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NC State is coming off three of what we believe are their best played games of the season. While they may have only come away with one win in that stretch they played three ranked opponents.

Tonight they take on a Georgia Tech team that sits 1-5 in conference play, but the stakes could not be higher. The Wolfpack are in a must win situation. With #15 Miami next, followed by a FSU team that beat them earlier this year and then Duke, nothing is going to come easy.

State is now 1-6 in conference play. If they want to make a serious run at a post season berth, they’ll have to start winning, and start soon.

Here are the keys to tonights matchup.

– Stop Georges-Hunt and Adam Smith
These are the two top scorers for the Jackets. Georges-Hunt is a 6’5 senior guard averaging 16ppg. He’s big, strong and can really pose a threat going to the rim. Smith on the other hand is a smaller guard who really shoots it well. The Pack had trouble stopping Greyson Allen who is plays a lot like Georges-Hunt. They will need to stay in front of him and make him settle for jumpers. If he gets going, things could get interesting.

– Win the battle of the boards
The Pack bigs have been good over this recent stretch, but tonight they have to be great, especially on D and on the boards. This will start with putting a body on Charles Mitchell. Mitchell is a 6’8 senior who is physical and loves to mix it up down low. Abu will likely take on this challenge and really needs to stay out of foul trouble while staying physical and not allowing Mitchell to wreck havoc on the boards.

– Smart shots and patience on offense
Over this recent stretch State has done a much better job of getting the ball down low and playing inside out. This has helped them get better looks, take higher percentage shots and get the defense out of position for Cat to attack. The addition of Cody Martin has been big, but a sustained effort by Cat is paramount. Against UNC and Duke, Barber trailed off late in the game (vs Duke he was likely injured) and the Wolfpack offense scuffled. Cat playing at a high level is the key for this team to put points on the board.

The game tips at 8pm at the PNC arena and will be on ESPN3.

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

Lou,
What have you been smokin’ , man?  A serious run at post season play will not happen until the first and last State game in the ACC tournament.  This team can’t get out of its own way.  1-7, serious run my god you will write anything to get someone to read this shit.  Give it up and cover wrestling and possibly baseball.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
8 years ago

Another one bites the dust.  It’s fun trying to think before the game how this team is going to ultimately lose the game.  This one belongs to Abu for the technical.

NC State Basketball

NC State’s Men’s Basketball 2024 Transfer Class Ranks in the Top-10 Nationally

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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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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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Guard Michael O’Connell announced today that he will be playing his final year of eligibility at NC State next season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

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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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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