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NC State vs. UNC: Joel Berry Doesn’t Know What a Rivalry Is

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6 years ago

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This week, UNC guard Joel Berry gave NC State some material to hang up in the locker room for motivation.

“I don’t necessarily treat that as a rivalry,” said Berry of the Wolfpack. “When you talk about a rivalry, you always talk about Duke-North Carolina. That’s the biggest one. I love being a part of the Duke-Carolina rivalry, but NC State, I just don’t consider that being a rivalry — we just don’t like them. But it’s not a rivalry like Duke and North Carolina.” (NBC)

Do I expect Berry, or any recent UNC basketball player to look at NC State in the same way they look at Duke?

Of course not.

Duke is less than 10 miles down the road, and the series has been one of the nations most epic rivalries in all of college basketball.

The series between the Tar Heels and the Blue Devils has been much more competitive than the series between UNC and NC State. There is no denying that.

Duke and UNC also have had much more at stake when they have faced one another for decades now, because nearly every time they have faced each other, ACC Championship implications are on the line. They have been two of the best programs in the country. So when you hate each other, you’re right down the road from one another, and a lot is on the line, it makes perfect sense for the rivalry to be bubbling.

But for Berry to act like NC State vs. UNC isn’t a rivalry simply reveals a case of historical ignorance.

It’s clear that Berry’s head coach Roy Williams views the matchup against NC State much differently than him. Williams famously said that he’d rather “beat State than eat.”

Williams didn’t like N.C. State before he got to Chapel Hill. His mentor, and high school coach, Buddy Baldwin was a big Carolina fan. Williams learned the game and a distaste for Wolfpack red from Baldwin and then played for the UNC freshmen team in 1968-69 season.

“It was my freshman year here that I thought this rivalry is unbelievable,” Williams said. “To me, they were the biggest rival, it wasn’t Duke. But it was because my buddies would agitate me all the time.”

“What I try to do is, every game is important, but there are some games that you get more fired up for,” Williams said. “I get pretty fired up for this one.” (N&O)

I also guess Berry and I have different working definitions of what a rivalry is. He clearly stated that they don’t like NC State, but don’t consider them a rival.

There are many reasons why as an NC State fan I consider UNC our rival, but at it’s core is the fact I don’t like them.

The teams that I despise are my rivals.

UNC isn’t our rival because I think that the series record is anywhere close to even, because it’s not. They are our rival because we don’t like them…at all…not one bit. We don’t like their players. We don’t like their fans. We don’t like their university.

NC State is a blue collar school, and UNC is the antithesis of that.

Do I dream of a day when UNC is forced to take the rivalry with NC State more seriously because we pose a continual threat to them?

Absolutely.

But until then, if Joel Berry continues to suffer from historical amnesia and struggle with defining a ‘rival’ accurately, so be it. I’m content that he and his teammates don’t like us.

We don’t want them to like us, because we despise them, because that’s what a rivalry is all about.

 

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

NC State Basketball

NC State is Adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach

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1 day ago

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May 15, 2024

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According to reports, NC State is adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach.

Nelson was only at UMASS for 1 season under Frank Martin. Prior to that, Nelson was the Head Coach at Holy Cross for 4 seasons, posting a 27-84 record.

Prior to taking the Head Coaching mantle at Holy Cross, Nelson was at Marquette for 5 seasons, spending the first 3 as an Assistant Coach, and the final two as an Associate Head Coach. Prior to Marquette, Nelson also served as an Assistant Coach at Ball St., Drake, Arkansas and Marshall.

Before coaching basketball, Nelson played for the University of Florida from 1999-2003. He was All-SEC twice, and earned Third Team All-American honors. When he left Gainesville, he was the Gators’ all-time leader in three pointers made, and ranked 2nd in steals.

As a Senior in High School, Nelson was a McDonald’s All-American.

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NC State Basketball

Ernest Ross Announces He is Returning to NC State

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1 day ago

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May 15, 2024

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Power Forward Ernest Ross announced this morning that he is returning to NC State for his final year of eligibility.

 

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Last Friday, Ross committed to UTSA after entering the Transfer Portal on April 17th, but it looks like he had a change of heart over the past couple of days.

NC State has been in desperate need to add a Big out of the Portal. They have hosted ECU’s Ezra Ausar and Georgia’s Frank Anselem-Ibe, but neither of them have found a home yet. With the addition of Ross, NC State has added depth in the Frontcourt, and unless something changes, their roster is full with 13 scholarship players.

Ross played in 14 games this past season, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.

Ross was a consensus 4-star player in NC State’s 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.

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NC State Basketball

A Matchup Between NC State & Marquette Next Season Might be in the Works

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2 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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According to NCAA.com’s Andy Katz, a matchup between NC State and Marquette next season might be in the works.

This past year, the Wolfpack defeated the Golden Eagles 67-58 in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

NC State and Marquette have played one another 6 times overall, with the Wolfpack holding a 4-2 lead in the series, winning the past two matchups.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Men’s Basketball Will Play in the 2025 Maui Invitational

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2 days ago

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May 14, 2024

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The NC State Men’s Basketball Team will be playing in the 2025 Maui Invitational, on November 24-26 in Hawaii. This will mark the first time that NC State has ever played in the Maui Invitational.

NC State will be joined by Baylor, Oregon, Seton Hall, Texas, UNLV, USC and Chaminade.

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