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Bobby Lutz has seen it all in his illustrious college coaching career. He has paved his way through the ranks as he started as a high school basketball coach at Parkwood High in North Carolina and then got a graduate assistant job at Clemson. Following his time at Clemson Lutz went on to coach at Pfeiffer, while there he complied a record of 180-89. From there he went on to coach at his alma mater UNC Charlotte. Lutz was able to lift his school to heights it had never seen before as he led them to 5 NCAA Tournament appearances and finished his career as the all-time leader in wins at 218.

Mark Gottfried would tell the story of how he came to respect Coach Lutz when he was a broadcaster for ESPN. On assignment he was covering a game featuring Louisville vs UNC Charlotte. He recalls how he saw both teams practice and their accompanying walk-through’s. He thought after seeing both practice and approaches that Louisville would wipe the 49ers off the court but was impressed when UNCC won the game. Bobby Lutz complied an impressive head to head record against some of the best coaches in college basketball. Lutz owns a winning record over John Calipari (3-2), and Tom Crean (6-4). As for his battles with Rick Pitino he was 3-4.

NC State has enjoyed a resurgence in its’ basketball program since the arrival of Gottfried but Lutz has been just as instrumental in trying to re-establish NC State’s relevance in the ACC. Lutz possesses a brilliant basketball mind and does excellent work in knowing his opponents and their tendancies. Seriously listen closely the next time you are at a State basketball game, you can clearly hear Bobby Lutz spewing useful information to our players. My favorite line from him had to be the time he instructed Richard Howell to take the ball from another player…”Rich he is soft as candy.”

Each offseason I get nervous that he will land a head coaching gig; however, he has stayed with the Pack. If State wants to reach the top of the mountain Gottfried needs great assitant coaches and Lutz fits that billing to a T. There are few assitant coaches who have Lutz’s combination of knowledge and experience and he is no doubt a valuable asset. Lutz is also insanely competitive and approaches each game and practice with an inspiring amount of fire.

Off the court you will be hard pressed to find a better person and representative of North Carolina State Univeristy. Lutz is a devoted family man and is an avid sports enthusiast who can be seen at many NC State sporting events. He is a regular at many baseball games as well football. I can confidently say that Lutz will give State his absolute best to get our program where it belongs…which is at the top of the ACC.

 

 

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

TJMurray When it comes to really meaning something, we don’t beat those teams.  Check out the debacle in the ACC tournament against a team we previously had beaten.  Check out the sweet sixteen game against a team we previously had beaten.  That’s what I am referring to, not the hit and miss win during the regular season.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

I’m in my sixties, patience is not one of my virtues.

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TJMurray
TJMurray
8 years ago

Can’t compete with who now? We were 3-5 against the teams on that list. Gottfried has beaten either UNC or Duke at least once EVERY YEAR. And did you hear how loud it was in the Dean Dome when State rolled in this year? It was deafening, and you sure as heck didn’t hear any “Not your rival” chants we’ve been accustomed to lately, especially not after State held the Holes to their lowest point total in that building EVER. 5-star players or no 5-star players, bottom line is we ARE competing already. Be patient, we’re heading in the right… Read more »

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wulfpacker
wulfpacker
8 years ago

UVA has no 5 stars

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

We still can’t compete Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, or Virginia without players.  Forget the assistant coaches, get us some five star players.

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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

Published

2 days ago

on

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

Published

3 days ago

on

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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