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

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6 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs Louisville Cardinals
Gametime: 6:00 pm
TV: ESPN
Location: Raleigh, NC

Get to know the Cardinals…
Louisville comes into this game 19-11 and 9-8 in the ACC. They are coming off a stretch where they have lost 3 of their last 4, although those 3 losses came against UNC, Duke, and Virginia (at the buzzer).

The Cardinals are led by Deng Adel, a 6’7 forward who averages 15 points and 5 boards per game. He’s an athletic and bouncy wing whose size is likely to provide problems for the Pack.

Their point man is Quentin Snyder who seems to have been at Louisville for 10 years now. The senior guard is having another solid campaign, averaging 12 points and is their best 3pt shooter who logs significant minutes (41%)

Inside they rely on Ray Spalding, who has been playing really good basketball as of late.  He’s a 6’10 junior who averages nearly 9 boards and puts up 12 points per game. Spalding is very skilled and decently quick big who could be a problem for Yurtseven who has had problems with bigs who can face him up.

 

Keys to the game for NC State…

  • Big games from the seniors. It’s senior day at the PNC and it’s time for Pack fans to say goodbye to two guys who have been in the NC State frontcourt for years. Lennard Freeman and Malik Abu have logged some major minutes for this ball club and will play their final game in front of their home crowd. Neither guy has played a major role since ACC play started, but tonight would be a great night for them to come alive. Abu has averaged 9 points and 6 boards over his career at NC State, while Freeman has averaged 5 points and 5 boards over his career.
  • Big game from grad-seniors. NC State fans owe a lot to these two guys, Al Freeman and Sam Hunt were late additions to this roster and both guys have paid major dividends. Al Freeman is averaging 15 ppg and has really come into his own as of late. Over his past four games, he is averaging 22 points, shooting 49% from the floor and 63% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Sam Hunt has been lights out from long range, going and insane 14 for his last 18 from deep.
  • Play hard, Play together. NC State is going to be in front of a sell-out crowd tonight at the PNC, They are coming off a very frustrating loss and playing for either 4th or 5th in the conference. There is a lot riding on this one, so you can believe they’ll be locked in and ready to go. The key will be playing together. Against GT, they did have 15 assists on 29 made buckets, but they really didn’t establish a flow or move the basketball like they had been in the previous 4 games. Look for Markell Johnson to have a much bigger impact tonight.
  • Defend, Defend, Defend. The NC State defense really has been hit or miss. When they are pressing, they’re at their best, but they aren’t deep enough to press for a full 40 minutes like Keatts would like. They need to lock down on shooters and jam cutters against Louisville. They also need to dominate the offensive boards. If NC State plays physical and focused. They win this game. If they get away from what they want to do and let the Cardinals push them around, they coudl be in trouble.

 

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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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11 hours 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.

 

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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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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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23 hours 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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NC State Basketball

NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

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24 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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NC State 2024 signee Zamareya Jones has played in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic over the past month.

In the McDonald’s game on April 2nd, Jones had 13 points, helping her East squad defeat the West.

 

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In the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21st, Jones had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She also hit the game winner for Team Flight.

Jones is a 5-star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 21st overall nationally by ESPN.

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NC State’s Kevin Keatts and DJ Burns Sounded the Siren at the Canes Game Tonight

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts and the beloved DJ Burns were both Siren Sounders for the Canes this evening, with Carolina defeating the Islanders 6-3, winning the Round 1 series 4-1.

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