NC State Basketball
Previewing NC State’s Opponent: BYU
NC State will tipoff against the BYU Cougars tonight in the Las Vegas Showdown at 10pm, and the Wolfpack will have their hands full. BYU is a 6.5-point, and KenPom gives the Cougars a 75% chance of winning the contest. ESPN gives BYU a 60.6% chance of winning.
BYU is likely the 2nd hardest non-conference opponent the Wolfpack will face this year, right behind #7 Tennessee. The Cougars might be right outside the Top-25 in the AP Poll, at 28th, but they rank 12th according to KenPom.
They rank 20th in Offensive Efficiency and 9th in Defensive Efficiency. The Cougars rank 18th in Effective Field Goal Percentage, and 9th in Offensive Rebound Percentage. On the Defensive side of the ball, BYU ranks 5th in Effective Field Goal Percentage Defense and 4th in Offensive Rebound Percentage Defense.
BYU is extremely balanced, with 6 players scoring in double figures. As a team, they blister the nets, shooting 49% from the field, and 38.1% from beyond the arch.
According to reports, NC State is adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach.
Sources: Brett Nelson is leaving UMass to join Kevin Keatts’ staff at NC State as an assistant.
Matt Figger — who worked for Frank Martin at both South Carolina and Kansas State — will replace Nelson in Amherst.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 15, 2024
Nelson was only at UMASS for 1 season under Frank Martin. Prior to that, Nelson was the Head Coach at Holy Cross for 4 seasons, posting a 27-84 record.
Prior to taking the Head Coaching mantle at Holy Cross, Nelson was at Marquette for 5 seasons, spending the first 3 as an Assistant Coach, and the final two as an Associate Head Coach. Prior to Marquette, Nelson also served as an Assistant Coach at Ball St., Drake, Arkansas and Marshall.
Before coaching basketball, Nelson played for the University of Florida from 1999-2003. He was All-SEC twice, and earned Third Team All-American honors. When he left Gainesville, he was the Gators’ all-time leader in three pointers made, and ranked 2nd in steals.
As a Senior in High School, Nelson was a McDonald’s All-American.
Power Forward Ernest Ross announced this morning that he is returning to NC State for his final year of eligibility.
View this post on Instagram
Last Friday, Ross committed to UTSA after entering the Transfer Portal on April 17th, but it looks like he had a change of heart over the past couple of days.
NC State has been in desperate need to add a Big out of the Portal. They have hosted ECU’s Ezra Ausar and Georgia’s Frank Anselem-Ibe, but neither of them have found a home yet. With the addition of Ross, NC State has added depth in the Frontcourt, and unless something changes, their roster is full with 13 scholarship players.
Ross played in 14 games this past season, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.
Ross was a consensus 4-star player in NC State’s 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.
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Fire KK tonight. He is useless and a waste of coaching money.
Some improvement. I thought it would be more like 15 point loss. No discipline at all. Just a bunch playing AAU ball over and over. Get rid of KK. He is as immature as his players.
You guys just don’t understand basketball. Drinking too much cool-aide again. No improvement at all. KK can’t coach a lick. One big and 4 guards will never win. Better start using Ross and get Rice involved or it going to be the same mess as the last sixe years.