NC State Athletics - Pack Pride Podcast

Much like last season, the 2022 baseball season has gotten off to a rocky start. Coming off two straight sweeps to start the season, the Pack9 has now lost six of its last eight games and heads into Tallahassee this weekend for a three-game series against No. 8 Florida State. If there's any player that knows about going through that experience, it's Austin Murr. The 2021 Rawlings Gold Glove winning first baseman joined Andrew Ciencin and Alec Sawyer to discuss the start to the season, how State can turn it around and his start in the minors with the Detroit Tigers organization.

Following the women's basketball bracket release, James and Cory are joined by former NC State sharpshooter Scott Wood to discuss the Bridgeport Region. How did the NCAA get the Region so wrong? What lies ahead for NC State? And how important is this run for the legacy of the veteran players on the roster? The guys also look ahead to what's sure to be a wild offseason on the men's basketball side. How impactful was Jaylon Gibson's transfer? Who might be next? Which players will be around next year? How important is NIL in turning things around? We cover it all in this podcast!

NC State is currently in the middle of spring camp, and it's an important one for several current players on the roster. None more so than Jordan Poole, who's looking to make the most of his redshirt freshman year with a spot on the two-deep open at linebacker this fall. Poole sat down with Alex Wilkinson of Pack Pride for 21 questions about his love for NC State, the work he's put in under Coach Thunder, expectations for the 2022 season, rapid-fire questions and much more!

After an 8-0 start to the season, NC State came back down to Earth last week with a four-game losing streak against Campbell and Northeastern. The Pack9 recovered with a mid-week game against UNCG, but have one of the toughest series all season starting on Friday against No. 3 Notre Dame. Alec and Andrew recap the last week, taking an in-depth look at what went wrong against Northeastern and previewing the homer series vs. the Irish.

With the 70-64 loss to Clemson in the opening round of the ACC Tournament, NC State's 2021-22 season has officially come to a close. The Wolfpack limped to a disastrous 11-21 (4-16 ACC) season, leading to what will be an eventful offseason as Kevin Keatts looks to right the ship. Miles and Cory take a look back on the loss in Brooklyn and why the offensive inefficiency doomed the Pack before wrapping up with a look ahead to what needs to take place this offseason. The guys also give their thoughts and predictions for the future of key players like Terquavion Smith, Dereon Seabron and Manny Bates.

NC State women's basketball and wrestling both clinched ACC Championships over the weekend. Meanwhile, baseball stumbled back down to Earth with a four-game losing streak while the men's basketball team continued a four-game losing streak of their own to close out the regular season. James and Cory reflect on the huge highs for the WBB and wrestling programs, discuss the level of concern for the Pack9 and look ahead to the ACC Tournament starting in Brooklyn on Tuesday afternoon for the Wolfpack.

The NC State women's basketball program notched its third straight ACC Tournament title in dominant fashion over Miami on Sunday afternoon. Wes Moore's squad won the three games by a combined 58 points to clinch a fourth ACC title in the last three years and solidify itself as a No. 1 seed heading into the NCAA Tournament. The men's program, meanwhile, lost a fourth straight game in ACC play, falling to Florida State to clinch dead last heading into Brooklyn. Miles and Cory take a look back on both, while also looking ahead to the next couple weeks for both as March rages on.

Prior to the first loss of the season at Campbell, Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin broke down the second straight series sweep for the Pack9 against Quinnipiac. Between the hot bat of Tommy White, the solid pitching performances and the hot offense as a whole, the guys touch on every topic from the weekend. Alec and Andrew also breakdown the upcoming series against Northeastern, which will feature some of the best arms NC State has faced all season. Can the Pack9 bounce back after a tough midweek loss to Campbell at home against the CAA Preseason Pitcher of the Year Cam Schlittler and the preseason No. 1 Huskies?

While things have not gone well on the hardwood for NC State's men's hoops program this year, The Tournament has highlighted the glory days for the Wolfpack. Dereck Whittenburg joins Cory and James to discuss the documentary and his role as a producer in the series on the ACC Network. Whittenburg also breaks down the current state of the NC State program, including men's and women's basketball, baseball, how NIL is changing college sports and more.

