Connect with us

I’m not sure about you, but Duke Basketball Report has long been one of my favorite ACC sports sites. It feels like you’re really listening to the typical Duke grad. They’re smart, witty and exude an air of arrogance cloaked in a wrapper of humility. This is what makes them so fun to read. Well, that and the fact that they’re usually pretty fair and non-biased when it comes to scouting NC State.

A few days ago they released their take on the state of Wolfpack athletics and this year’s basketball team. The full article is here, but if you’re short on time, here are the highlights…

On Dennis Smith and Omar Yurtseven….

Dennis Smith on board, and the freshman point guard appears to be fully recovered from his knee injury. He’s a superb talent and has a high basketball IQ. He’s also a rugged defender.

He’s going to be a load for everyone.

Then State pulled off a huge coup, signing Turkish center Omar Yurtseven (actually he’s from Uzbekistan but most people seem to consider him a Turk). He’s big, (7-0/245), he’s mobile, and he can shoot and rebound. He’ll have a lot of fun with Smith. He’s also expected to be a lottery pick.

This means that Abu can play forward and not worry about being a center, and he’s an outstanding forward. It also means that State won’t have to rely as much on Jenny Craig’s favorite Wolfie, BeeJay Anya.

On Abu…

Abu is a key for State. He averaged 12.9 ppg last year and 8.8 rpg. He’s big, thick and he can bang with anyone. We love his game. Yurtseven – it sounds like an address on a Mongolian cul-de-sac – will make him even better. So will another summer of weight lifting. He’s got the potential to be very, very good.

On Maverick Rowan…

The Martin twins looked as if they might leave a huge gap in State’s roster and if there is a weakness it’s at small forward. Maverick Rowan will probably get first crack. He had a very solid freshman year, averaging 12.9 ppg and establishing himself as a legitimate outside threat. He’ll need to improve, but he certainly showed potential.

On the backcourt…

In the backcourt, State’s key player is Smith, who, barring any more injuries, should be great. Not good.

Great.

He’ll be the point guard and he’ll also bring huge ball pressure. The NBA is already drooling; Team USA has him on the radar. He’s legit. But State now has a deep backcourt too.

Last year, West Virginia transfer Terry Henderson went down in the very first game and was out for the season. He should be back, and he’ll help.

So will Charlotte transfer Torin Dorn, who led Charlotte in scoring.

If the name sounds familiar, it should: his dad was a UNC football great who spent seven years in the NFL. Not that GoPack.com is going to admit to that: here’s how they describe his dad:

Personal: Son of Torin and Rhonda Dorn … Father played seven seasons in the NFL for the Los Angeles Raiders and the St. Louis Rams … Communication major.

Now that’s beautiful.

 

On their depth…

There’s one factor that people may overlook however. This may be the first time at State that Gottfried has had enough depth for the backups to really push the starters. As we know at Duke, internal competition really pushes a team forward. State has depth at basically every position and every player is going to benefit from that competition. So will State. If things go well, this could be Gottfried’s best team at State. The Wolfpack will not be easy for anyone.

 

Related Topics:
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NC State Basketball

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

Published

4 hours ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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:

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State

Published

17 hours ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

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.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

Published

1 day ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

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.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

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

Published

1 day ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

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.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SportsCenter NEXT (@sportscenternext)

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.

Continue Reading