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Gameday: State Looks To Keep Moving Forward Vs. Central

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10 years ago

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NC State vs. NC Central
7PM | RSN | Raleigh, NC

The Wolfpack may not have blown out Campbell last week, but they continued to improve and answered serious questions on who and what they’ll be.

Tonight vs. Central they’ll need to keep that up. TJ Warren and Tyler Lewis have been as advertised, so there is only so much we can say about them. They’ve been great, the heart and foundation of the team this season. However, after those two there was nothing but questions coming into the season.

Dez Lee was the first to step up and make a stand. The Juco transfer has made it absolutely clear that he’s going to be a factor this season. His ability to score in transition, create his own shot and defend the opponent’s top scorer has him locked in as one of Gottfried’s top guys. Then you have Cat Barber who took a big step forward against Campbell. He has continued to improve on shot selection, game management and decision making and will soon be a superstar for this team. Ralston Turner is also a guy who we’ve seen inching closer and closer to being ready. He’s scoring ability is there and his defense is pretty good, however Gottfried is teaching him shot selection and how to know when a good time is to just pull up during an offensive set.

Then there are the bigs. This is an area currently under construction. Who will step up, who will get minutes? So many questions. As of now we know that Freeman is in the rotation. The guy is a ball of energy on the blocks. He may not be  polished but he is strong and he fights. The battle for minutes is heating up between Beejay Anya and Kyle Washington. Early on it looked like Washington had the gig won out, but an inability to rebound and defend on a high level has opened the door for Anya who seized the opportunity against Campbell. His lane presence was phenomenal and he’s slowly but surely rounding into shape.

With that said…here is what we’re looking for in today game:

1) Can Barber continue to show floor leadership?
I’d like to see State get a big lead and sit Lewis for a bit. Lewis is the starting PG and State is only going as far as he and Warren will take them, but they need Cat badly and they need him ready. The more time he can get with training wheels off (Lewis out of the game), the better he’ll be. He needs to learn how to run this team when Lewis is in foul trouble or out for any reason.

2) Who is the real Beejay Anya?
Is it the slow guy who seemed lost in the first few games or the dominant rim defender from last time out. I think he’s coming around and I think we’re just seeing the tip of the iceberg, but I guess we’ll learn more tonight.

3) Will we see the defense take a step up?
The first few games are for comfort. Start to get a feel for this big stage, get back in the rhythm of the season, learn your roles. All that happens, but after a while it becomes business time. No more playing around with lineups, no more flashy highlights, no more taking plays off. It’s starting to get to that point and NC State needs to show their identity. With the scrappy bunch they have I think you may see this team morph into a defensive team. They have the athletes, the have the on the ball defenders, they just need to learn to play team defense. I’ll be watching tonight to see if they get this concept. Is everyone either on the ball, in deny or in help defense? Are they talking/communicating?  Are they taking pride in that part of the game? It’s time to start focusing on where you’re going to make your money. Who is this team and what will they be known for?  I’ll be looking to get that answer sometime soon.

 

Notes on Central: They are 2-1 with a win over Campbell (by 19) and a loss to Cincy by 13.

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

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2 hours 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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15 hours 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.

 

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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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ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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1 day ago

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May 1, 2024

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ECU Transfer Power Forward Ezra Ausar (6’9″/240) was on an Official Visit to NC State yesterday, and according to analysts at ON3 and 247Sports, things are trending in the right direction for the Wolfpack.

Jamie Shaw of ON3 submitted a prediction for Ausar to eventually commit to NC State yesterday morning.

Cory Smith of 247Sports submitted a crystal ball projection for Ausar to run with the Wolfpack this morning.

Ausar just wrapped up his Sophomore season in Greenville, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field. As a Freshman, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Ausar is a consensus 4-Star prospect in the Transfer Portal, and ON3 ranks him as the #60 overall player in the Portal and the #10 Power Forward.

Originally from Atlanta, Ausar played his Senior Season of High School at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. ON3 ranked Ausar as a 4-Star prospect coming out of high school, the #94 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Ausar has visited Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, met over Zoom with Georgetown, and had an in-home visit with Utah. John Calipari and his staff at Arkansas have been in touch with Ausar, as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and St. John’s. (Link)

At this point, it’s good news that Ausar has no visits scheduled after the visit to NC State.

Ausar has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and NC State currently has 1 scholarship remaining.

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NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

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1 day ago

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May 1, 2024

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NC State 2024 signee Zamareya Jones has played in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic over the past month.

In the McDonald’s game on April 2nd, Jones had 13 points, helping her East squad defeat the West.

 

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In the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21st, Jones had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She also hit the game winner for Team Flight.

Jones is a 5-star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 21st overall nationally by ESPN.

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