The weekend was an up-and-down one for the Wolfpack's basketball programs, as the men's team dropped another home matchup on Senior Day while the women's team moved to 17-1 in ACC play to claim the outright conference title in the regular season. Miles and Cory take a look back on the weekend, breaking down what went so wrong against UNC, why the bigs struggles continue to hinder both sides of the ball, how important earning the outright ACC title was for the Pack women and what comes next for both teams.

On Thursday afternoon, Dave Doeren's long-awaited new contract was finally announced. After months of talks, Doeren received a contract extension through the 2026 campaign with an annual salary of $5 million -- $1.5 million more than his previous contract. Cory and Michael take a look at what the contract means for the program, the recruiting impact of Doeren and his assistants re-signing, why the deal needed to happen now ahead of a huge 2022 campaign and much more!

NC State dropped another frustrating loss Wednesday night, falling to a sub-.500 Boston College team by a final of 69-61. The Wolfpack coughed up 18 turnovers, was dominated in the paint and couldn't overcome rough starts in both halves to fall for the fourth straight game at home. Miles and Cory recap the latest loss with a look at Terquavion Smith's performance, Dereon Seabron's strong start, the frustrating play of Cam Hayes and Jericole Hellems along with a look ahead at what comes next.

Winning an ACC Championship on any given weekend would be huge, but the Wolfpack claimed five in one weekend! Along with men's swimming & diving, women's basketball and wrestling, both club hockey teams also won their ACC Tournaments on Sunday. NC State radio play-by-play announcer Andrew Sanders joins Cory and James to discuss all of the success, which also included a baseball sweep, Tommy White's insane start and much more.

The Sawyer & Ciencin Podcast is back! With the first pitch in the 2022 season just over 24 hours away, Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin preview the spring season and hand out their preseason awards. On the second segment, NC State skipper Elliott Avent joins the show to discuss the upcoming season, last year's finish, coaching Team USA, his legacy and much more.

NC State ended two different losing streaks on Tuesday night in Atlanta, winning its first game since Jan. 22 along with the first ever win for Kevin Keatts against Georgia Tech. Terquavion Smith led the way with 26 points in a 76-61 win for the Wolfpack, which heads into an eight-day break back in the win column. Miles and Cory take a look back on the win, Smith's huge outing -- and areas where he can still grow -- Dereon Seabron's solid production, Cam Hayes' emergence and what this win means for the Pack before hosting Boston College next week.

Over the last week, NC State football has received a ton of national attention between returning production, bowl projections and more. James and Cory take a look at the hype train building for the Pack ahead of spring camp and whether or not it's all warranted. The guys also recap another strong week for the Pack women's basketball program, the slide for the men's hoops and wrap things up with a look back at another win for the wrestling squad.

In a game NC State desperately needed to get back in the win column, Pittsburgh outmuscled the Wolfpack inside in a 71-69 result that left the Pack with a sixth straight loss. The disastrous slide for the Pack now has the team at 10-16 (3-12 ACC) with just five games remaining, now including two losses to teams outside the Top 10 in the conference. Miles and Cory reflect on the latest L, including the lack of post presence for the Pack, issues for Terquavion Smith and Jericole Hellems along with the bench providing a glimmer of hope.

Wednesday night was deja vu all over again for NC State, as the Wolfpack tied the game up with less than 10 minutes to play before dropping a 69-51 loss to Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons closed on a 16-0 run as State couldn't find any offense outside of Dereon Seabron in the second half. Miles and Cory take a look back on what went wrong for the Pack, the bright spots in Dereon Seabron and the play of the bigs, and the opportunity that lies ahead for State to climb out of the bottom of the ACC.

The NC State men's basketball team has officially stumbled all the way to the bottom of the ACC after a 69-57 loss to Notre Dame. Miles and Cory take a look back on the Wolfpack's latest loss, what went wrong at the start and finish, along with what comes next as the Pack looks to somehow turn things around. In the second segment of the podcast, the guys preview NC State women's basketball's Top-15 matchup with Georgia Tech in the Play4Kay Game taking place Monday night!

