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NC State Basketball

Wolfpack Needs Win Today vs Miami

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10 years ago

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NC State Wolfpack vs. Miami Hurricanes
2pm | Miami, FL | ESPN3
Miami might be 2-7 in the league coming into this game, but that doesn’t mean the Wolfpack should take them lightly. State is coming off a 14 point loss to rival UNC, while Miami is coming over an overtime loss to #25 Pitt. Let’s take a closer look at this matchup.

Miami Player to Watch: Rion Brown
Miami’s only true scoring threat is Rion Brown. The senior guard is averaging about 15 points and 6 boards per game. He’s really been on a role lately as well. Brown has scored over 20 in two of his last three and went for 15 in the other one. He’s big, at 6-6 and causes a lot of matchup problems. Ralston Turner will likely be the best cover, size-wise but you could see Warren or the smaller Lee on him at times. Miami also has Garrius Adams and Donnavan Kirk who both average about 9ppg, but neither are significant game changers. Truth be told, Miami has trouble scoring, so if NC State can get out on the break and put up points, the Canes don’t have much of a chance in this one.

Miami Matches Up Well with NC State
Miami is the type of team that could really give the Wolfpack fits. They like to play slow, they are physical and they are going to sit in their zone almost all game. State likes to play fast, has struggled against physical teams and hasn’t really been able to shoot other teams out of their zone. State’s goal is going to be to speed up Miami, beat them down the floor and attack before their zone is set. That means you’re going to see 3/4 court presses, and traps throughout this game.

Dez Lee is the Key
In our opinion, it’s Lee, not Warren who hold the destiny of this team in his hands. Sure, no player is as important as Warren, but TJ can only do so much. He’s been consitently great this season, but too many times his help has been too little too late. It’s time for Dez Lee to step up as a leader and come out aggressive early in the game. He’s a play maker who can get to the rim, get to the line and make things happen. If he stays aggressive and Warren can do his thing, State has a good shot here.

By the Numbers
Miami scores nearly 61 points per game, shoots 42% and grabs 35 rebounds per game. State scores 71ppg, shoots 47% and grabs 35 rebounds per game. On paper this is State’s game to lose, but anything can happen when you go on the road in the ACC.

Must Win Game for State
Gottfried and company are 14-8 and 4-5 in the ACC. If State wants to be a sure bet for the big dance then they’re going to have to go on a run. We suspect that State is going to at least need to go 5-4 the rest of the way if they want to be firmly on the bubble. That means they’d be sitting at 19-12 overall and 9-9 in the league. But all that isn’t going to be so easy. They have a pretty tough stretch coming up. They still have Syracuse and Clemson, both on the road and then a huge matchup with UNC before they travel to Pitt. This young team has their work cut out for them, but if they really do want to make this run, they can’t let games like this slip away. Beating who you are supposed to beat is very important right now.

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NC State Basketball

The Roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball Team is all but Set Heading into 2024-25

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4 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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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)

3 Years of Eligibility 

Guard/Forward Dennis Parker Jr.

4 Years of Eligibility 

Guard Paul McNeil
Guard Trey Parker

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NC State Basketball

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

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4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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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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5 days ago

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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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5 days 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.

 

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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