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Gameday: NC State’s Keys To Beating #25 Mizzou

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10 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Missouri Tigers
8pm | ESPN2 | Raleigh, NC

In what will be the toughest test so far this season, NC State is readying for their matchup with #25 Missouri.

State is riding an impressive 7 game winning streak and has not dropped a game since Cat Barber and Jordan Vandenberg have been inserted into the starting lineup. Today’s matchup, however, is going to be a true challenge. #25 Missouri comes into Raleigh having only lost one game all season.

As we broke down in our Missouri scouting article, the Tigers have two very dangerous guards. Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown. Both are bigger than anyone the Pack has in their backcourt, and both will require constant attention all night.

If you want to know more about Missouri as a team, click over to our ‘Scouting the Competition’ piece on them from Thursday. In a nutshell, they are a Frank Haith coached team that likes to push the pace. They take a lot of quick shots, but they’re usually open shot in transition. They have a lot of good shooters and they’re mostly all pretty good athletes. They play solid D and they really hustle. This is not going to be a walk in the park for the Wolfpack by any means.

Let’s take a look at the keys for NC State:

– TJ Warren needs to get going. He’s coming in averaging 24 points per game and they’re going to need him to hit that mark if they want to keep up. This Missouri team can put up points in a hurry if they’re on, but so can the Wolfpack. Missouri will likely guard Warren with Earnest Ross, a big, strong wing player who is a good defender. The problem with Ross, however, is his mental lapses. Warren is crafty and will need to find ways to frustrate Ross and throw him off his game. There are only a few defenders in college basketball  that can outright stop TJ Warren. As good as he is, Earnest Ross is not one of them.

– Protect the basketball. This is going to be key. Both teams like to run and gun, but Missouri sometimes gets going a little too fast. They have a tendency to turn it over quite a bit. This is an area that the Wolfpack can really have an advantage. They need to capitalize on Missouri’s mistakes. On the other hand, and really more importantly, is that State doesn’t follow suit. Barber, Lewis and Lee will really need to be smart on the break and make strong passes when rotating the ball. Missouri likes to jump the lanes and cause havoc, but if State can limit turnovers they can win this game.

– Use your advantage inside. Missouri is thin in the middle. They’re relying on underclassmen Jonathan Williams III, a freshman, and Ryan Rosberg, a sophomore, for their paint points. While they aren’t that bad, they aren’t game-changing players. State has recently looked extremely impressive inside thanks to the play of Jordan Vandenberg, Lennard Freeman, Kyle Washington and Beejay Anya. I think this will be key for NC State. They need to continue to dominate inside and rule the boards against smaller, weaker Missouri front line.

– Transition defense is key. Missouri spends most of their games in transition and they’re at their worst when they’re setting up in the half court. State needs to slow them down if possible. One way to do that is to make shots, but when shots don’t fall they need to get back and find their men. Missouri let’s guys leak out to get an advantage on the break. They also like their shooters to flair to the corners for transition 3s. The Wolfpack needs to be aware of this at all times. They also need to respect the 3 ball. When the Tigers are knocking it down from beyond the arc, they are hard to beat. Closing out on guys like Jabari Brown and Earnest Ross is vital. Both guys are certainly more dangerous shooting the basketball than they are driving.

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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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5 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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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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17 hours 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 Basketball

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

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18 hours 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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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Kevin Keatts and DJ Burns Sounded the Siren at the Canes Game Tonight

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts and the beloved DJ Burns were both Siren Sounders for the Canes this evening, with Carolina defeating the Islanders 6-3, winning the Round 1 series 4-1.

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