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PLAYER PREVIEW: Braxton Beverly hopes added strength takes his game to another level

Published

6 years ago

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Braxton Beverly’s first season in college was a bit of a roller-coaster ride.

After switching his commitment from Ohio State to NC State, he was told by the NCAA that he’d have to sit out a year. That was because he had attended a few summer school classes at OSU prior to making his decision. The NCAA deemed it a transfer and so Beverly was forced to sit.

That was until the school decided to file a complaint and the media began directly questioning the NCAA, their rules and their motives.

The NCAA finally reversed course and deemed Beverly eligible.

The freshman went on to have a very successful season and was one of the most consistent producers for the Wolfpack. He averaged 9.5 points and nearly 4 assists per game.

“I think I had a fairly good year.” said Beverly” Especially with a new head coach and all the stuff I went through at the beginning of the year. The new style being implemented here. All in all it was a really good year. It was a lot of fun. It was tough, it was challenging, but it was fun and that’s what we’re looking to go through again this year.”

Beverly may have only been getting his feet wet, but because of NC State’s lack of depth at the guard position, Keatts was forced to lean on him early and often. He played over 32 minutes per game (2nd highest on the team).

This year, however, things may be different. Beverly will still be a key piece to NC State’s game plan, but Keatts now has a slew of talented guards at his disposal. Not only will this allow him to keep guys fresh, but it will also allow him to let guys to play to their strengths and be more situational in their usage.

Another by-product of depth is the competition in practice, that is something that is standing out to the freshman guard this season…

“Practices are very competitive,” said Beverly. “We’ve got so much talent. The practices are like games.”

How does Keatts plan to get all of his guys enough minutes to keep them happy? Well, he’s indicated early on that he’s not afraid to play his 3 PGs at the same lineup. And what might that look like if it does happen?

“It’s going to be fast, up and down.” said Beverly. “The ball is going to be pushed like crazy. Whoever we play we’ll be guarding 94 feet. Three quick guys aggravating the ball.”

Beverly has always been comfortable with playing fast, but last year he realized he needed to change his body to help him play a little stronger. There were times last season where teams would isolate him and attack him with bigger, stronger players. That is something that he focused on improving this offseason.

“Biggest thing is getting my body in better shape,” he said. “I got stronger, but I’m a short guy and I’ve got to be able to hold my own. That’s what I was focused on. It’s what’s going to take my game to another level.”

As the season starts kicking into gear it will be interesting to see where Beverly slots in and how Keatts decided to use the talented sophomore. Will he see more primary ball-handling duties, or will he shift more towards an off-ball shooter? If Keatts has his way, it seems like he’ll be doing a little bit of everything.

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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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1 day 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

Published

2 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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NC State Basketball

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

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2 days 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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3 days 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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