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Yesterday we told you that freshman center Omer Yurtseven was given a 9 game suspension, but was ultimately cleared by the NCAA. This was kind of bittersweet news for Gottfried and company. The good news is that Yurt will be back by ACC play, but the bad news is that the kid needs to miss 9 games of what might be his only season in Raleigh (he’s projected to go in the 2017 draft). We wanted to give you a feel of what people around college basketball are saying about the ruling.

 

NC State thankful but still disappointed
“The NCAA conducted a thoughtful analysis of Omer’s situation,” said NC State Director of Athletics Debbie Yow. “Their staff exhibited considerable concern for fairness and for the welfare of this conscientious young man in their decision.”

“I’m disappointed for Omer,” said NC State men’s basketball head coach Mark Gottfried. “He has been patient and 100 percent forthright. We will adapt and integrate him in as soon as possible.”

 

Jay Bilas says Yurtseven did nothing wrong and suspension was uncalled for

“A young man choosing college should be welcomed, not punished for growing up and living in another country,” Bilas wrote in a text message to the N&O on Monday. “He has exhibited no behavior to indicate he’s a professional. In fact, he’s turning down money to play in college.”

 

Kentucky Sports Radio on the difference (or lack thereof) between Yurtseven and Kanter case
“What’s the difference between Yurtseven’s case and Enes Kanter’s case? Great question. Both played for Fenerbahçe and both received money from the club, but for some reason, Omer was ruled eligible (albeit with a nine-game suspension) and Enes was not. Omer claimed that the team paid him for the last three years, putting the money into an account they opened in his name, but that he didn’t want or ask for it. Meanwhile, Enes played for Fenerbahçe for the same amount of time, turned down a $6 million contract from the club when he was 16, and the NCAA ruled that because he received more money in expenses for housing, transportation, food, etc. ($33,000, about the same as tuition at a really nice prep school) than they deemed necessary, he wasn’t allowed to play college basketball. Stop me if any of this makes sense.”

 

Yurtseven’s Lawyer (Don Jackson)  gives he take to N&O

“There was nothing else here. There’s no justification for this. Omer and his family attempted to do everything the right way and based on the NCAA rules, and he still got a nine-game punishment.”

“This wasn’t about the objective, provable facts. It was more of an effort to protect their flawed methodology for future cases.”

“On a yearly basis, the athletes that are selectively targeted are disproportionately African-American and international student-athletes. There’s no justification for this young man to sit nine games or even nine seconds.”

“The (Euro) club went out of its way to undermine Yurtseven’s eligibility”

“Their goal was to prevent him from playing college basketball.”

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wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

Why doesn’t NC State grow a pair and litigate this ruling?

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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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12 hours 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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17 hours 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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1 day 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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NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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2 days ago

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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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