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Braxton Beverly transferring, heading home to Eastern Kentucky University

Published

3 years ago

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Tip of the cap to Captain Braxton Beverly who served four amazing years at NC State.

The senior guard has been a rock for Kevin Keatts at the guard position and was one of the first to commit to NC State (after backing out of his commitment to Ohio State) after Keatts was hired.

Beverly averaged 8.4 points, 2.5 assists, and shot 38.6% from 3 point range over his career. He battled injuries for his final 2 seasons, but suited up and played almost every night.

Beverly will graduate and use his final year of eligibility (per COVID rules) as a grad-transfer at Eastern Kentucky University.

Braxton will be playing for former NC State assistant EW Hamilton and he’ll be returning home, playing less than two hours from where he grew up.

So why is Beverly leaving?
When Keatts was hired, he was left with almost a bare cupboard, so he quickly had to go out and fill his roster. The first guy he locked up was a kid who kid he knew well from Hargrave. Braxton Beverly.

Beverly was about to play his first season for Ohio State when Thad Matta decided to leave. He got his release and came to play for Keatts.

Over the past 4 years, this kid has been a rock for NC State. He ends up tied for 4th in school history for 3 points with Archie Miller, hitting 218 over his career But like all good things, his time has come to an end.

Keatts has 2 guards that he needs to start trusting in Cam hayes and Shakeel Moore. He also has incoming freshmen Breon Pass and Terquavion Smith, both of whom are expected to get minutes next season, along with the potential to add another guard in the transfer portal.

Playing time at guard next year is going to be competitive and for Keatts to begin transitioning this program into a yearly contender, he’s going to need to start relying on his young guys.

While Beverly would have surely been welcome back and surely have given NC State added depth and experience, it was in his best interest to go somewhere where he could be the man.

Enter Eastern Kentucky.

AW Hamilton is a former NC State coach and one of Braxton’s former coaches at Hargrave. On top of that, he gets to go home and play in front of his family and friends. Overall, this was the perfect situation for Braxton, and while it’s sad to see him go, it’s probably in the best interest of all parties involved.

What does this mean for NC State?

This doesn’t change the outlook much as most were expecting Braxton to graduate and playing overseas anyways. But it solidifies the fact that Keatts is all in on this group of young guards and it explains why he’s been looking hard at bigger guards/wings in the transfer portal.

We’ll have more on next year’s situation later, but for now, thanks Braxton for all you’ve given to NC State. we’ll miss you and we’ll all be rooting for you from afar!

Let’s send him off with a few memories…

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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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5 hours 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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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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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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16 hours 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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NC State Basketball

NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

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17 hours ago

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May 1, 2024

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NC State 2024 signee Zamareya Jones has played in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic over the past month.

In the McDonald’s game on April 2nd, Jones had 13 points, helping her East squad defeat the West.

 

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In the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21st, Jones had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She also hit the game winner for Team Flight.

Jones is a 5-star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 21st overall nationally by ESPN.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Kevin Keatts and DJ Burns Sounded the Siren at the Canes Game Tonight

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts and the beloved DJ Burns were both Siren Sounders for the Canes this evening, with Carolina defeating the Islanders 6-3, winning the Round 1 series 4-1.

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