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Miracle Mike & Ramadan Mo: The two unlikely superheroes saving NC State’s season

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2 months ago

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When Kevin Keatts landed Mo Diarra and Mike O’Connell in last year’s transfer portal, NC State fans were happy to have a little more depth, but that’s about where it ends.

Diarra was initially a JUCO player whose first year at Missouri was nothing to write home about. In fact, the 6’10 Diarra was used as a backup, back-to-the-basket big man, on a pretty good Mizzou team. He finished averaging 11 minutes per game, 3 points, and 3 rebounds for the Tigers. Some felt as if Diarra was misused and could show more promise if moved to a stretch 4 position, but there wasn’t a ton of competition for his services.

Meanwhile, Mike O’Connell was more of a known entity. He had played 3 years at Stanford and a polite way to put it is that he was pretty consistently decent.

O’Connell’s best season saw him average 7 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. That season, his sophomore season, he shot 33% from long range. But that number dipped last year to 30%.

For NC State, in a seemingly best-case scenario, you’d have a minute-eating 4 man with size, and a change-of-pace, backup point guard who doesn’t turn it over.

Honestly, that’s kind of how it played most of the season. Diarra split minutes with Dennis Parker at the 4 and there were times that it seemed Parker was about to run away with the job. And Mike O’Connell was a nice change of pace point guard who rarely turned it over.

But as soon as the bright lights of the postseason began to shine, Diarra and O’Connell changed from role players, to impact players.

Mike O’Connell only took 28 3s during regular season ACC play. He hit 8 of those, good for 32%. Pretty close to his season average. During that time he only hit double-figures in score 2 times.

Diarra wasn’t much different. He hit double figures scoring just 4 times and had double-digit rebounds 4 times during the ACC regular season.

Then the schedule flipped to the postseason and with NC State just one loss away from packing it up for the season, both O’Connell and Diarra came alive.

O’Connell has scored in double-figures 6 of the 7 postseason games and has shot 55% from 3pt, going 12-22. O’Connell also earned first-team on the ACC All-Tournament team. Plus, his miracle 3 at the end of the Virginia game kept State’s postseason hopes alive. 

Diarra, meanwhile, has been insane on the glass. Scooping up double-digit rebounds in 6 of the 7 postseason games. He’s totaled an insane 85 rebounds since the first round of the ACC Tournament. He’s also scored in double digits in 4 of the 7 postseason games. He’s done all of this while fasting for Ramadan. No food or drink from sun up to sun down.

DJ Burns and DJ Horne have both been great all season long, but adding this type of play from guys who have been roll-players all season long, makes NC State a very tough team to beat lately.

So what is this? Luck?

I guess you COULD call it luck. But lightning rarely strikes twice, especially in the same vicinity, and both O’Connell and Diarra have come out of nowhere to make NC State a Sweet 16 team.

Maybe Keatts has an elite eye for talent. Maybe he put together the perfect pieces for this run. Maybe he’s finding himself as a coach, just as these guys are finding themselves as players.

Whatever is going on, it’s been amazing to witness. And in true NC State fashion, another underdog-to-superhero story has been born.

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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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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
1 month ago

We need to win two more games so we can play Tennessee in the final four. I just happen to live in Vol hades.

Last edited 1 month ago by wolfpack74
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Dof87
Dof87
1 month ago

Friday Sweet 16 game starts at 6pm CST, with sunset around 745pm. Was hoping for a later game. KK is going to need some good minutes from Ben. DPJ might be available but he hasn’t played in a couple weeks, and might struggle.

Guards gonna have to play elite defense to protect the bigs.

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brad58
brad58
1 month ago

Great article. Spot on!

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NC State Basketball

Georgia Center Transfer Frank Anselem-Ibe Visited NC State this Week

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6 hours ago

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May 8, 2024

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Georgia Transfer Center Frank Anselem-Ibe (6’10″/215) was in for a visit to NC State yesterday, according to a source.

Anselm-Ibe was at Georgia the past two seasons, and was at Syracuse the two before that.

Back in 2020, Anselm-Ibe was a 4-Star prospect out of Prolific Prep in Georgia. 247Sports ranked him as the #18 player in the state of Georgia.

Anselm-Ibe hit the Portal on April 30th.

ECU Power Forward Transfer Ezra Ausar took an Official Visit to NC State a little over a week ago, and while things were looking good at first, at this point, it seems like things have reached a point of radio silence. From what I’m hearing, NC State would definitely take Ausar, but they aren’t going to wait for him either.

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NC State Basketball

NC State Women’s Basketball Ranks 8th in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early 2024-25 Preseason Top-25

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2 days ago

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May 7, 2024

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ESPN released their updated Way-Too-Early Preseason Top-25 for the 2024-25 Women’s Basketball season, and NC State ranked 8th.

8. NC State Wolfpack

The dynamic backcourt that took the Wolfpack to their first Final Four since 1998 returns. Aziaha James (16.8 PPG), Saniya Rivers (12.5 PPG) and Zoe Brooks (9.0 PPG) are enough to keep NC State near the top of a highly competitive ACC. How well a new mix of bigs fits in will determine if the Wolfpack are good enough to win the conference and contend for a trip to Tampa. The experience of River Baldwin and Mimi Collins can’t be replaced, so how well 6-5 recruit Lorena Awou adapts to the college game and 6-4 Boston University transfer Caitlin Weimar, the Patriot League player of the year and two-time defensive player of the year, adjusts to the upgrade in competition will have a big impact on NC State’s season. Previous ranking: 8

(ESPN)

ACC Teams in the Top-25

4. Notre Dame

8. NC State

11. Duke

12. Louisville

17. UNC

18. FSU

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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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5 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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6 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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