NC State started off red hot from deep in the first half, but couldn't sustain it as Syracuse poured shots in during the second half. That ultimately led to another difficult loss for the Wolfpack to Cuse, 89-82, as shots didn't fall in the final five minutes of the game. Cory Smith and Miles Masercola discuss the Pack's issues at the end of the game, Terquavion Smith's strong scoring, Jaylon Gibson's surprising success and why the margin for error is so slim for this year's team.

Coming off a huge Junior Day over the weekend, NC State is building momentum on the recruiting trail as the 2023 class gets underway. Michael Clark joins Cory and James to discuss the event, buzz around the program and the 2022 schedule release. James and Cory also breakdown the schedule, take a look at the continued success for NC State WBB, struggles for Pack MBB in Chapel Hill and more in the second segment!

Coming off a huge win over Virginia on Saturday, NC State yet again failed to string together consecutive Ws with a loss in South Bend. The Irish and Wolfpack traded blows in the first half, but a 15-0 run early in the second all but sealed it for Notre Dame as the Pack was never able to recover. Miles and Cory take a look back on the impact of foul trouble for key players, the struggles for Terquavion Smith, Dereon Seabron's continued strong play and early preview for Saturday at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Whether it was a blowout win over Virginia for NC State MBB's first ACC win at home or a miraculous comeback for the Pack WBB team, last week was a wild one for NC State hoops. James and Cory recap it all and look ahead to the road trips for both programs this week. The guys also open up the mailbag and answer questions from NC State fans in the second segment on a number of different topics!

NC State got back on track Saturday afternoon with a massive 77-63 win over Virginia. The Wolfpack beat the Hoos at their own game, stymying them defensively and putting up the most points scored against UVA this season. Miles and Cory take a look back on the Pack's huge offensive outing, the sizzling shooting of Terquavion Smith and Jericole Hellems, why Casey Morsell's performance against his former team was so important and much more!

It was a different game, but the same story for the Wolfpack on Wednesday night against Virginia Tech. The only difference was the Pack got down big early and fought back rather than stumbling late, but the result was still a 62-59 loss at home. Cory and Miles break down the struggles to start the game, the continued issues inside the paint, Casey Morsell's breakout performance in ACC play and looking ahead to this weekend vs. UVA.

NC State had a double dose of Duke over the weekend on the hardwood, and Debbie Antonelli was on the call for both. The ESPN and CBS analyst joined Cory and James to discuss the men's and women's teams, her thoughts on the direction for both programs, her thoughts on Coach K and much more. The guys also discuss a critical week ahead for wrestling and basketball with several pivotal matchups being played in Raleigh on the second portion of the podcast!

On Thursday night in Louisville, NC State started off shooting well, then kept just that all game long. Terquavion Smith, Dereon Seabron and Jericole Hellems shot a combined 22-of-32 for 58 points in a blowout win in the KFC Yum! Center. Cory and Miles break down the performances of the "Big 3" for NC State, Ernest Ross' impact in the post, the struggles for the bench continuing and how big this win has the potential to be for the Pack.

When it comes to rising stars in the sports industry, NC State alum Ari Chambers is near the top of the list. One of the top analysts championing women's sports joins us to discuss the state of the industry, NC State women's basketball, her love of the Pack and more! On the second segment, James and Cory break down the last week for NC State, including the up-and-down week for men's hoops, dominance from women's hoops and ranked win for wrestling.

For the third straight home game, the Wolfpack came away with a loss in frustrating fashion in a 70-65 loss to Clemson. Miles and Cory breakdown the loss, Dereon Seabron's big game and more on the Postgame Podcast. How much did the play inside -- on both sides of the court -- decide the outcome? What happened to Terquavion Smith after a string of great starts? Where does the Pack go from here after dropping to 0-3 at home in ACC play with two tough road games coming up?

NC State went into Blacksburg and not only held a lead for the majority of the night, but also closed it out finally. The Wolfpack notched a 68-63 win over Virginia Tech -- KenPom's No. 24 team in the country -- to snap a five-game losing streak. What does a win like this do for the confidence of the entire team? How huge were the performances from Dereon Seabron, Terquavion Smith and Jericole Hellems? Did we see a glimpse of Ernest Ross' potential? How close is this team to breaking through for real?

