NC State's Super Regional Week + Gainey's Blueprint & Baseball's Road Test | Tuffy Talk Live

Pack Nation — we're back at 8:30 PM and tonight we're covering it all.

We start with NC State women's tennis. ACC Champions. Seven straight Sweet 16s. This week they host the Super Regional at J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center on May 8-9 with a trip to the Final Four in Athens on the line. We break down the matchup, the path, and whether this team can make a run at a national title.

Then we shift to the men's basketball roster. Gainey has built something real — Hammond, Edmead, Evans, McNeil, Adams, Yalaho, Keene, and now Kingston Whitty as the first high school commit. But we're keeping it honest tonight. What's still missing? Is the frontcourt deep enough? Can Darius Adams bounce back from a rough freshman year? We're asking the hard questions.

On the women's basketball side, Wes Moore is reloading fast. Khamil Pierre is back. Desiree Wooten just committed out of Colorado — 13.4 PPG, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Khady Leye adds size. Two top-100 freshmen coming in. But Trygger and Jones are gone. Is this roster better, worse, or just different?

And baseball heads to Stanford on Friday for the first regular season meeting ever between these programs — last time they played was the 2021 College World Series. NC State won that one 10-4. The road struggles are real this year though. Can this team finally win away from Doak when it matters?

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:55

What's going on, Wolfpack Nation? Welcome to another edition of the Tuffy Talk Live Show. You got myself Lady Smith. You got Greg the leg with a little uh little souvenir action going on here, Greg.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

Yeah, a little drink back going from the uh Pac-9 uh baseball season.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Let's go. All right, good deal. And without further ado, we are welcoming back to the live show once again, shaking some rust off here today, Mr. Michael Tracy. Michael, what's going on, bud?

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Yeah, yeah, I had to remember how to connect my headphones back. It's been that long, they didn't automatically disconnect.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

I know, right? It's like it's like, wait, you're you're back, you're back wanting me to connect to the laptop. Are you sure? Like I thought that I thought that was forgotten. That's awesome. No, glad to have you back, man, for sure. It's it's awesome. And uh uh, you know, so with that being said, uh got Mike Black in here. Uh, got a couple comments running in here already. Uh case I was saying, what are your thoughts on Tesla? You know, hey, that that that that's for that's for that's for a different podcast. I feel like sell luck tree.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Sell high.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Yes, sell sell high. Ooh, Greg, yeah. Uh wait, hold on, Greg. We I now I need to type a disclaimer in the banners, you know, saying we are not financial analysts. Yeah, do not stand by any results. Uh uh, you know. So anyway, but yeah, y'all again. So if you're joining us here right now and you are wanting to be up for the two tickets that we're giving away to not this coming weekend, but the weekend after. So almost two weeks away, NC State versus UNC baseball game. Game three, senior night. It's gonna be huge, huge game to say the least for sure. Hopefully, we're gonna have a chance at that point to uh pull a series win or even sweep them. You know, uh some wishful thinking there for sure. Uh, but yeah. So if you're if you're wanting to know what is the final step to win that, you gotta stick around here. Hang it, hang around with us, have some fun with us, get in the comments, uh, and join in on the conversation here. As we got a lot to get to here today, especially with Michael being back, because Michael, I I don't know if you've been tuning in much with uh uh Greg, you know, and and and uh Carson and I here a little bit, but uh uh we go for the long haul now, you know. Like we don't do no 45 minute hour long podcast now, man. We're we're we're going way past that now, man. So we're you know, hopefully you got your stamina going.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

Yeah, I'm ready. Yeah, so let's do it. Awesome. Well, first of all, let's get to the elephant in the room here, and that is uh uh Greg, you know. Uh yeah, I mean, you know, what can I say, dude? I mean, I mean, I mean, what a pitch. I don't know. Like, like in in my wildest dreams, I never would have thought. I mean, honestly, that I I I I would if I would have put eyes, I would have I would have put major juice on it hitting the ground before home plate or going wide left, wide right. But man, that pitch was uh was a beautiful slider, man. I mean, you know, not just not just a fastball, but a slider, man. It it curved right in and then dropped like dropped like a rock, man. It was beautiful, man. So so I mean, were you surprised at all? I mean, I mean, I obviously I saw your reaction was all was all was all energy for sure, but yeah, it was high.

