Tag: NC State Wolfpack

NC State sophomore Dereon Seabron to test NBA pre-draft process

Seabron was named the Most Improved Player in the ACC after averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals.

N.C. State Wolfpack sophomore Dereon Seabron announced that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Seabron was named the Most Improved Player in the ACC after averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals in 32 games. He led the Wolfpack in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals, becoming one of four Division I players to lead his team in all four categories.

He was also named to the All-ACC second team.

The 6-foot-7 guard will now test the pre-draft process and gain feedback from NBA teams before making a decision on his future. He is projected by some to be a second-round pick and could elect to play one more season in college to improve his draft stock.

Seabron will have the opportunity to participate in private workouts with teams over the next two months. He could also be invited to take part in the draft combine or NBA G League Elite Camp in May from Chicago, Illinois.

The early-entry withdrawal deadline for underclassmen is June 1.

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Tigers drop game two 5-2 to Wolfpack, force Sunday rubber match for series

On Military Appreciation Day, Clemson came out with the bats rolling early, but were unable to get the job done in their 5-2 loss to No. 22 NC State, forcing a rubber match on Sunday. The Tigers came out quick in the first, tacking on a run and …

On Military Appreciation Day, Clemson came out with the bats rolling early, but were unable to get the job done in their 5-2 loss to No. 22 NC State, forcing a rubber match on Sunday. The Tigers came out quick in the first, tacking on a run and later tying the game 2-2 in the second, but outfielder Noah Soles ended up being the real difference maker for the Wolfpack, accounting for four of NC State’s five total RBIs in Saturday’s matchup.

Canaan Silver earns the win on the mound for NC State along with Chris Villaman earning the save. Clemson righthander Nick Hoffmann [3-3] tallies the loss.

Clemson was the first to strike in Saturday evening’s matchup. Following Cooper Ingle’s single to left field, Max Wagner sent an RBI double sailing down the right field line to put the Tigers up 1-0.

NC State quickly came up with their answer in the second, scoring their first two runs of the day with Noah Soles’ RBI single to first base along with Dominic Pilolli’s run scored on a Clemson throwing error.

The Tigers didn’t trail for long though, tacking on another run to tie it 2-2 in the second thanks to a solo shot to left field by Blake Wright, good for his fourth home run of the year. Wright led the Tigers at the plate on Saturday, going 2-for-4 on the day with a home run and an RBI.

Into the fourth, the Wolfpack brought in another run to give them the 3-2 lead following back-to-back doubles by Payton Green and Soles.

NC State struck yet again in the sixth with another two RBIs scored by a Soles single, extending the Wolfpack’s lead to 5-2 and ultimately sealing the win for NC State in game two.

Following today’s loss, the Tigers move to their third and final game of the series versus the Wolfpack on Sunday, April 3, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ACCNX.

NC State forced double OT against UConn on Jakia Brown-Turner’s stunning corner 3

WOW!

Jakia Brown-Turner just made NCAA history in the most epic way possible.

During Monday’s Elite Eight match between NC State and Connecticut, it took not one but two overtimes to settle the victor, a first for this part of the tournament. And the reason it got to two overtimes? Brown-Turner sunk a gorgeous corner three to tie the game for the Wolfpack with 0.3 seconds left in the first overtime.

During a back and forth game that saw the lead changing hands constantly, UConn was 6.2 seconds away from advancing to the Final Four when Brown-Turner made this bomb of a three-pointer to tie the game 77-77 and keep NC State in it.

Goodness, what a shot.

Though the Wolfpack ultimately fell to the Huskies in the double overtime 91-87, what an effort by Brown-Turner to keep NC State’s dreams alive for just a bit longer and for giving us five more minutes of that glorious game.

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NC State got the No. 1 seed in women’s Bridgeport Region, then got stuck with UConn

Sheesh, this is a tough draw for the Wolfpack.

For the second straight season, the N.C. State women’s basketball team earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The ACC tournament champion is the top team in the Bridgeport Region, but they’ll have a major challenge in front of them as there’s a potential matchup with perennial powerhouse UConn looming on the horizon.

