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Trevor Lacey: Round of 32

Published

9 years ago

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As the season has extended into March there is no question that Trevor Lacey’s performances have been a little uneven. What is the cause for the inconsistent performances? Too many minutes? Scouting? Personally I think it has more to do with the scouting instead of Lacey being tired. Yes, Trevor leads our team in minutes per game at 35.7, but I think as the season has progressed more teams have understood the importance of putting length on Trevor in order to disrupt his signature pull up. Many people have been quick to point out how Lacey hasn’t been as efficient scoring the basketball; however, he has not allowed his offense to affect the rest of his game. Look at his performance versus LSU he had 9 points (4-15 fg), 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. He struggled to score but he made his impact on the boards and he still set his teammates up.

The main quality that I love in Lacey is his leadership and ability to stay positive. Against LSU he could have easily given in, but he trusted his teammates and coaches which resulted in a nail biting win. I forecast that Trevor will have a big game tonight as he will find his spots against Villanova. It will be critical that Trevor take care of the ball as the Wildcats are excellent at forcing turnovers and converting them into transition 3’s. Villanova will most likely put Dylan Ennis their best perimeter defender on Trevor in hopes of taking away NC State’s leading scorer. In my opinion this will be a great match up that will be tilted in Lacey’s favor. Ennis is a junior guard who stands at 6-2 and weights roughly 190 pounds, which means Trevor will have the size advantage. All season Lacey has been crafty at creating space by employing a number of hesitations, step backs, and shot fakes to beat his defender 1 on 1. I think his tricks will be mighty effective working against the smaller Ennis and he could be in a position to have a big night.

I want to see Trevor come out and be super aggressive offensively in the way he attacks. Being aggressive doesn’t mean taking a lot of shots but looking to create. If Trevor can use his strength to get his shoulders past his defender and bully his way into the paint I am confident that NC State will give the Wildcats all they can handle. As Lacey gets into the paint he will be set up for his one dribble pull up as the defense will play off of him. The engine that makes the Wolfpack go is without a doubt is Trevor Lacey, sure Cat is a great catalyst but he really gets to the rim much easier when defenders are forced to cling tight to Lacey and Turner. Look for Gottfried to get Lacey going early with some ball screens to get him into a rhythm.  I predict that Trevor will find his scoring touch tonight and there will be plenty of shots of his grin as the Wolfpack looks to play spoiler once more! 

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
9 years ago

I was wondering if Lacey was going through the same thing that CJ Leslie and Zo Brown were going through in their last season. They tried to impress the scouts and maybe didn’t play within the system. Maybe Lacey is thinking about his NBA draft stock and forcing the issue instead of letting the game come to him? Just a thought.

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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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11 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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16 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.

 

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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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