, and

Reworded:

Written by Mark Bergin, a senior producer for WRAL’s multi-platform team, and Louis Fernandez, a sports reporter for WRAL.

The Wolfpack of North Carolina State.
22Texas Tech Red Raiders
On Thursday, March 21st at 9:40 PM Eastern Time, CBS will be airing.

Numerous fans of the NC State Wolfpack are well acquainted with the phrase “survive and advance.”

The team this season achieved the feat by winning five consecutive games to be crowned champions of the ACC Tournament. This was the first championship for the program since 1987, earning the Wolfpack an automatic spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Kevin Keatts, the head coach, brought the Wolfpack to the major tournament on three occasions within a span of seven years. However, his record as a head coach in the NCAA Tournament while at NC State and UNC Wilmington is 0-4.

In 2015, the Wolfpack, led by former head coach Mark Gottfried, emerged victorious in an NCAA Tournament game. The team that year went on to reach the Sweet 16 round.

Let’s examine how NC State, with a record of 22-14 overall and 9-11 in the ACC, could maintain its success in winning.

The status of NC State’s prospects leading up to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

NC State goes as its “dueling DJs” do: Guard DJ Horne (16.9 points per game) and DJ Burns (12.4 points per game).

Horne was absent in the first game of the ACC Tournament against Louisville due to a hip injury. He recorded scores in the double digits in three out of the team’s four following games, including 29 points in the victory against North Carolina for the ACC championship.

Burns is listed at 6-foot-9, 275 pounds. He knows how to use his size to his advantage offensively. He’s got the build of a lineman in football but has excellent footwork.

Burns consistently achieved a score of at least ten points in all five of the Wolfpack’s conference tournament matches. Additionally, his passing abilities were notable as he recorded 20 points and seven assists in the championship game.

While covering the ACC Tournament, Jay Bilas, commentator for ESPN, described the difficulty of defending against Burns as “equivalent to attempting to defend a tank.”

Burns is like college basketball’s version of Zach Randolph, who is also left-handed, had great touch and knew how to use his size. Burns also reminds me a bit of former LSU star Glenn “Big Baby” Davis.

One of the main concerns surrounding the NCAA Tournament is the potential effect, if any, that winning five consecutive games in five days will have on NC State.

Casey Morsell is the team’s best perimeter defender, but was seen hobbling on the court in the conference championship with an apparent groin injury. When Morsell wasn’t in the game, cameras showed him using a massage gun to try to loosen up.

The first game of the round featured two teams with winning streaks.

On Thursday, March 21, NC State will go up against Texas Tech (23-10) in Pittsburgh at 9:40 p.m. The game will take place at PPG Paints Arena and will be broadcasted on CBS.

Texas Tech (record of 23 wins and 10 losses, 11 wins and 7 losses in the Big 12 conference) made it to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship, but ultimately lost 82-59 to the top-seeded Houston team.

During the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament, Texas Tech emerged victorious over BYU with a final score of 81-67.

Texas Tech came into the conference tournament having won three consecutive games.

The Red Raiders possess skilled guards.

Pop Isaacs, a second-year guard, is currently the top scorer for the Red Raiders with an average of 15.9 points per game.

Joe Toussaint, a senior guard, holds the title of second-highest scorer for the team with an average of 12.1 points per game. Toussaint also tops in assists (4.3 per game) and steals (1.4 per game).

Darrion Williams, a second-year guard, has an average of 11.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.

Three players from the Red Raiders team were recognized with All-Big 12 Awards. Williams received All-Big 12 Third Team and All-Big 12 Newcomer Team honors, while Isaacs was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team and Toussaint earned an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention designation.

During the 2023-24 regular season, the Red Raiders had a record of 6 wins and 9 losses against Quad 1 teams.

Grant McCasland is the first-year head coach of Texas Tech.

Kentucky’s Calipari may be anticipating the arrival of the weekend.

If NC State defeats Texas Tech, then they will face either the No. 3 seed, Kentucky, or the No. 14 seed, Oakland.

As usual, John Calipari’s team showcases exceptional individual skill among the NCAA Tournament teams.

According to certain experts, first-year students Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard are potential top-five selections in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Antonio Reeves, a senior guard with an average of 20.0 points per game and a 44.1% success rate from 3-point range, deserves to be recognized as an All-American.

Greg Kampe, the head coach of Oakland, has been with the program for 40 years. He is making his fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament this year.

Trey Townsend, a junior forward for Oakland, averaging 16.9 points per game, and his fellow teammates will aim to assist in securing Kampe’s inaugural victory in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Possible opponents for the ‘Pack in the Sweet 16 could be Marquette, located in Florida.

No. 2 seed Marquette and No. 7 seed Florida are most likely advance to the Sweet 16 in the South region.

Marquette’s senior guard, Tyler Kolek, is currently injured. Despite this setback, head coach Shaka Smart has assured that Kolek will be on the court for the Friday match against Western Kentucky.

Prior to participating in the Big East tournament, Kolek was absent from three consecutive games due to an oblique injury. In the three games leading up to his injury, Kolek accumulated 34 assists.

Florida boasts wins over Kentucky, Alabama and Auburn. The Gators won 11 of their last 15 games entering the SEC tournament quarterfinals against Alabama.

NC State may potentially encounter Duke, a well-known rival, or the No. 1 seeded team Houston in the Elite Eight round.

Houston and Duke, who are seeded No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, are the top contenders to reach the Elite Eight in the South region.

–

UConn is seen as the top contender to win the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with Houston coming in second as the favorite.

The Cougars possess a wealth of skill: L.J. Cryer, a former transfer from Baylor, averages 15.3 points per game; Big 12 Player of the Year, Jamal Shead, averages 13.1 points per game and 6.2 assists per game; Emmanuel Sharp averages 12.2 points per game; and J’Wan Roberts averages 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Can the Houston head coach, Kelvin Sampson, secure a national championship? Over the last four years, Sampson has guided his team to the Sweet 16 twice, the Elite Eight once, and the Final Four.

It is possible that NC State and Duke may face each other in the Elite Eight. This would be an exciting rematch after NC State’s victory against Duke in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

The state of Nebraska showcases Keisei Tominaga, a renowned Japanese basketball player set to compete for his home country in the 2024 Olympic Games held in Paris. Tominaga is the top scorer for the Cornhuskers, averaging 14.8 points per game, and is also a skilled shooter, hitting 38% of his shots from beyond the three-point line in Big Ten games.

Texas A&M boasts wins over Iowa State, Kentucky and Tennessee. However, the Aggies had two losses to Arkansas and a road loss at Vanderbilt.

Wisconsin beat six top-50 KenPom teams with a 16-4 overall record and an 8-1 start in Big Ten play. The Badgers went 3-8 in their final 11 games of the regular season.

There are individuals who have predicted that James Madison could defeat Wisconsin in the initial round. Terrence Edwards Jr. is the top scorer for James Madison with an average of 17.4 points per game.

Vermont’s winning streak continues as they enter the NCAA Tournament, having won their last 10 games, which includes their third consecutive victory in the American East conference championship game with a score of 66-61 against UMass Lowell.

The Catamounts will be making their third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament this Friday. Led by head coach John Becker, Vermont has participated in the tournament in 2012, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023. Unfortunately, they have not been able to advance past the first round during Becker’s time as coach.

Source: wralsportsfan.com