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Things can change quickly in the college basketball landscape now a days, with transfers, reclassifications,  late commits, and international players. NC State has experience in each of these this offseason. Hats off to Gottfried for staying the course and keeping a level head. He knew that things can change in an instance.

Early in the offseason it seemed that NC State was unravelling at the seams, I was not too concerned over the Martin transfer, but I was concerned with Abu and Anya testing the NBA. It was apparent that Cat Barber would forgo his senior season, but it left NC State with very little in house. Not only was there a turnover in player personnel but the coaching staff was shaken up as well. Coach Moxley took a lesser role within the program due to health, and Coach Lutz moved into an athletic administration role. This left Gottfried with the task of hiring two new assistances, and having to replace Lutz, who was associate head coach.

With two spots open Gottfried elected to first hire Butch Pierre, a proven commodity out of Oklahoma State. Pierre is widely regarded as one of the top recruiters in the country and it seems that he has been hard of the recruiting trail as NC State has had a successful summer in gaining commitments. Not only did Gottfried bring in Pierre but he too hired Heath Schroyer, who is also a proven recruiter and has a history of turning around programs. The combination of Pierre and Schroyer has lead to the Pack signing 4 players this offseason for the upcoming season. Those players include Omer Yurtseven, Darius Hicks, Markell Johnson, and Ted Kapita.

What was once a one man class of Dennis Smith Jr, has suddenly become a top 10 class by many recruiting services. One thing that they have done is they have addressed the depth issue and gained talented players who are capable of growing into greater roles with time. Now it is not a question of talent but a question of what can NC State do with the influx of talent? The staff now has tools to work with but it will be up to them to mold roles, and make this group come together as a unit to accomplish something grand.

The ACC will be as talented as ever, and NC State now has some firepower to compete, if they can stay healthy, and develop chemistry it could be an exciting season.

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MarkWalton
MarkWalton
7 years ago

With all of the new talent, I have one big concern.  I hope Gottfried does not work into a 7-8 man rotation as he has in the past.  I hope he uses the depth to play 40 minutes of hard basketball with fresh legs.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Hell of a job by the coaching staff. I mean this is the best recruiting class I’ve seen maybe ever during my time as a State fan. Not only are these kids highly rated, but for the 1st time in a long long time every hole was filled in our roster. Unlike the past couple of seasons where it seemed we got nothing but wings, this go around the staff went out and got positions of true need: C, PF, top PG, a good backup PG, and SF. Give these guys a bonus this year. Gott finally has a dynamic… Read more »

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

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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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16 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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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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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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