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NC State Basketball

Tourney Time: The Stage Is Set

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NC State will take the court today to face the Tigers of LSU in what many have predicted to be a great match-up that pits two teams against one another that have contrasting strengths. LSU uses a pair of athletic multi-faceted big men to create havoc on its’ opponents inside the paint. Contrasting the Tigers, NC State prefers to utilize its’ trio of guards to plague their challengers. In order for the Pack to advance to the round of 32 it will be imperative that Cat Barber, Trevor Lacey, and Ralston Turner show up with their proverbial “A Games”.  Personally I think it will be more important that these three set the tone on the defensive end as this will be what determines if the Wolfpack advances.

One thing that has been consistent for the Pack this season is their ability to be inconsistent. I wish I knew the source of the inconsistency. How can a team look like a top five team nationally at times and then look like a bottom dweller at other times? Even in the same game we have seen it. But with this inconsistency comes a certain element of hope that the light switch will suddenly click! You cannot deny the fact that this team has overachieved this season. A season ago we squeaked into the field of 68. We beat an Xavier team in the first four only to succumb to St. Louis in the next round. Heading into this season there were a ton of unknowns. Coach Gottfried had to replace arguably the best scorer to come through Raleigh since David Thompson in TJ Warren who also captured ACC POY. Gottfried then had to find a way to incorporate Trevor Lacey, and the incoming freshmen in order for this season to be relevant.

I commend Coach Gottfried and his staff for the job they have done. This season he has beaten Coach K, Roy Williams, Jim Boehiem, and Rick Pitino. How many coaches can claim this feat in a single season? With all that being said tomorrow night’s contest versus the LSU Tigers is a critical game that our guys must take advantage of. Our players and program are on the cusp of something great but they must start to turn potential into results. I honestly believe that great results are right around the corner. I hope that the Pack proves me right by playing with the focus and energy to beat LSU. It will take a total team effort and intelligence to win.

At this time of the year the Pack is only guaranteed 40 more minutes…it is completely up to them if they will be awarded another 40 minutes come tomorrow night!

Tip-Off is slated for 9:20PM and can be seen on TBS.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

OMG!!! I spent about thirty some minutes yelling at the TV and cursing Gottfried. Then Dez Lee and Kyle Washington bring us back. Then Anya makes unbelievable back to back scores to win the game. If I hadn’t seen it I wouldn’t have believed it. This was a physical game. Probably the most physical game I’ve witnessed all season. LSU brought it and the Wolfpack didn’t. That’s part of what led to our struggle the 1st half. Our boys didn’t adjust to the physicality. 2nd half I thought our boys made the adjustment but the defense was still not there.… Read more »

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

The unc game has way too many whistles blowing. Hope we have better refs for our game.

NC State Basketball

Boston Transfer Center Caitlin Weimar Commits to NC State

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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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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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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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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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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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