SPEAKER_03 5:27

No, I was completely surprised by my results. You practice getting getting tosses then? So funny story, I bought a pitching net and a dozen baseballs, didn't use it once. Didn't have so so people complained on it. Well, they asked me, did I warm up? And I said yes. I had three tall boys and two shots right before I went out to the ball.

SPEAKER_02 5:51

Yeah, same thing.

SPEAKER_03 5:52

Same thing, same thing. I was loose. Either way, I was loose.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

No, that was yeah, that was incredible. Uh I mean I'm actually shocked that was that was the first time.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

Yeah, no means I hadn't done a ball in a long, long time. But the funny thing was is oh, I was gonna tell this real quick story. So I was supposed to throw on Saturday, and because of the weather, they were like, hey, can you can you throw on Friday? And I was like, okay, sure, like, you know, that's fine, whatever. And uh, so I'm out there. I had the second pitch. So a family of three were was out there. It was uh a dad, a mom, and probably like a six or seven-year-old kid. So I'm talking to the dad, I'm like, hey, like, how are you gonna do this? Like, you know, and he just kind of just was like, whatever, but uh next thing I know, the kid is throwing the first pitch. And he throws a dart. I mean, he hammers the zone. And coach Avent goes, Well, good luck following that up. And I was like, Oh man, and so I just went like somehow right across the plate. So it was fun. I honestly blacked out from like I I released it and and writer Gorino would props, thanks, buddy, like for showing up for me. Good kid. That was awesome. Yeah, he framed it up for for me really well. Yeah, so yeah, it was it was it was awesome. Yeah, moment of the lifetime.

SPEAKER_02 7:16

It's funny, the the picture you posted of it, just the still shot of it, makes it look like the ball has gone way right.

SPEAKER_03 7:22

But there's no evidence, it was right across the plate. No, no, it it it it it it dotted the black uh nicely. Now, an ACC probably would have called that a ball, but yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:36

Love it. Hey, you can never you can never you know go too long without having a little bit of a jab at ACC officials. Of course, you know, it's just it's just it's just it's just un-american, honestly. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:48

Speaking of that real quick, do you guys see the ABS is coming to the SEC for the uh regional or for AC for SEC tournament play?

SPEAKER_02 7:56

Yeah, that's a that's I don't know. I feel like that's crazy to introduce in the tournament, like yes and no, right?

SPEAKER_03 8:04

Because like I think the mechanics is wild, but I think you want the best calls, right? Like those games you know do matter the most. So I I I like the I like that they're doing it, but you're right, the timing is a little kind of odd.

SPEAKER_02 8:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:19

Did you guys see how much those systems cost too? Like they're a million dollars a system, so like that's probably one of the main reasons why you haven't seen it impl implemented in the college. And they're playing, you know, these games in minor league ballpark, which are already, you know, you know, set up and customized for it. So it does make sense in that card. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

Because they they did the trial run and all the minor league stadiums. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:41

Yeah. But anyway, I know I know that's not what we are tuning in for, but I just thought it kind of kind of fit naturally in there.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Yeah, I'm sure. I am sure it's red. Yeah, no, what what what we're truly here to talk about here is the weak sauce high-sticking caller that just got called on Andre Spechnikov uh for the canes. I'm just saying, but no, yeah, no, I know we got Justin here in the chat saying watching the canes, listen to y'all. I'm I'm you know, doing the show, you know, side eyeing the canes over here too as well. But um, yeah, and Greg, don't worry, bud. It'll it'll be better next year, I believe. You know, so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

Because we gave out rally tiles. We don't we don't win when we give out rally tiles. We do thunder, lightning, sticks, and every time they put out rally tiles, we lose. So it's all right. Yeah, still have an extra, we still have more championships than the hurricane, so I'll be okay.