After taking a week off, James and Cory are joined by record-setting NC State wideout Emeka Emezie on this week's podcast! Emezie discusses his career with the Wolfpack, training for the NFL Draft, the Holiday Bowl cancellation and more. In the second segment, the guys breakdown the struggles for the men's basketball team, what to expect in Blacksburg tonight and preview the rest of the week for men's and women's hoops.

Just hours before kickoff in the 2021 Holiday Bowl, UCLA announced it no longer had 11 players to play -- which was the plan, according to Chip Kelly. Cory Smith and Michael Clark break it all down on the Pack Pride Podcast. How devastating is not playing a bowl game this season for NC State? What does the Pack stand to lose if the game is canceled? What are the options moving forward as State and the Holiday Bowl look to find an opponent?

We're less than one week left away from NC State and UCLA kicking off in San Diego for the 2021 Holiday Bowl. With that in mind, Mike Regalado of Bruin Report Online (BRO) joins us to discuss UCLA ahead of the showdown in PetCo Park next Tuesday. What makes Dorian Thompson-Robinson such a versatile quarterback? Who are the playmakers to know in this UCLA offense? Can the Wolfpack exploit the Bruins' pass defense? And who does Regalado believe comes out on top?

Tuesday night was ugly inside PNC Arena. After fighting back from an early deficit to Wright State to take a lead at the half, the Wolfpack was outscored by 15 in the second half to fall 84-70 to a previously 3-7 Raiders squad at home. Miles and Cory give their honest assessment of what transpired on Tuesday, including a look at the struggling offense, the inability to defend and the struggles of the experienced guards. We end on a positive with Terquavion Smith and Ernest Ross, so there's that.

After more than four years of investigating, NC State finally learned its fate when it comes to the NCAA investigation into Dennis Smith Jr.'s recruitment. James Curle is joined by former NC State Athletics Director Debbie Yow along with Scott Wood as a co-host to discuss the decision and more. Was the punishment fitting for the Pack? What was the process like early on for Yow? What comes next for State after the decision? Scott and James also take a look back on the loss to Richmond, the week for Pack WBB and wrestling's Top-10 win!

NC State clawed back from down double digits against Richmond, but never made it over the hump in an 83-74 loss in Charlotte. Miles and Cory break down the second straight loss for the Pack, which dropped to 7-4 (0-1 ACC) with one non-conference game left. What were the biggest issues for State in the loss? Why did Richmond have so much success offensively? Can the Pack take positives from this loss before heading back home against Wright State and into ACC play?

NC State's Early National Signing Day haul is complete, with seven of the 12 signees coming on the defensive side of the ball. At the top of the list for the Wolfpack is four-star linebacker Torren Wright, who committed six months before signing on Wednesday. Wright joins Michael Clark on this edition of the Pack Pride Podcast to discuss his relationships with the entire staff, his goals for the next level, why he chose to stay home with NC State and much more!

National Signing Day certainly didn't let us down from a drama standpoint across the country -- and in the ACC, in particular -- but NC State's class was a model of stability. One of the prized signees for the Wolfpack was yet another four-star signal-caller in M.J. Morris, who signed on the dotted line after being committed for more than six months. Morris joins the Pack Pride Podcast to talk with football analyst Michael Clark about what led him to commit to NC State, his style of play, relationship with Tim Beck and much more!

NC State has finalized its early portion of the 2022 National Signing Day class with 12 signees sending in NLIs on Wednesday morning. That haul includes a Top-20 OT in Jacarrius Peak, who signed to the Pack on the morning of NSD. Michael Clark and Cory Smith break down the class, take an in-depth look at several signees and more! We also look ahead to the transfer portal and the 2023 targets for NC State.

On this week's episode of the weekly podcast, Cory and James are joined by the creator of Beard Gang himself -- Richard Howell! We discuss Howell's career with NC State, the current Wolfpack team, Big Rich's thoughts on Dereon Seabron and more. In the second segment, the guys take a look at the Purdue loss, Cory gets on a soap box about the treatment of the team by fans, the upcoming schedule for MBB and WBB along with some National Signing Day talk.

