ACC In 2024 Final Four Preview: #11 NC State vs. #1 Purdue

ACC In 2024 NCAA Tournament
Final Four Preview: #11 NC State vs. #1 Purdue

By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network

NOTE: Our video preview of the NC State-Purdue game is at bottom of this article, along with a video review of the Wolfpack’s Elite Eight victory over Duke. Thank you for your amazing support of the new North Carolina Sports Network, which has added more than 2,000 subscribers to our new YouTube channel during March Madness alone.

School: North Carolina State University

Location: Raleigh, N.C.

Previous Conference Affiliations: Independent (1912-1921), Southern Conference (1921-1953)

ACC Member Since: 1953-54

ACC Ranking Among 32 Leagues (KenPom): 5th (2024), 7th (2023), 5th (2022), 5th (2021), 4th (2020)

NCAA Tournament Bids: 29 (1950, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1956, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2023, 2024)

Sweet 16s*: 8/14 (1951, 1952, 1954, 1965, 1970, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1989, 2005, 2012, 2015, 2024)

Elite Eights*: 6/7 (1950, 1951, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986, 2024)
* — ACC/NCAA do not credit Sweet 16s pre-1975 or Elite Eights pre-1951

Final Fours: 4 (1950, 1974, 1983, 2024)

NCAA Titles: 2 (1974, 1983)

Head Coach: Kevin Keatts, 51, 7th season at NC State, 139-93 (.599)

As A Player: Ferrum (1991-95)

Record As Head Coach (Through April 5): 211-121 (.636) in 9+ seasons, including 72-28 (.720) in 3 seasons at UNC Wilmington

Previous HC Experience: Hargrave Military Academy/prep school (1999-2001; 2003-11), UNC Wilmington (2014-17)

AC Experience: Southwest Michigan/NJCAA (1996-97), Hargrave Military Academy (1997-99), Marshall (2001-03), Louisville (2011-14)

Assistant Under: Greg White, Rick Pitino

2023-24 Record (Through April 5): 26-14, 9-11 ACC (10th place), ACC Tournament champions

2023-24 Rankings (AP Poll/BPI/KenPom/NET): NR/#40/#43/#63

2023-24 Offensive/Defensive Efficiency (KenPom): #40/#45

2024 NCAA Tournament/South Region:

#11 NC State 80, #6 Texas Tech 67 in Round of 64
#11 NC State 79, #14 Oakland 73 (OT) in Round of 32
#11 NC State 67, #2 Marquette 58 in Sweet 16
#11 NC State 76, #4 Duke 64 in Elite Eight
#11 NC State vs, #1 Purdue in Final Four, Saturday, 6:09 pm (TBS)
(NCSU-Purdue winner will face UConn-Alabama winner in NCAA title game)

2023-24 NC State Wolfpack
(26-14, 9-11 ACC; Through April 5)

Starters

PG Michael O’Connell, 6-2/195, Gr.
25 mpg, 6 ppg, 4 rpg, 45% FG, 78% FT, 37% threes, 129/49 ATO, 3 blocks, 36 steals
2023 Stanford transfer (3-year starter); Blair (N.J.) Academy; Mineola, N.Y.

G DJ Horne, 6-2/180, Gr., 2024 3rd-Team All-ACC
32 mpg, 17 ppg, 3 rpg, 44% FG, 81% FT, 41% threes, 83/52 ATO, 5 blocks, 50 steals
2023 Arizona State transfer (2-year starter); Illinois State (2019-21); Trinity Christian; Raleigh, N.C.

G Casey Morsell*, 6-3/200, Gr.
33 mpg, 11 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 81% FT, 27% threes, 66/37 ATO, 18 blocks, 44 steals
2021 Virginia transfer (backup); St. John’s College HS; Ft. Washington, Md.

