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NC State Basketball

NC State is DANCING! Pack gets the 11 seed, will face Creighton on Friday.

Published

1 year ago

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NC State fans didn’t need to wait long.

CBS Sports Selection Show unveiled the South bracket first, and NC State was the #11 seed.

The Pack will face off against the 21-12 #24-ranked Creighton Bluejays.

Creighton had a 6 game losing streak early in the season, but went on a 9 game winning streak later in the season. They were ousted from their conference tournament by Xavier, who beat them by 20+.

Creighton has marquee wins over Xavier, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Providence, and UConn. Their worst loss is to Nebraska.

This isn’t the same Creighton team you might remember from the Doug McDermott days, but they are balanced. Their big man, Ryan Kalkbrenner leads their team with 16ppg and will shoot it a little bit from the outside, however, he’s only hitting at a 29% clip. He isn’t going to be taking contested 3s, meaning this is not a guy who should dominate DJ Burns. He is agile and he is 7’1, but he’s a guy State can handle.

Their guards can shoot, but are going to be out-athleted by the Wolfpack guards.

This is a good matchup for NC State and we’ll have a LOT more on it later.

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Dof87
Dof87
1 year ago

Looking at our last 5 losses, they were all to teams with stifling zone defenses or Duke who has been playing elite defense down the stretch as well. I’m not sure how Creighton’s D compares to Clemson, UVA, and Syracuse, but I’m not seeing anything that indicates they are so good. While going up against those defenses has resulted in losses, it has also made us stronger. I’m not sure how much zone Creighton plays, it looks like they mostly play man, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them attempt it. It will be interesting to see if their… Read more »

Last edited 1 year ago by Dof87
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Papajohn
Papajohn
1 year ago

Finally! Been a long, long wait. We’re back.

Last edited 1 year ago by Papajohn
1
Rev
Rev
1 year ago

You guys are on target. My first thought was, “So tell me something about Creighton that I can’t just read elsewhere.” I am beyond happy we are in. This is a better draw than I anticipated. Now, it’s up to the boys to deliver.

2
Dof87
Dof87
1 year ago

I worry about playing at mile high elevation. Burns may suffer most with breathing. A slight difference may impact long rage shooting. Of course both teams have to deal with it.

I’d get my team to Denver ASAP and acclimate

1
Afterglow
Afterglow
1 year ago
Reply to  Dof87

Keatts should take them up to Leadville for a couple of days and do some stretching, light cardio along with a few practices. The elevation up there is 10400ft. Then as a team building activity, they should go climb Mt. Elbert, which is 14433ft.

1
Rev
Rev
1 year ago
Reply to  Afterglow

I forgot. Denver is practically your back yard. You gonna try to watch the game in person?

1
Afterglow
Afterglow
1 year ago
Reply to  Rev

Not sure. Ticket prices are expensive for nosebleed seats. Game time decision.

1
Dof87
Dof87
1 year ago

I llike that matchup at first glance. Will need to dig into their stats and see how they matchup. THey are a good rebounding team, good but not great 3 pt shooting, and average 11 turnovers a game

1

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

Published

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

Published

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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