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NC State hosts 2nd place Wake Forest | Preview, Breakdown and How to Watch

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2 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Time: 7:00pm
Location: Raleigh, NC
TV: ACCN
Line: Wake -3

Wake Forest comes in tied for 2nd place in the ACC, sporting a 19-5 record and sitting 9-4 in the conference.

They are winners of 6 of their last 7. A span that included a 22 point drubbing of UNC and a 8 point win over Florida State.

Meanwhile, NC State is the exact opposite. They have lost 6 of their past 7, with their only win coming against UVA during that span. They have now lost 4 in a row, and while most of their early-season losses were close, the recent losses have been by 7 or more.

To say that things are slipping away for NC State is being too nice. The chance for an at-large tournament bid have been over for weeks now, and at this point they are going to need to go on a run to qualify for the NIT. The only hope now is to somehow make major adjustments, reel off a historic late-season run, and cap it off with an ACC Tournament Championship.

Is that possible? Yeah, but you won’t find any stats to back it up.

Get to know Wake Forest

Wake is led by Alondes Williams, an Oklahoma grad transfer who is taking the ACC by storm. The 6’5 senior is averaging almost 20 points per game, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, all while shooting over 52% from the floor. (He leads the entire ACC in points per game and assists per game.)

Williams isn’t really a big threat from 3 point range, but he’s so slick with the ball and can beat you in so many ways. His ability to get in the lane and make things happen is really what has Wake sitting where they’re sitting.

While Williams has been getting all the hype, Jake LaRavia (Indiana State transfer), the 6’8 junior big man has been dominant as well. he’s averaging over 15ppg, 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists, while shooting 59% from the field and 39% from 3 point range.

Those two are just the tip of the iceberg for Wake. The Deacs are 2nd in the ACC in total points, 2nd in assists, 4th in rebounding.

They aren’t a team that lives and dies by the 3, either. They have a few shooters but Wake is only 9th in the ACC in that category, shooting 34% as a team from downtown.

Our Thoughts

This game has the chance to be a nightmare for NC State. The matchup isn’t good. LaRavia is a big who can score. Williams is a big guard who is going to get into the lane and create havoc. These are both the type of players that have dominated the Pack this season. NC State is going to need to get a huge performance out of their big 3 if they want to stay in this game, and they’re going to need some surprises as well. A hot game for Morsell or Cam Hayes finally breaking loose could put them over the top, but based on the stats coming in, this is going to be a very tough game to win for the Wolfpack.

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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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4 days 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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4 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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5 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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5 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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