F Mohamed Diarra, 6-10/215, Jr.
22 mpg, 6 ppg, 8 rpg, 48% FG, 66% FT, 32% threes, 24/26 ATO, 40 blocks, 27 steals
2023 Missouri transfer (reserve); Garden City CC (2020-22); Montreuil, France

C DJ Burns Jr.*, 6-9/275, Gr., 2023 Honorable Mention All-ACC
25 mpg, 13 ppg, 4 rpg, 53% FG, 68% FT, 113/74 ATO, 25 blocks, 18 steals
2022 Winthrop transfer (3-year starter); 2023 HM All-ACC; York Prep; Rock Hill, S.C.

Key Reserves

G Jayden Taylor, 6-4/195, Jr.
27 mpg, 11 ppg, 4 rpg, 41% FG, 76% FT, 36% threes, 55/61 ATO, 19 blocks, 45 steals
2023 Butler transfer (2-year starter); Perry Meridian HS; Indianapolis, Ind.

G Dennis Parker Jr., 6-6/205, Fr. (Hasn’t Played Since March 4/Illness)
15 mpg, 5 ppg, 3 rpg, 44% FG, 54% FT, 31% threes, 11/19 ATO, 7 blocks, 21 steals
4-star signee; 3x state champion; John Marshall HS; Richmond, Va.

F Ben Middlebrooks, 6-10/240, Jr.
16 mpg, 6 ppg, 4 rpg, 49% FG, 74% FT, 22/25 ATO, 24 blocks, 33 steals
2023 Clemson transfer (reserve); Westminster Academy; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)

2023-24 Purdue Boilermakers

2023-24 Record (Through April 5): 33-4, 17-3 Big Ten (1st place)

2023-24 Rankings (AP Poll/BPI/KenPom/NET): #3/#3/#3/#3

2023-24 Offensive/Defensive Efficiency (KenPom): #2/#16

2024 NCAA Tournament/Midwest Region:

#1 Purdue 78, #16 Grambling State 50 in Round of 64
#1 Purdue 106, #8 Utah State 67 in Round of 32
#1 Purdue 80, #5 Gonzaga 68 in Sweet 16
#1 Purdue 72, #2 Tennessee 66 in Elite Eight
#1 Purdue vs. #11 NC State in Final Four, Saturday, 6:09 pm (TBS)
(Purdue-NCSU winner will face UConn-Alabama winner in NCAA title game)

Starters

PG Braden Smith*, 6-0/175, So., 1st-Team All-Big Ten
34 mpg, 12 ppg, 6 rpg, 45% FG, 80% FT, 44% threes, 278/98 ATO, 5 blocks, 57 steals

G Lance Jones, 6-1/200, Gr., Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
29 mpg, 12 ppg, 3 rpg, 41% FG, 74% FT, 36% threes, 75/55 ATO, 8 blocks, 49 steals

G Fletcher Loyer*, 6-4/180, So., Honorable Mention All-Big Ten
28 mpg, 11 ppg, 2 rpg, 43% FG, 86% FT, 44% threes, 73/43 ATO, 1 block, 28 steals

F Trey Kaufman-Renn, 6-9/230, So.
17 mpg, 6 ppg, 4 rpg, 51% FG, 55% FT, 33% threes, 36/28 ATO, 13 blocks, 10 steals

C Zach Edey*, 7-4/300, Sr., 1st-Team All-American, Big Ten POY
32 mpg, 25 ppg, 12 rpg, 62% FG, 71% FT, 75/82 ATO, 80 blocks, 11 steals

Key Reserves

G Myles Colvin, 6-5/200, Fr.
9 mpg, 4 ppg, 1 rpg, 45% FG, 50% FT, 43% threes, 11/12 ATO, 4 blocks, 7 steals

F Camden Heide, 6-7/205, r-Fr.
13 mpg, 3 ppg, 2 rpg, 58% FG, 73% FT, 46% threes, 14/10 ATO, 9 blocks, 8 steals

F Mason Gillis, 6-6/225, Sr., HM All-Big Ten, Sixth Man of the Year
21 mpg, 7 ppg, 4 rpg, 49% FG, 85% FT, 48% threes, 66/31 ATO, 1 blocks, 9 steals

*—returning starter (started at least 50% of current team’s games last season)

Final Four Preview (NC State vs. Purdue)