SPEAKER_00 9:34

Listen, I didn't poke Greg, okay? Easy there.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

So you know, in all seriousness, if my if my bolts are out, I will pull for the canes.

SPEAKER_00 9:43

So let's go. Let's go. That's right. Red, red, black, and white. It's easy. It's easy to do. Yeah, same. So yeah. It's state like arena, you know. That's right. Same arena. Same arena, all that jazz.

SPEAKER_03 9:56

Do you guys see the speaking of arenas in Lenovo? I'm segueing all over the place here, but did you see state? You are the country in attendance this year in basketball.

SPEAKER_00 10:05

Oh, yeah, no, Greg. It was gonna be a tweet of the week, but you know, it's all it's okay. Oh, sorry. No, you're good. No, you're good, man. No, yeah, no, I mean it it it's and and the crazy part on top of it, too. I think we were it was like the low 80s in terms of yeah, 83%. 83% in terms of average fill. So I mean, I I don't know. I like like Michael, would you would you say like, you know, what what's what's the what's the takeaway, I guess, from that?

SPEAKER_02 10:42

Um, I I feel like even in the bad years, we're sometimes always up there just because we do have that advantage of playing in Lenovo that seats that many people, it's like even if it's 50%, it's still a lot of people. Um but per percentage-wise, so 83%. I wonder where that that stacked up nationally.

SPEAKER_03 11:04

Oh yeah, percentage-wise of of arena filled. Yeah, it's probably it's probably top third.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Oh, definitely. Probably.

SPEAKER_02 11:12

Yeah. Yeah, because I mean like we have technically have one of the biggest basketball arenas in the country. I yeah, is it I think it's basketball. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:20

Yeah, yeah.

unknown 11:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:22

But you see, like uh Syracuse finished fifth and they only only like at 58% capacity, but that's because they play in a damn football stadium.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Right, right. So it's like you're all I feel like we're always on that list just because of the size, but um, I would say definitely percentage-wise, uh that's probably 83% is probably higher than it has been in recent years.

SPEAKER_03 11:42

Yeah, I will wait a few. I wonder yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:45

Wait, I mean that I do mean that seriously. He who must not be named Greg.

SPEAKER_03 11:50

I know I did it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I mean, no one would know the snake effect if I said that.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

So yeah, yeah, that's true. That's true. Yeah, but yeah, no, I mean, and and I think it'll be a big you know, test of like, you know, can we can we match that if not top it this upcoming year? Uh you know, like you know, yeah, like it's probably not gonna have the the same snake effect, you know, because you know, Ganey's not out here making all these promises and making all these quotes and lines. Like, honestly, has he even done any kind of press since his announcement? I haven't heard him anywhere really. I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 12:29

I I know I was listening to some of the IPS stuff, and James said that they're they're in the works of getting him on to like a zoom call or something here in the near future, kind of when the portal stuff settles down. So yeah, yeah, I'm I'd be excited to hear some of that stuff.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

I'm sure once the roster's finalized, it'll be a little bit more like his even on his like Twitter account. His first like tweet was about Paul McNeil coming back. It was like retweeting the Paul McNeil.

SPEAKER_03 12:55

Like that was his first tweet as the coach, first post, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Well, it was it was uh it was uh always always good to come home or something like that. Like it was like he actually said something uh around those lines, so yeah, no, we'll definitely talk about that, you know. Shocker, obviously, if that's not a big story here. But uh Wee Jones saying, I mean, a great thing, which is a great point. The takeaway is quit giving all of our lower bowl tickets to corporate sponsors who never use their tickets.

