NC State is getting ready for a big time matchup with #16 Louisville tonight at 7pm on ESPN2. A win for the Wolfpack means their second toppling of a ranked opponent. A loss would mean they fall to 0-2 in the ACC with some tough match-ups right around the corner.
Louisville is a very good team, but they are young. They have dropped the only two games they’ve played to ranked opponents but it wasn’t by much. They lost to #12 Kentucky by 2 and dropped a close one against #3 Michigan State by only 4.
Last season State split games with the Cardinals. In their first matchup, the Pack used a 21 point effort from Barber to beat them by 9. This was a game where Lacey struggled to find his shot, but Barber exploded. Cat decimated the Cardinals defense. Got into the teeth and really took control of the basketball game.
The second matchup was much different. It was a sweet 16 matchup, a week after the Pack had upended #1 seed Villanova. In this one Barber was not nearly as effective. He finished 3-14 shooting and the Pack fell by 10.
Players to Watch:
Cat Barber
Obviously, as we pointed out above, Barber is going to make or break this game. He needs to have a big night and really disrupt the Louisville defense. Cat’s ability to get in the lane and score or open up options for his teammates will be key. He’s averaging 23 ppg right now and seems to have really hit his stride. Now he just needs his teammates to pick up some slack. A big game from Cat could mean a big win for the Pack.
Damien Lee (6’6 G/F, Louisville)
Lee is a 6’6 wing who has been Pitino’s leading scorer this season. His ability to score inside or out makes him a really tough cover. Luckily State has Cody Martin who has been their best defender to this point. Cody stands at 6’6 as well, so while most teams might not have an answer for Lee, State might. Either way, Lee is going to force the issue and attempt to put up big numbers in Raleigh.
Mav Rowan / Caleb Martin State really, really needs these two guys to get going. With Terry Henderson’s injury seeming like it will have him out longer than expected, these are the two guys Gott is relying on. Rowan and Martin are State’s two best shooters, but lately they haven’t been hitting consistently. Rowan has been a roller coaster. He had a 6-12 shooting night where he dropped 16 points and looked great, but that was sandwiched between a 1-10 night and a 1-8 night. For Caleb, it’s been similar. He did score 14 last time out, but it was on 4-17 shooting and 3-13 from beyond the arc. That is coming on the heels of 4 games where he’s gone 8-32 including 4-18 from beyond the arc. Gottfried needs to really reign these two in. They are both really good shooters who are taking way too many wild, off-balance shots. If they can pick and choose their spots and make sure they’re taking quality shots, then they are exactly what the Pack is going to need tonight.
Donovan Mitchell He might only be averaging 8ppg, but he sure looked good against Wake Forest last week (18 points). He’s a freshman guard who is very elusive and super strong, allowing him to attack off the bounce with ease. Was that Wake game his coming out party or was it just a blip on the radar? Either way, State needs to make sure he doesn’t get hot.
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)
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.
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.
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.
Well we shoot 36% and Louisville shoots 50% we are lucky to have stayed in the game. The fact is this team is not that good. Going to be s long year.