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NC State vs. Georgia Tech : Info, Preview, Keys to the game & How to Watch

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6 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack @ Georgia Tech
Gametime: 8:00 pm
TV: ACC Network (WRAL in Raleigh)
Location: Atlanta, GA

Get to know the Yellow Jackets …
The Yellow Jackets come into this game at 11-18 on the season and 4-12 in the ACC. They currently sit at 13th in the ACC and have lost 7 straight and 11 of their last 12.

This is a team that has struggled. This is also a team that has nothing to lose and that makes them dangerous.

They are led by sophomore guard Josh Okogie. He is their only true go-to guy at this point. He’s a 6’4 guard who is shooting 42% from the floor and 37% from long range. He’s not extremely quick or athletic, but he’s a competitor who finds ways to score it. Here he is dropping 35 points, 14 boards and 5 assists on FSU.


Aside from Okogie, they rely a lot on the play of senior Tadric Jackson. He is a 6’2 guard who until recently hasn’t really been much of a factor. He was shooting just 29% from beyond the arc on the season, but over the past 3 games, he’s found his rhythm. During that span, he’s scored 45 points and did it by knocking down 9 or his last 23 (40%) from 3pt range.

Inside the Jackets have 6’10 senior Ben Lammers, who has recently decided to get involved offensively. He’s averaging 11 ppg but he put up 22 on UVA two games ago.

Georgia Tech may . have had a much better season had they not lost star freshman PG (and second-leading scorer) Jose Alvarado, who is out for the season with a fractured elbow.

In the ACC ranks, Georgia Tech is 13th in FG% and dead last (32%) in 3-point percentage, which is another big stats for Keatts. They are 12th in rebounding and 9th in offensive rebounding. They are 13th in assists, however they do rank 6th in steals.

Keys to the game for NC State…

  • Play your game. GT wants to play slow. NC State can’t let that happen. They have to push the pace and make the Jackets, who are without their PG, uncomfortable.
  • Don’t settle for 3s. Yes, NC State has shot it really well lately, but this is a trap game for the Pack. They must establish dominance in the paint early on if they want to blow out Georgia Tech.
  • Stop Okogie. NC State has done a pretty good job of defending bigger guards all season long. From Trier of Arizona to Tyus Battle of Syracuse, and then the lockdown job they did on Robinson from BC. They need to do it once again. If they do, they win this game with ease.
  • Focus on today. There is so much talk about scenarios and who goes where if certain teams win certain games. NC State needs to block it out for just 2 hours tonight. Focus on destroying the Yellow Jackets and move on to the next one.
  • Get Yurtseven going. GT is going to have a tough time trying to guard Yurtseven with Lammers. He’s a lumbering big who doesn’t like to extend his defense too far from the paint. With Yurtseven working the pick and pop on the high screen, NC State should have plenty of good looks.

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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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17 hours 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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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

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22 hours ago

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May 2, 2024

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Andy Katz is beginning to make his rounds for his Offseason Convo series, and he took the time to meet with NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts.

In their conversation, Keatts talked about what this run has meant to Raleigh and the Wolfpack fans, how it has helped sell the program the way it deserves to be in recruiting, and even how it helped and hurt in the world of the Transfer Portal.

Check out the conversation below:

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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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1 day 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.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael O’Connell (@michaeloc_12)

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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ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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2 days 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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