NC State Athletics - Pack Pride Podcast

NC State went into Louisville and was in every game, but fell late in two out of three to drop the series on the road. But the Wolfpack bounced back in a big way against ECU at home to kickoff a seven-game homestand over the next week. Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin take a look back on the week, talk about Tommy White's ridiculous home run pace, discuss some recent rule changes by the NCAA and previewing what's coming up next for the Pack9!

The last week for NC State was another busy one, but this time it was a positive one for the basketball program. The Wolfpack men's team added two high-scoring signees while the women's program got a commitment from a standout post player. James and Cory break all of that down along with a look at the current state of two more men's transfers, the Pack9's up-and-down weekend in Louisville and much more!

Former NC State outfielder Brett Kinneman is has been a player, coach and now a broadcaster for the Wolfpack throughout his career. He joins Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin to discuss every stage, how he's adapted to commentating, Tommy White's ridiculous start and much more. Alec and Andrew also take a look at the series sweep over Boston College before Easter and the upcoming series at No. 16 Louisville in the first half of the podcast.

On this week's podcast, Cory and James have plenty to discuss between the loss of Shawn Phillips, the transfer portal activity, the WNBA Draft, a baseball sweep over Boston College and much more! Could the Shawn Phillips decision be an opportunity for the Pack to get older at center? Where does State stand with several top targets in the portal? What does the sweep over BC mean for the confidence of the Pack9 heading into Louisville? We cover all that and more on this week's podcast! (Note: This podcast was shot prior to decisions from River Baldwin and Jack Clark to join the hoops teams)

Coming off a wild week of baseball in which the Pack9 went 2-2 with a walk-off win on Tuesday night, Alec and Andrew discuss everything that took place in Blacksburg and against UNCW. The guys highlight what went wrong vs. Virginia Tech, how the Pack has bounced back, top players for the week and preview the BC series. Cory Smith also sits down with NC State closer Chris Villaman to break down his season, how he's adapted to the closer role, his time with USA Baseball and much more! Listen to the full interview starting at the 29:13 mark.

On this week's episode of the Weekly Podcast, Wolfpack Club Executive Director Ben Broussard joins James and Cory from Amedeo's. Broussard discusses the season for the Wolfpack, how it's impacted the Wolfpack Club, the excitement of the fan base and much more. In the second portion of the show, Cory and James break down their thoughts from the NC State Spring Game, look back on the series in Blacksburg for the Pack9 and discuss the big weekend for NC State cheerleading.

NC State hosted its final portion of spring camp with the Spring Game presented by Gigi's Playhouse on Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium with a 50-7 victory for the Red Team. Michael Clark and Cory Smith break down their thoughts from the game on the offense, defense and special teams performance. How did Devin Leary look heading into a critical season? Which young wide receivers made the most of their opportunity? Who were the defensive players that stood out? Michael and Cory cover it all in the Postgame Podcast.

Week in and week out, NC State baseball is releasing some of the best creative videos in the country from its weekend series. The man behind those videos is Joe Williams, a former starting pitcher at JMU and Assistant Director of Creative Video for the Pack9. Alec Sawyer and Andrew Ciencin discuss Williams' role with the Pack, his journey to Raleigh and more. They close out the show with a look back on the series win at Clemson, the upcoming trip to Blacksburg and what's led to the recent success for the program.

The twists and turns of the NC State basketball offseason continued with Levi Watkins returning home to take over as an assistant coach. Cory and James break down the hire, what it could mean for the Pack's bigs and take a look at the transfer portal for State. In the second half, the guys preview the Spring Game this coming Saturday, including players to watch and what to expect from the showcase. The podcast is wrapped up with a look back at the Pack9 series win over Clemson on the road, Noah Soles winning ACC Player of the Week and looking ahead to the next month for NC State baseball.

NC State has landed its first four-star prospect of the 2023 class in Havelock (N.C.) tight end Javonte Vereen. Michael Clark and Cory Smith break down the impact of landing Vereen on the class on the Pack23 Podcast. What type of player is the Pack getting in Vereen? What are his biggest strengths for the next level? How much of an impact can he have on the 2023 class? And most importantly -- who's next?!

The hits just keep coming this offseason for NC State men's basketball with Manny Bates becoming the fourth player to enter the Transfer Portal. Miles and Cory take a look at the impact of his departure and what led to him and Cam Hayes entering the portal? The guys also break down the latest on Dereon Seabron and Terquavion Smith along with a look at the assistant coaching search on this podcast!

After a three-game sweep of No. 12 Georgia Tech and a midweek victory in Greenville, NC State is riding an overall five-game winning streak heading into Clemson. Alec Sawyer is joined this week by Cory Smith to breakdown the entire week for the Pack9. The guys take a look back at the up-and-down games on Friday and Saturday for NC State and the dominance from the bullpen to help shut the door in each game -- including the 2-0 win over ECU. Can NC State truly show it's turned a corner this weekend in Clemson? Get it all on this week's episode!

On this week's episode of the Pack Pride Weekly Podcast, former Wolfpack women's basketball assistant and men's player Simon Harris joins the show. We discuss the tremendous season for the women's team, the loss to UConn and much more! In the second half of the show, James and Cory give more analysis of the Elite Eight loss, Manny Bates' decision to transfer, the five-game winning streak for NC State baseball and the NFL Pro Day on Tuesday.

The Wolfpack fought back in the second half to force overtime, then it got a last-second 3-pointer from Jakia Brown-Turner to force another. But ultimately, none of it was enough to overcome No. 2 UConn in Bridgeport, ending NC State's season just four points shy of the Final Four. Cory Smith and Alec Sawyer recap the final game of the season, the final performances for the seniors, the historic year that was in 2021-22 and look ahead to next year on this edition of the Postgame Podcast.

After an up-and-down weekend in Tallahassee, the Wolfpack came away with confidence despite a series loss. Alec and Andrew look back on the series, which included a marathon Sunday doubleheader that lasted 26 innings before an FSU walk-off homer. What were the biggest takeaways from the trip to Florida? Can the Pack truly get back to its winning ways against Georgia Tech this weekend? The guys cover it all on this episode of Sawyer & Ciencin.

With NC State women's basketball dancing into the Sweet 16, former Pack assistant and current Rice head coach Lindsay Edmonds joins James and Cory on this week's episode of the podcast. After spending eight years with Wes Moore (bless her), Edmonds talks about the lessons she learned as a coach, his philosophy on recruiting, her first year with Rice as the head coach, the legacy of the Wolfpack seniors, the transfer portal and much more! The guys also take a look back on the wins for the Pack over Longwood and Kansas State, the NCAA Tournament in wrestling and discuss the tough series loss for baseball in Tallahassee. Listen to Thursday's Spaces session at 11:30 a.m. for more on men's basketball!

In the middle of an eventful week for NC State football and basketball, we opted to host a Twitter Space to discuss it all. Listen in as Cory Smith, Michael Clark and Miles Masercola join up to answer questions from Twitter followers on this podcast. Questions ranging from the running back situation in spring camp to Robert Dillingham looking to reclassify to transfer portal options in both sports, the guys give the latest updates on all three.

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?