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CHARLOTTE — N.C. State basketball enters the 2024-25 season as the leader of the pack in the ACC.
Coming off an ACC Tournament championship and Final Four run, Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts will try to replicate that success with a mostly-new group led by returning guards Michael O’Connell and Jayden Taylor.
A trio of freshmen and five transfers also joined N.C. State as the program chases a third-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
One of 18 teams in the league, the Wolfpack attended ACC Tipoff on Wednesday, signaling the unofficial start of the season for the conference. Keatts, O’Connell and Taylor were in Charlotte to represent the program.
Here are some takeaways from that trio as college basketball season gets closer on the calendar.
Jayden Taylor talks NC State’s rivalry with Duke, UNC; plus Wolfpack’s identity
During its magical run last season, N.C. State knocked off Duke early in the ACC Tournament before beating North Carolina in the championship game. The Wolfpack faced the Blue Devils again in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, ending the season of a rival.
“We all want to be the best, and I feel like we kind of established ourselves this year as a team not to be looked over just because we’re in a triangle with Duke and North Carolina,” Taylor said.
“We’re N.C. State. That’s just the attitude that we have. We’re here to play. We’re here to compete.”
When asked about the identity of the Wolfpack under Keatts, Taylor emphasized the importance of the program’s non-negotiables.
“If you’re coming to N.C. State, non-negotiable is playing hard and just talking every day and being confident. You can’t come here if you’re not going to play hard. That’s one thing that Coach K harps on every day, is at least come out and compete,” Taylor said.
“I would say that’s really what the culture is, honestly. If you’re not making shots, how can you impact the game in other ways? How do you get the deflections, rebound? I feel like just competing. That’s the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/acc-tipoff-3-takeaways-nc-224809269.html
Author : The Fayetteville Observer
Publish date : 2024-10-09 22:48:09
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