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NC State Basketball

3 Keys to State’s First Round ACC Tourney Matchup with Pitt

Published

9 years ago

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State and Pitt have already met this season, however these two teams are very different than they were on January 3rd when the Pack torched the Panthers 68-50. Back then State was poor defensively, struggled with pressure and didn’t know who their point guard was. The loss to NC State began a stretch where Pitt lost 6 of their next 9.

Today you’re looking at a Wolfpack team that has played strong defensively, handles pressure with ease and has Cat Barber, who might be the best PG in the ACC at the moment. The Pack has also won 5 of their last 6 (with wins against Louisville and UNC) all but locking them into the NCAA tournament. Pitt on the other hand is flailing. The Panthers had a dominant mid season stretch but have lost their last 3 games (Wake, Miami, FSU), putting them square on the NCAA bubble.

Tonight the teams meet again in the first round of the ACC Tournament in what should be a very interesting game. The Panthers are in a must win situation if they want to punch their ticket to the big dance, while the Pack is playing for seeding. Here are some keys to todays game:

Stop Jamal Artis
Who? That’s the question many Pack fans are asking after seeing who Pitt’s leading scorer is. Artis is a 6’7 sophomore who has emerged as a go-to scorer for the Panthers. He’s leading the team at 13.8 and has been hot as of late. He’s a guy who can score inside or out and someone who could really give State trouble.

Get Lacey/Turner Going
This comes as no surprise to State fans. If Lacey and Turner are on, NC State is hard to beat. Last time out against Pitt, Lacey dropped 19 and Ralston followed up with 16.

Crush Their Will Early
As we mentioned, Pitt is going to be going hard. They are desperate for a win and need a run to get off the NCAA bubble. State is already likely in but with that good news comes some pause. They have not handled success very well this season. After beating #2 Duke they lost 4 of their next 5. After beating #15 UNC they fell to lowly Boston College. Gottfried’s teams have always played well in the ACC Tournament, but he’s never had a team that already knows their NCAA fate. This one could be interesting.

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GoPack1
GoPack1
9 years ago

Wolfer96 I agree with with you. I think Cody should get atleast a couple of minutes. After all, we dont want him to transfer away. Hes a nice weapon on defense and on transition.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

Finally Cat shoots over 50%. It’s funny how the game opens up for you when you start hitting 3’s. When Turner is off he is off. Good thing he stopped at 5 three point attempts.

I know coach is paring down his rotations but I feel bad for Cody. He plays so hard I feel like he deserves at least a few minutes a game.

Talk about a guard dominated offense, Cat had more points than entire front court combined and Lacey scored the same points as entire front court.

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NC State Basketball

Georgia Center Transfer Frank Anselem-Ibe Visited NC State this Week

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5 hours ago

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May 8, 2024

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Georgia Transfer Center Frank Anselem-Ibe (6’10″/215) was in for a visit to NC State yesterday, according to a source.

Anselm-Ibe was at Georgia the past two seasons, and was at Syracuse the two before that.

Back in 2020, Anselm-Ibe was a 4-Star prospect out of Prolific Prep in Georgia. 247Sports ranked him as the #18 player in the state of Georgia.

Anselm-Ibe hit the Portal on April 30th.

ECU Power Forward Transfer Ezra Ausar took an Official Visit to NC State a little over a week ago, and while things were looking good at first, at this point, it seems like things have reached a point of radio silence. From what I’m hearing, NC State would definitely take Ausar, but they aren’t going to wait for him either.

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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

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1 day 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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6 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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