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NC State Basketball

Gameday: NC State Faces Challenge in Florida Gulf Coast

Published

10 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs Florida Gulf Coast Eagles
7pm | ESPN 3 | PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC

I guess we should apologize for not giving you guys a solid scouting report of NC Central last week. We kind of just figured that it was going to be another team that no matter what they did, just wouldn’t be able to match up with NC State. We won’t make that mistake again. From here on out we’ll make sure you get proper scouting reports. We’ll start today.

Opponent: Florida Gulf Coast (4-1)

Why do I know that name? If you don’t know this team then you weren’t watching the NCAA Tournament last year. This group went on one of the most amazing cinderella runs in recent history. They took it to the Sweet 16 after beating Georgetown before falling to Florida.

Who have they beat this year?: Well, they really don’t have a quality win. They’ve beaten Furman, Hartford, Eckerd, and Ave Maria. I’ll be honest, I have no idea who those last two teams are and neither does ESPN (they don’t have team pages). The one game of note played by FGC is their opener vs Nebraska where they were blown out, 79-55. Nebraska is looking so-so right now. They’ve beaten UGA but lost to UAB and UMass.

Who are their top players? FGC isn’t exactly the same FGC that was dubbed “Dunk City” last March Madness when the Eagles went on a magical Sweet Sixteen run, but they do have most of the guys returning from last year.

Their go-to guy, Sherwood Brown, is gone. So that is a significant blow to the Eagles. He was a NBA guy and a real threat to big time teams. Returning are their two flashy guards, Bernard Thompson and Brett Comer. Don’t get me wrong, these guys are real good, but without Brown they lack that big time scorer. Stepping in is Chase Fieler (14ppg), who you may remember from this brutal slam on Georgetown last March.

FGC also adds Marquette transfer Jamail Jone who is a 6’6 swing man who has been impressive so far, averaging over 10 ppg. They also bring in big man Nate Hicks from Georgia Tech for some size in the middle.

Can NC State beat them? Yes they can, but it won’t be easy. This is a veteran FGC team that achieved success last year and are looking to rekindle the magic they had last March. State is coming off a rather embarrassing loss to Central and is trying to find their identity and get in a real rhythm. As we keep saying, State is young, but tonight they’re going to face a tough challenge. The Eagles are going to run and Gottfried’s kid like that pace, but the question is still on the boards. FGC isn’t huge but they’re big and they’re seasoned, however NC State will almost certainly be welcoming back Jordan Vandenberg from a high ankle sprain that has kept him out since the preseason. Adding Vandy to the mix will be both exciting and interesting. The Pack’s biggest flaw thus far has been frontcourt play and the big Aussie should improve that drastically.

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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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5 hours 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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10 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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23 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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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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NC State Basketball

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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