SPEAKER_03 13:21

And so so there is a fun fact about that. Um, because they are doing the seat realignment in the bowl, um, all of the seats through the Wolfpack Club are being like reassigned and redone. Um I I don't know what that's gonna look like, um, but it does give them a chance to shuffle some of that through. Uh I would love, and so this is like the tough one for me, right? Because like for myself, I don't actually have season tickets for men's basketball yet, but when we end up moving down there, we will definitely be partaking in that. Um they did institute an interesting thing with baseball this year, and I would be curious to get your guys' thoughts if they were to do something similar. So those new field box seats down in the right field line by the new players' um locker room and clubhouse, those seats were quote unquote premium seats, and they had a usage rate of 80%, or you forfeited the tickets. What do you guys feel about that for like season ticket holders? Now I know I think you're gonna ruffle some feathers here potentially because people are like, well, if I can't make a game and I live like for my instance four hours away and I can't find a taker, like why should I be penalized? But kind of what are your thoughts on that stuff?

SPEAKER_02 14:36

Yeah, I mean it's definitely an incentive to go. I think with basketball, a lot of that issue is I think a lot of them are lifetime rights seats too. So that's a lot of it. Yeah, there's a lot of lifetime rights. Yeah, there's a lot of lifetime. That's a little bit harder to institute there.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

But yeah, I think that's definitely a reason for people to show up. Well, definitely let us know in the comments too, as well, what you think. But for me, honestly, like I I think it's a testament to the expectation that that we are growing as an athletic program. You know, the fact that, you know, like we we if if we truly are trying to be an elite athletic program, elite football, elite men's basketball, elite women's basketball, you name it, like, you know, especially with those main main four, I mean, I I definitely think there should be a bar. Now, do I think the bars should be high? No, I mean, like, even just like a listen, if you can't even come, if you can't even come or have somebody show up to a quarter of the games, like, okay, like, you know, what what are we doing here? You know, like so like I I don't even think it needs to be really that high. Like, like, all right, half the games, half the games. If if you can't have somebody, whether it's you or somebody else in the seats for half the games, like, okay, maybe it's time to move those tickets to somebody else who's actually gonna use those tickets. Because again, like like we appreciate your money, but also think I I think a little bit of the question to that is gonna be how much of a demand is there too as well. Like, is there a big waiting list too as well? I think that's a question that I would ask too as well. I would say there, I would guess there is, but I would just need to know numbers, like you know, if if you have a couple thousand people who are wanting season tickets that aren't able to get tickets, or you know, people in the upper level who would love to move down to the lower level and are willing to pay that premium price, you know, is and I I would say that's honestly even the bigger piece. Like, you know, the the people that are upper because there's all the lower bowl tickets are sold out. Like, hey, would you be interested in moving down? Yes. Okay, well, here's so and so who hasn't been to 25% of the games this year. If you want to buy them the yours, you know, kind of deal. So yeah, no, I I I think it's again it it's it's it's it it's it's where we're moving. Listen, it like it's more it's past the money now. We need the actual support, you know. It does it's not a good look for us if we're playing, you know, Miami or Syracuse and and and they show the lower bowl and the first 10 rows, like like 25% of it's empty. Like that's that's not a good look.

SPEAKER_03 17:05

Yeah. No, I'm with you. I mean, I think it I don't know how much it has an effect on recruiting, but I mean, like they don't see because it's so dark up in the upper top of the arena, you can't tell that those seats are actually filled and there's people in the stadium or in the arena cheering for you. So it does give you a bad look. You're like, okay, well, this is like a half empty arena. Why do I want to come play here? I know I'm not saying that's like that for everyone, but I mean I'd be curious to see if it does have an effect. And it probably doesn't anymore because at this point, let's be real, it's all about the NIO money. Like, I don't think, yeah, I don't think it's about quote unquote getting developed in education, uh, any of that stuff. I think it's just let me let me make money and try to get to the pros. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 17:46

No, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

And uh go ahead, Michael. I was trying to look it up as we're talking, but I feel like I remember last maybe last year before the season, they they were like offering some type of buyback program for your tickets if you couldn't make it. But I can't find it now. But I've I don't know. Maybe I made that up. I feel like I can remember announcement.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

In the meantime, while you are looking at that, um so uh to highlight a couple of comments here, Mike Black saying basketball is crazy for having 9 p.m. games on a weeknight. I know it's done for television purposes, but it's hard for people that work to attend those games. And that's exactly the go ahead, please.

