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The NC State Basketball program has taken some flack this season thanks to uneven results and struggling mightily on the offensive end. It lends many to question what does that leave for the rest of the season?  In one of our previous articles, we stated that this team desperately needs to find their identity on the defensive end, which true. But, I think it’s important to realize that this team was picked to finished in the 8-10 range in the ACC. They lost their two top scorers and had a major front court scoring threat transfer. That has left this team in a state of reorganization. They need guys who were not previously relied on as scorers, to score. There are guys currently stepping into roles they haven’t been in before and we need to give them time to acclimate before we criticize them too harshly.

What State fans should want to see this season: 

Improvement of individuals needs to be a big emphasis as the season progresses. Coach Gottfried talked about this in his recent post game conference and said that he and his staff need to do better at helping Abu and the big men capitalize on their opportunities. Many fans on the outside have had a lot of very negative rhetoric when referring to this team, and I understand it is frustrating to watch a young team like this, but this is the opposite of what they need. Gottfried has been mostly positive about his group and this is the route that must be taken if you want to see growth.

From this point forward NC State will need to stay positive, focus on getting better game by game, and play as hard as possible each time they step onto the court. If they do this then the fans will likely embrace whatever type of season they have. However, this is certainly not the time to give up hope on a competitive season.  Many people wrote off last year’s team when they were in the middle of a bad losing streak in January. During that time, they seemed to blow big leads, play lack luster defense and were relying heavily on Trevor Lacy. That team; however,  continued to fight and made a surprising run at the end which let them to the Sweet 16. (A place State fans would have given anything to get to during the Les Robinson, Herb Sendek, or Sidney Lowe years).

We’re not saying fans should be content or complacent and we’re certainly not guaranteeing that will happen again this season but it wouldn’t surprise me to see a more complete team come February as these guys ease into their roles.

Gottfried continuing the trend

We tend to forget every year that Gottfried is very big on finishing strong. Like it or not, since he’s been at State he has never been a fast starter. His teams tend to struggle with identity early in the season as he tinkers with his lineups and figures the best way to use his guys. You can say what you want to about that, but while other teams peak early in the season, his groups have historically been the best in February and March. It seems as if he has his work cut out for him this season. He is looking at a bucket full of questions that have not yet been answered. Who will step up as the leader. Who will fill the shoes of Lacey and Turner? Who will lead his front court? Does this team have what it takes to be great defensively?

Those questions will all be answered at some point or another, and as they get answered, State will start to look more and more like a cohesive unit. You can doubt that is the case, but it’s how Gottfried has operated since he’s stepped foot on campus and likely the way he will operate going forward. So sit back, relax and let Gott do what he does. He’s had the most successful start to his career of any Pack coach in history, I think he and his team at least deserve a little breathing room.

 

 

 

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

I have had an epiphany, we should get the head coach of LSU (after he is fired) to be our bigs recruiter.  He can’t coach, but he sure can get the big guys.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

TravelWolf Even Herb could win against the 200+ RPI teams that we have played so far.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

PackJunky How can this be a rebuilding year, when you can’t recruit the area that you need.  We have one recruit (torn ACL), lost Bam Bam, and can’t improve the bigs we have.  Time to get someone that can recruit bigs and teach them how to play.  Gott seems to be a likeable guy but I think he has peaked.  The ACC has improved a lot more than we have.  Long season in ACC ahead.

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TravelWolf
TravelWolf
8 years ago

Rowan’s saving our asses… Our big problem is offensively in the post. We just don’t have ANY inside threat yet. None of our big recruits had developed offensive skills in high school (except for Kyle), and unfortunately that’s still the case. Abu shows promise, so hopefully he’ll be able to capitalize on his 15-17 ft jumper at some point. When ACC season starts, we are going to be having big problems b/c our guards won’t be able to get by the competition as easily as we did against Bucknell, etc.  IMHO, Cat also is having trouble being a point guard.… Read more »

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PackEsquire
PackEsquire
8 years ago

He has far too many High School All Americans and ESPN 150 players on this team to not be winning ball games. Rowan, both Martins, Abu, Anya and Cat were all top 150 and State has been beat twice this year by teams who had no 4 stars in W&M and only a handful in ASU. This is a direct testament to Gottfrieds coaching. He needs to earn his damn money and coach the kids, not just recruit them

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PackJunky
PackJunky
8 years ago

Well said… I have my doubts about this year’s team, and concerns about Gott’s ceiling, but they need our support and there is a lot of basketball yet to be played….

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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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9 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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10 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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20 hours 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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NC State Basketball

USC Transfer Power Forward Brandon Gardner Includes NC State In Top 6

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1 day ago

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April 30, 2024

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USC Power Forward Brandon Gardner (6’8″/215) listed NC State in his Top-6 along with Jacksonville, San Francisco, Arizona St., Texas A&M and Arizona.

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Gardner was a 4-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, with Rivals ranking him as the #74 overall player nationally, and ESPN ranking him as the #2 player in the state of New York (Christ the King, New York City). He is originally from Waynesboro, Georgia. Prior to playing for Christ the King, Gardner played for Word of God Academy, so Raleigh is familiar to him.

Kevin Keatts and his NC State Coaching Staff offered Gardner when he was in high school.

Prior to committing to USC, Gardner was committed to St. John’s.

This past season Gardner only played in 4 minutes in 1 game for the Trojans, making it a redshirt season.

Gardner will have 4 years of eligibility wherever he lands.

 

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