Bridgeport, Connecticut is about an hour and change away from UConn’s campus in Storrs, making it essentially a home game for the Huskies. Geno Auriemma’s squad went 25-5 this season, and dealt with the absence of superstar Paige Bueckers as she dealt with a knee injury.

While NC State fans weren’t very happy with the draw, it would make for a great matchup for neutral observers at home.

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Jags select N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu in new mock draft by Mel Kiper

It’s well known that the Jags need to protect Trevor Lawrence better, that’s exactly why Mel Kiper has them adding an OT first overall in his latest mock.

With the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine starting this week, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of work to do this month after finishing 2021 with the league’s worst record for the second consecutive time. Most expect them to bolster their offensive line for the sake of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who was far from perfect last year but didn’t receive a lot of help from his line.

In the end, some think the Jags will re-sign left tackle Cam Robinson, whether it’s with the franchise tag or an extension. Others have been sending the Jags a new tackle on the blindside in their mocks with the No. 1 overall pick, which would give the team a cheaper long-term solution to help Lawrence.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. falls in the latter category and slotted the Jags a new blindside protector in his latest mock draft. However, it wasn’t Alabama’s Evan Neal, who seems to be the consensus pick for most, but instead N.C. State’s Ikem Ekwonu, who some believe is the best tackle in the draft. (Subscription needed to see full draft)

1. Jacksonville Jaguars

Ikem Ekwonu, OT, NC State

Ultimately, I lean toward Jacksonville getting protection for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who struggled as a rookie. This could go the other way if the organization brings back Cam Robinson in free agency, but Ekwonu — who is a hot name among NFL teams — would be an immediate upgrade. If the Jags can protect Lawrence with Ekwonu on the left side and Walker Little on the right, they can begin to turn around the offense.

When popping in the tape of Ekwonu, one could understand why scouts and draft analysts would have him down as their OT1. He’s tenacious, powerful, and despite being under 6-foot-5 (6-foot-4, 320 pounds), he extends well when making contact with defenders.

Ekwonu also offers versatility to the mix, too, and has played guard during his time with the Wolfpack. That’s clear when looking a the power he generates while run blocking from his current position on the blindside, and for a Jags team that endured many injuries on the offensive line, that’s huge.

If the Jags don’t retain Robinson, Ekwonu (or Neal) certainly looks capable of starting on the blindside Day 1 in his place. The Jags also have Walker Little, a Round 2 selection from last April, who started in three games at left tackle and held his own on the blindside, too. He figures to be a part of the Jags’ future somewhere as a starting offensive lineman and could make a great partner for Ekwonu (or Neal) in terms of a tandem on the outside.

ESPN’s Dinich doesn’t have confidence in Clemson

This ESPN writer/analyst is down on Clemson heading into the 2022 season. On The ESPN College Football Podcast this week, while discussing NC State head coach Dave Doeren’s new contract extension through the 2026 season, ESPN’s Heather Dinich …

This ESPN writer/analyst is down on Clemson heading into the 2022 season.

On The ESPN College Football Podcast this week, while discussing NC State head coach Dave Doeren’s new contract extension through the 2026 season, ESPN’s Heather Dinich wondered if the Wolfpack is the team to beat in the ACC in 2022.

Dinich also expressed her lack of confidence in Clemson going into next season amid all the turnover that has taken place on Dabo Swinney’s staff this offseason.

“The ACC’s Atlantic Division just blows me away right now, because we’re not talking about Clemson – we’re talking about NC State and Dave Doeren,” Dinich said. “And if there’s one team in the country that I don’t have confidence right now in, it’s Clemson because of all of the changes that they made and their staff changes and everything that’s going on with them. Is NC State really the team to beat right now?”

Clemson’s staff, of course, has undergone substantial change since the 2021 regular season ended, with Swinney having to replace both former defensive coordinator Brent Venables and former offensive coordinator Tony Elliott after they became the next head coaches at Oklahoma and Virginia, respectively.

Along with Venables and Elliott, the Tigers also lost former defensive tackles coach Todd Bates, who joined Venables’ staff at Oklahoma as the associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator/run defense.

Additionally, Robbie Caldwell retired as Clemson’s offensive line coach and has been replaced by Thomas Austin, with Caldwell transitioning into an off-field role with the program as a director of high school relations.