SPEAKER_03 18:26

No, I was gonna say, and I'll I'll take that one further, having a weekday baseball game at three o'clock, like throughout like almost like for half of the season, your midweek games are at three o'clock. Like that's an insane start time. And I get it. Like that's not even done for for that's not even done for TV purposes because all those games are streamed at uh you know midweek for the most part. Um, it's for travel purposes. But you know, like there's a lot of people that buy tickets that can't get to the games because it's at three o'clock.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Mm-hmm. Yeah, no, absolutely. Well, and and and and and that's why, too, to the testament of like, okay, you know, uh just it the bar doesn't need to be drastically high. Like, no more than 50%. Like, like, like, like, and I think the that that gives you plenty of wiggle room in case, you know, somebody gets sick and get them away in time, you know, you give them away, you sell them and they don't show up. Uh, the 9 p.m. games, like, I I think that's more than sufficient to cover that.

SPEAKER_03 19:20

I think you should be limited to Mike's point, like, you know, only have like two, you know, night time, night game, night time, nine o'clock tip-offs. That's a tough one to say. Um, because like to that point, right? Because if you if unless you live in like within a 30-minute radius of of Lenovo, you're not getting home until like midnight. And and and to the point, like if you gotta be at work at 8, 9 o'clock the next morning, you got kids get up, you know, you get them in bed. It it makes for a tough, tough, tough time. And and I I get that point completely.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Uh okay. I found it. Yeah, 20 for 2025, 2026, they introduced if you have season tickets, you can give your tickets back at least 48 hours prior to the game, and you get Wolfpack Club points to towards your account. So they don't buy them back, but they give you Wolfpack Club points if you return them 48 hours ahead of time.

SPEAKER_03 20:15

Okay, so now it comes the question is what does the Wolfpack Club or the Athletic Department do with them? Do they put them on a resale market? Like, can you are they available to buy? Like, and that's what I would be interested in the next part because that doesn't solve the problem of empty seats unless you're using it.

SPEAKER_02 20:29

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I assume they they just open them back up like on on the ticket website, yeah. That's what I would assume.

SPEAKER_00 20:36

Yeah, well, my guess is that they probably give you back your your money in terms of the game value, is my guess to it as well. Is that I mean, you're not just giving them back just for the game value. I mean, common sense would have been.

SPEAKER_03 20:51

Oh, that's a good point, right? So if you're giving back for North Carolina Central, right, are you getting like two points? But if you give them back for Carolina, you're getting 10 points. Yeah, like do they have that T system? Because at that point, I would be like, okay, you can have Campbell, you can have Furman, you can have App State, you know, you can have all those opponents that I don't give a crap about.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

Well, I mean, you tell me, Greg. So, like, like, I mean, because if if it's not money, if it's simply just giving you Wolfpack Club points, because I get the idea. It's like, listen, if you give it to us 48 hours in advance, that gives us enough time to give us a high likelihood of being able to resell them to somebody else that way somebody can be in those seats. Uh, so is is is Wolf, I mean, being being Mr. Wolfpack Club that you are, Greg, obviously Mr. First Pitch over here, is there a amount of Wolfpack Club points that would that you think they would give that would be worth giving your UNC tickets back rather than selling really trying even at the last minute to sell them? Like, do you think that money money would need to be involved in order to make it?

SPEAKER_03 21:54

No, I don't think money needs to be involved because they're not gonna give you money, right? They're like that's not the you it's easy to get points. Like that that's going to show up. Yeah. Oh, 100%. Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_02 22:04

So they're not going to make it where it's like more worth it for you to give them back than to go.

SPEAKER_03 22:09

Right, right. And I and when I say two points, ten points, that would never happen, by the way. Two points in the Wolfpack Club, believe it or not, is worth a lot. Like it's it's crazy. You'd be getting tenths of points, right? Like I think top tier, you maybe get like a point or two. Uh because I think, I think, I think, if I remember correctly from one pack, I think if you gave a thousand dollars, I think that's eight Wolfpack Club points.

SPEAKER_01 22:35

Eight.

SPEAKER_03 22:36

Sounds right. Yeah, I believe that was I believe that was the formula. I could I could be slightly wrong on that. Um, because I know I've I've done that a couple of times and gotten some points. But yeah, I again, but it doesn't cost them to give you points. Like that's easy. That's that's you know, there's nothing out of their budget that just moves you up in priority to be able to pick earlier for whatever you're trying to pick for. Um no, but I think at the end of the day, I think the I think Michael's right. Like they want they want they want tails and seeds. Um, but 100%. It's this is an easy incentive program to where it doesn't cost them anything financially to to to try to make sure people get in seats.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

Yep, absolutely. Cool. So jumping into the actually scheduled topics here, even though these were great side side topics for sure, which were great for sure. So appreciate you bringing them up, Greg. I wanted to jump into some women's tennis here is once again, Michael. You know, for for us, uh, you know, definitely these sports are never the first talk. I know everybody wants to talk about Paul McNeil for sure. We'll get to that, no doubt about it. But gotta highlight women's tennis, uh, who have come out absolutely on fire, uh, building off their momentum, winning AC championship, and uh basically sweeping their first two rounds of the NCAA tournament being Morgan State, uh, which I was funny, Greg. I think I said the Brown University and during the last turn the last live show. So yeah, Morgan State swept a five-nothing. Uh it was a non-competitive doubles point, just smoke them. And all six singles won. So it was it was actually seven nothing, but basically they just they they called it at five-nothing. So, okay, all right, yeah, five-nothing, and we'll let the other two players we're done here. Uh yeah, we're done here, exactly. Like, like technically, they could have just called it a four-nothing. So, actually, it's kind of interesting to me why they why they did it five nothing, you know. So, I guess just to really like make it clear how not compared to the other.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

They could have ended pretty much the same time. Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah. That's true.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

Yeah, yeah. All right, match point. Oh, never mind. You know, game's over. We're good. You don't have to be the match point. Yeah. Uh so um, and then went on to uh the next day be number 20 UCF, who was 21 and 5 on this season and swept them 4-0. Uh, and uh that was after a three-hour uh rain delay as well, too. Uh and this season was that was on Saturday.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Just to even just to even make that win look even better. Again, they were number 20 in the country, 21 and 5 on the season. UCF had eight ranked wins this season. And again, so season on the line and and state women's tennis swept them. So a huge testament for sure to Coach Ernstrahl and this group here for sure. And I think a huge testament once again to this team could do something special here. So watch out here. And again, they face uh number nine, Texas, uh May 8th. So I believe that's what yeah, at home, at home, yeah, because they're the eighth seed, eight third eight seed, Texas is ninth seed. Uh Friday, 5 p.m. Uh winner goes to Athens. Uh so uh uh huge opportunity here. Um but and because I I I I forgot to as well that the tournament is actually 32 teams, if I'm not mistaken. So it's it because I thought I thought there were still two more matches that you had to win to make it to Athens, but but that to Athens is top eight, not final four. It's kind of like baseball.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

It's kind of like baseball, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:07

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:08

So yeah, so that's really super regional.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

Basically, you got it.

SPEAKER_03 26:13

For lack of a better way to describe it to the average fan, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so anyway though, but yeah, I'm I mean, you know, Michael, I mean, again, five nothing versus Morgan State, won all six single points, swept four nothing versus number 20 UCF here. Uh, do you think that this, I mean, does does that move the did that move the needle at all for you in terms of expectations of what could happen the rest of the season here?

