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What’s been up with Mohamed Diarra’s usage, and will he suit up vs. #12 Tennessee?

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5 months ago

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NC State is going to need Mohamed Diarra gainst #12 Tennessee this Saturday. But can they count on him playing?

Diarra had 18 rebounds in the win over Boston College. He had 25 combined in his first two games of the season. He’s 6’10”, has great reach and he is tied for the team lead in blocks. So what’s the deal with his playing time?

Diarra played 48 minutes in the first 2 games of the season. Then he played just 14 against Charleston Southern, followed by 7 against Vanderbilt. Then he played 13 in a highly contested game against BYU, followed by 5 against Ole Miss in a 20-point blowout.

Was Diarra falling out of favor with the staff, or was he hurt?

Well, against Boston College he played 35 minutes, scored 8 points, and grabbed 18 boards. You could say he was the player of the game that night.

But then we turn around and see him play just 14 minutes against Maryland-Easter Shores, followed by a DNP coach’s decision against UT Martin.

So what the heck is going on with Diarra’s usage? Keatts was asked about it after the game on Tuesday.

Here is what he said…

“Mohamed Diarra tonight was a little banged up, and I wanted to see if we didn’t need him. I wasn’t going to play him. He obviously went through practice yesterday. We went through shoot around this morning, and if I could give him today, and we’re going to be off tomorrow, I thought it would help him. Going into the game, if we needed him to play, I was going to play him. He was able to play, but I just wanted to give him another day of rest.”

Ok, so from the looks of it, Keatts is holding out Diarra and playing him on an ‘as-needed’ basis. Maybe there is a little lingering injury from that ankle that was bothering him at the start of the year. But does that explain the lack of minutes vs. BYU and Ole Miss?

I guess we’ll find out a lot more on Saturday when State faces off against a big, physical Tennessee team.

If Diarra can go, Keatts is going to need him.

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A pasta eatin', Wolfpack lovin' loudmouth from Raleigh by way of New Jersey. Jimmy V and Chuck Amato fanboy. All opinions are my own and you're gonna hear'em.

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NC State Basketball

NC State is Adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach

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3 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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According to reports, NC State is adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach.

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.

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NC State Basketball

Ernest Ross Announces He is Returning to NC State

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3 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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Power Forward Ernest Ross announced this morning that he is returning to NC State for his final year of eligibility.

 

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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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NC State Basketball

A Matchup Between NC State & Marquette Next Season Might be in the Works

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3 days ago

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May 15, 2024

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According to NCAA.com’s Andy Katz, a matchup between NC State and Marquette next season might be in the works.

This past year, the Wolfpack defeated the Golden Eagles 67-58 in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

NC State and Marquette have played one another 6 times overall, with the Wolfpack holding a 4-2 lead in the series, winning the past two matchups.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Men’s Basketball Will Play in the 2025 Maui Invitational

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4 days ago

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May 14, 2024

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The NC State Men’s Basketball Team will be playing in the 2025 Maui Invitational, on November 24-26 in Hawaii. This will mark the first time that NC State has ever played in the Maui Invitational.

NC State will be joined by Baylor, Oregon, Seton Hall, Texas, UNLV, USC and Chaminade.

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