Wes Goodwin was promoted from senior defensive assistant to defensive coordinator/linebackers coach and added the role of co-defensive coordinator for safeties coach Mickey Conn, while offensively, Clemson promoted Brandon Streeter to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.

Nick Eason, meanwhile, was hired from Auburn to replace Bates as the Tigers’ new defensive tackles coach.

Clemson (10-3, 6-2 ACC) finished third in the Atlantic Division in 2021 and saw its streak of six straight ACC titles and six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances come to an end, but still managed to win 10 games for an 11th straight season following a 2-2 start.

NC State (9-3, 6-2) finished second in the Atlantic behind Wake Forest (11-3, 7-1), which fell to Pittsburgh, 45-21, in the ACC Championship Game.

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ESPN tabs this Clemson game as one that will have the most College Football Playoff impact

ESPN this week published a list of 10 games that will shape the College Football Playoff next season, giving a look at the games that will have the most impact on the CFP (subscription required). Senior Writer Heather Dinich, who covers the CFP for …

ESPN this week published a list of 10 games that will shape the College Football Playoff next season, giving a look at the games that will have the most impact on the CFP (subscription required).

Senior Writer Heather Dinich, who covers the CFP for ESPN, ranked the top 10 games that will have the biggest influence on the selection committee’s final top four, in order from the greatest impact to the least.

One of Clemson’s games appeared on Dinich’s list, with the Tigers’ home contest against NC State on Oct. 1 checking in at No. 5.

Here’s what Dinich wrote about how the CFP Committee will evaluate that game, from a Clemson perspective:

Clemson is no longer a given as the ACC’s best team, so this is a critical game for the Tigers, too. Pitt won the 2021 conference title, and NC State should be a preseason favorite this fall with 19 starters returning. Clemson will have home-field advantage against NC State one week after a tricky trip to Wake Forest. Clemson’s toughest game is Nov. 5 at Notre Dame, and it ends the regular season as always, against rival South Carolina. Coach Shane Beamer has the program trending upward. Clemson’s strength of schedule won’t be much of a factor in the committee meeting room if the Tigers win the ACC and beat Notre Dame and South Carolina along the way. They’ll either need to knock off NC State or get some help along the way.

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NCAAW Game of the Day: No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 4 NC State

Previewing the Top 5 battle in the ACC between No. 3 Louisville and No. 4 NC State.

Nothing quite screams January basketball like an intense battle between conference foes. The cherry on top is when both teams are ranked, which is what the college basketball world will be treated to on Thursday night when No. 3 Louisville visits No. 4 NC State.

The Cardinals haven’t lost a game since the opening day of the college basketball season when they fell in overtime to the Arizona Wildcats. Their 15-game win streak will be tested against the Wolfpack, who have planted themselves in the AP Top 10 throughout the entirety of the season.

Let’s dive into what’s could make this game great.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.

Best college hoops bets: Women’s Big Ten-ACC Challenge duels to watch

Previewing some of the top games on Thursday’s women’s college basketball slate.

One of the great things about women’s college basketball this season is how much parity there is. Throughout the opening month of the season, even the best teams have looked human at times. South Carolina remains the No. 1 team in the nation through three weeks, but the Gamecocks have been through a couple of dogfights in order to stay there. The defending champion Stanford Cardinal already has two losses, and the rest of the top-10 have taken turns beating up on one another.

The action doesn’t stop as we roll into December and Thursday’s slate fall in line with what’s already been a fun and competitive beginning to the season. Here’s what to expect from the Big Ten/ACC Challenge games between Indiana-NC State, Duke-Iowa and Louisville-Michigan.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook

NCAA basketball’s must-watch games on opening day

Highlighting the featured games on college basketball’s opening day slate.

College basketball season is officially here! No more countdowns to track, previews to read, or podcasts to listen to. Instead, today is the day to sit back and take in what you’ve been anticipating for months. One of the best things about the opening day, historically, is that there are always a handful of teams willing to forgo the “feeling out” process and immediately give fans a prizefight. Such is true for the 2021-22 season as a few men’s and women’s championship contenders are set to open the season against one another in what should be an entertaining beginning to the season.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook