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NC State Basketball

NC State Snaps 3-Game Losing Streak, Holding on to Beat Pitt 79-76 on the Road

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5 years ago

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NC State had a double-digit lead for the first time in ACC play this season, but that didn’t prevent today’s game at Pitt from coming down to the final seconds.

Redshirt Junior CJ Bryce did what Clemson’s Marcquise Reed couldn’t do when NC State hit a buzzer beater 2 weeks ago.

Reed missed 4 consecutive free throws with 13 seconds left in the game, opening the door for Braxton Beverly to sink a three with time expiring to give the Pack the victory.

In contrast, Bryce hit 3 of his 4 free throws with 9 seconds left on the clock.

Bryce has been NC State’s best player in conference play, and nothing changed in that regard today. He finished with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Bryce shot 6 of 11 from the field, 4 of 5 from beyond the arch, and 5 of 6 from the charity stripe. Today’s performance marks the second time he has scored over 20 points this season (23 against Notre Dame).

Four other Wolfpack players scored in double digits along side Bryce.

Sophomore Braxton Beverly hit 5 three-pointers for the 5th time in his career, and the third time this season. He was 5 of 9 from deep, paving the way to a 17 point performance.

Junior Markell Johnson’s performance was reminiscent of last year, when he led the ACC in assists. Johnson finished with 8 assists (2 turnovers), and 10 points, hitting 3 of his 6 three-point attempts. The last time he had 8 assists was on February 20th last year against Boston College.

Senior Torin Dorn and Redshirt Sophomore DJ Funderburk both scored in double figures as well, scoring 13 and 12 respectively. Dorn led the Pack with 8 rebounds, and Funderburk was a perfect 6 for 6 from the free throw line.

The Wolfpack didn’t shoot the ball well as a team from the field (40.6%), and didn’t do a great job preventing the Panthers from shooting well. Pitt shot 44.4% from three and 84.2% from the charity stripe (NC State – 61.9%).

So how did NC State do it?

The Wolfpack hit a season high 14 three pointers, connecting on 51.9% from deep range.

They only turned the ball over 10 times, and managed to turn Pitt over 15 times.

NC State also had 20 offensive rebounds compared to the Panthers 13.

Overall, NC State led for 28:28 of the 40 minutes of play.

Enjoy the Ice Cream up in Pittsburgh fellas.

After snapping a losing streak, NC State will look to start a winning streak on Wednesday night, when the Wolfpack will host Syracuse for a 8pm tipoff.

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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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

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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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