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NC State vs. Virginia Tech: Info, Preview, Keys to the Game & How to Watch

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6 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs Virginia Tech Hokies
Gametime: 9:00 pm
Streaming: Fox Sports South (RSN)
Location: Blacksburg, VA

Getting to know the Hokies…

NC State takes on Virginia Tech today at 9pm (on the Fox Sports South/RSN ). The Hokies come into this game at 16- 7 on the season and 5-5 in the ACC. They are coming off a 9 point home loss to Miami, but this team is no pushover. They are a veteran squad with 5 guys averaging in double-digits. They shoot over 50% from the field and 40% from 3pt range.

The verdict is still out on just who Virginia Tech really is. They are only 2-4 vs. the RPI Top 50, with their lone major win coming against UNC.  The Pack is going to want to focus on stopping Justin Bibb (6’5, SR guard), Ahmed Hill (6’5, JR guard) and Kerry Blacksheer Jr. (6’10, JR forward).  These are their top scorers and guys that have been very consistent for them all season long, but the guy who sets them up is Justin Robinson. The 6’2 junior lefty is a true facilitator. He’s currently 2nd in the ACC in assists at 5.7 and does it by getting in the lane and kicking it out to his shooters.

Keys to the game for NC State…

  • Keep Robinson out of the lane– It will be interesting to see how State defends Robinson. When the Pack as struggling, they were allowing a lot of penetration from opp0sing PGs, but since the return of Markell Johnson they’ve been able to cut that down.. That is Robinson’s game and it’s what makes the Hokies go.  VT is going to run out a bunch of 6’5 guys, a 6’10 guy and Robinson at 6’2. Beverly will likely get this matchup, because of size alone, but it will be tough on him. If he can’t stop penetration, then look for Keatts to have to make an adjustment.
  • Create turnovers and own the offensive glass. These are two areas where the Hokies struggle. They don’t really create many turnovers and they are pretty bad on the glass. Meanwhile, NC State thrives in these areas and will need to do so again tonight. Remember, this team is 3rd in the nation in eFG% and they’re playing at home. State doesn’t want to rely on out-gunning the Hokies. They should focus on creating extra pssessions for themselves via TOs and ORBs.
  • Will Yurtseven force VT to go big, or will they force Keatts to go small? The Hokies have at times used 6’6 junior Chris Clarke as their 5 man, going extremely small and creating mismatches all over the floor. If they try this, NC State needs to make them pay early by feeding Yurtseven on the block. If they don’t, they’ll find themselves in a bit of a bad situation. Yurtseven hasn’t been great against mobile bigs and it’s put him in foul trouble throughout the season. State can’t let the Hokies do this. These big/small mismatches will be a chess game that Keatts and Buzz Williams will be engaged in all game long.
  • State needs the real Abu back. He had 8 points and 5 boards in 30 minutes against ND, but is he really back? State better hope so. because this is a game where he could do damage. If they succeed in bothering Yurtseven with a smaller lineup, then Keatts will have to adjust and Abu is the perfect player for that adjustment. He’s capable of guarding a 6’6/6’7 tweener and he’s also capable of bringing that tweener down to the block and punishing them. Abu needs to start every game by flashing his power around the rim before floating out for the jumpers. He has too often fallen in love with the 15 footer and it has hurt his minutes. Against VT he’ll have an opportunity to really have his way on the blocks. We’ll be watching closely to see if he capitalizes.
  • Focus and grind it out- This is a road game, coming off 3 wins with their rivalry game against Carolina coming up next. This can’t be a game you overlook. Everything is pointing to a game where they ease off the pedal and attempt to coast into the UNC game, but so far Keatts has been able to keep them laser-focused on the game at and. Can he do it again? If so, then the Pack will have massive momentum heading into their matchup with the Heels.

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NC State Basketball

Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar Commits to NC State

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1 day 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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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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2 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 Basketball

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

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3 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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4 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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