The NC State Men’s Basketball team will have their biggest challenge of their non-conference slate tonight, playing on the road at #12/9 Auburn. The Wolfpack is a 8-point underdog, and the Total is 151.5.
NC State is 6-4 against the spread this year, and Auburn is 5-4. This is the 1st time all season that the Wolfpack has been an underdog. The Total has gone OVER in 6 of NC State’s 10 games, and in both of their away games. The Total has gone UNDER in 5 of Auburn’s 9 games.
Last year, the Wolfpack beat the Tigers 78-71 in PNC Arena, entering the game as 1.5 point underdogs, and the Total went UNDER.
NC State
North Carolina State are 4-1 Against The Spread in their last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of North Carolina State’s last 7 games.
North Carolina State are 6-0 Against The Spread in their last 6 games on the road.
North Carolina State are 8-1 Against The Spread in their last 9 games played in December.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of North Carolina State’s last 6 games played on a Thursday.
Auburn
Auburn are 14-6 Against The Spread in their last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Auburn’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Auburn’s last 7 games against an opponent in the Atlantic Coast conference.
Auburn are 9-4 Against the Spread in their last 13 games played on a Thursday. (OddShark)
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.
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.
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.
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.