting Guard, NC State is recruiting him as a Point Guard.

Hill is the 4th player to transfer to NC State this offseason, joining Louisville’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield & Mike James, and Georgetown’s Dontrez Styles.

With the addition of Hill, NC State now has 1 scholarship remaining for next season.

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NC State’s Mohamed Diarra Will Not Return to NC State for Final Season

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4 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.

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Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.

Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.

Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.

The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross.  Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.

With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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5 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) has announced his commitment to NC State!

 

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This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining. With James’ commitment, NC State currently has 1 scholarship available for next season.

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