NC State had the No. 1 team in the country on the ropes for 38 minutes, but couldn't close it out in Brooklyn. The Wolfpack gave up a six-point lead with 1:58 left to play and was outscored 16-6 in the overtime period to fall, 82-72, to Purdue on Sunday afternoon. Miles and Cory take a look back on the loss, including Terquavion Smith's performance, what went wrong down the stretch, some questionable calls late in the game and what comes next for the Pack with ACC play just around the corner.

NC State's comeback victory over UNC-Chapel Hill led to a huge night for Wolfpack fans, and led to one couple splitting up. Well, Anna Marshall and Lee Parker -- the infamous Wolfpack and Tar Heels fans caught on camera during the game -- are still together, but she rushed the field while he stayed back, sulking about the loss. The viral couple joins James and Cory to talk about what led to the hilarious moment and the response. The guys also discuss the Holiday Bowl, UCLA matchup and the past week for men's and women's hoops!

Coming off a 9-3 (6-2 ACC) season, NC State has officially accepted an invite to the Holiday Bowl in San Diego. Cory and Michael take a look at what the bowl means for the program and a first look at UCLA leading up to the matchup. What does this opportunity mean for Dave Doeren and the team looking for a 10th win? Is there any impact on recruiting with the game on FOX in primetime? Who are the players to know for Chip Kelly's first winning team at UCLA?

It was the best of times, it was (almost) the worst of times. But in the end, NC State pulled out a thrilling 104-100 quadruple overtime win to move to 6-1 and notch its first win over a Power 5 opponent this season. Miles and Cory break down the gargantuan performance of Dereon Seabron, Ebenezer Dowuona's block party, the effort from the freshmen down the stretch, Thomas Allen closing out the game and much more on this episode of the Postgame Podcast!

NC State just landed its highest-ranked commitment of the Kevin Keatts era in five-star point guard Robert Dillingham. Miles and Cory offer analysis on the No. 10 overall player in the country and what his commitment means for the Wolfpack. What led to Dillingham ultimately picking NC State? How does his game translate to Keatts' system? What does this commitment mean for the 2023 class as a whole? Most importantly, what are the chances he suits up for the Pack in the near future? We break it all down on this podcast!

The last several days have been active ones for the Wolfpack, with the season coming to a dramatic end, bowl projections being narrowed down and several players making critical decisions about their future. Michael and Cory take a look at all of those storylines, along with the All-ACC Teams being announced recently and much more on the latest Pack Pride Podcast!

It has been a ridiculously busy last few weeks when it comes to NC State, and this podcast reflects it. In the first segment, James and Cory are joined by NC State women's cross country coach Laurie Henes to discuss the program's first national championship! In the second segment, the guys break down the win over UNC in football, bowl game possibilities, how the coaching carousel could impact NC State and take a look at the upcoming matchups for Pack men's and women's basketball.

Whether it was UNC letting its foot off the gas or NC State putting the pedal to the metal in the final two minutes, the Wolfpack came out with a 34-30 win over the Tar Heels in comeback fashion. Cory and Michael break apart every facet of the Pack's season finale on the Postgame Podcast. Is it possible for Devin Leary to be anymore clutch? How on God's green Earth did Emeka Emezie get so wide open for his first TD? What does this mean win for the Pack's 2021 goals and what comes next?

With the Wolfpack's hopes still alive for an ACC Atlantic Division title, a 10-win season, a perfect record at home and more, the only thing standing in its way is its most hated rival -- UNC. The Tar Heels may be 6-5 overall, but are looking to spoil the party for the Pack in the season finale with so much on the line. UNC beat writer C.L. Brown of The News & Observer joins Cory Smith to discuss the Tar Heels' up-and-down season, what to expect from Sam Howell, UNC's struggling defense and gives his prediction.

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, but rivalry week has been raging on for days at this point. Given the latest news with Isaiah Moore announcing his return and Ricky Person Jr. leaving after the season, Michael and Cory break down both decisions for the Wolfpack. The guys close it out with a look at some other names who could be announcing decisions soon, the implications of this Friday's matchup on recruiting and what this week as a whole means for the program as a whole.