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Uh I honestly I think the ACC tournament did more because those are those are better teams than the two teams we played here. Um so yeah, I I I think at home I'd probably I'd still expect state to to beat Texas. Yeah. What about you, Greg? Looking at the seeds, it's like it's like almost all the high seeds won. It's like except UCLA playing Georgia, they're unranked, but everything else is like the two versus 15 seed, three versus fourteen, four versus thirteen, so it's like pretty heavy.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

It's just like baseball with the national seeds at the top 16. I mean, it's almost set up exactly um like like baseball is. Um yeah, I mean, you get you, you know, you you eight eight, nine, so that's pretty that's pretty equal. Um you know, you're playing on your home court, which is good, so you don't have to, you know, change any of your routine up. You can sleep in your normal bed, you don't have to, you know, come in a hotel and stay there and do all those other things. So it's just like you know, every other day it um coming to come into the come coming to the court. So I I would expect state to continue their dominance and um you know try to punch our ticket to to nationals.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

Yeah, no, absolutely. And uh so again, number nine, Texas coming to the JW Eisenhower Cent Tennis Center May 8th, 5 p.m. So let's go and uh get some NC State fan representation there and let's uh cheer this team on to Athens and uh to represent and uh get another opportunity at uh getting a national title berth and uh see if we can win our our program's first national title, which will be huge, huge.

SPEAKER_03 28:22

Speaking of like like I know I know Michael won a few years ago when it was down in there. I think was it Orlando? Is that where it was that?

SPEAKER_02 28:28

Yeah, yeah. Um I want to say it was UC.

SPEAKER_03 28:32

Probably UCS, probably. Yeah. Or yeah, I think it might have just been a tennis park too, because I know they have really nice facilities down there.

SPEAKER_02 28:39

Yeah, no, that's what I was thinking. I think it may have just been a USA tennis park. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:44

So what I was gonna say is like, no joke, you UGA's tennis facilities are beautiful. Like, I I happened to notice them when we were down there a couple years ago for super regionals in 24 when we when we beat Georgia. I was like, this is tennis? Like, holy cow, they take this stuff serious here. Um so yeah, I can I can I don't know where Georgia's ranked.

SPEAKER_02 29:06

Um they're the number one overall. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 29:10

Yeah, those facilities are pretty nice. Um anyway, so no, just a stupid antidote there. But I was like, holy cow, this because the the tennis is like basically shares the same parkland with baseball. And I was I mean it it's like I don't know like how other tennis programs facilities look, but this damn thing looked like the damn Taj Mahal of tennis. It was it was pretty nice. It was pretty nice.

SPEAKER_00 29:33

But again, NC State definitely will have their work cut up for them on Friday. Is uh this is not uh this is definitely a different level. Uh for a little bit of background Texas, the number nine seat overall, uh, is a perennial Big 12 powerhouse, uh nationally ranked all store.

SPEAKER_01 29:48

Well, SEC now.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

Well, sorry, yeah, no, and and now SEC. Yeah, exactly. Uh I'm still not used to that. I'm still not. It'll take me a while to get used to that, honestly. Yeah. Um, but also, too, as well. This is now seven straight Sweet 16s for Coach Earnshaw. That is that's honestly, I think, a stat that like like like well, yeah. I mean, like, like like that's just that's an elite level, like consistently elite year after year, seven years in a row, sweet 16.

SPEAKER_03 30:19

So uh that just goes to show you that that's the floor, right?

SPEAKER_00 30:23

Right, yeah. No, I mean competing for ACC title and uh and getting to a Sweet 16 is the floor, and tickets are free, and most of the time they're actually giving you a free donut or a free sandwich or rally towel. Free cookie, whatever it is, or rally towels just to come. Like it's it's it's crazy. And and and again, like you know, uh Coach Earn Shaw is uh definitely no doubt about it. Uh a very underrated coach uh in terms of comparing it to NC Stay in terms of the amount of attention and talk that he gets for sure. So yeah, no, definitely uh again, huge hats off to Coach Earnshaw, huge hats off to this team. Excited to see what they're gonna do here this Friday, May 8th, 5 p.m. JW Eisenhower. Make sure let's go and show up and let's go and uh cheer this team on and get them to Athens here, uh and get him representing here. So uh so with that being said, it is time now to open up. And Greg, I got a little inspirate inspiration from you last week, man. I love your trivia question, uh I guess, format of giving away these tickets. So if you have not entered yet, if you go to our Twitter page, it's pinned to the top. Uh, if you retweet and are a follower of us, uh, all you have to do is answer this trivia question, NC State trivia question, and uh we'll give you actually even until 15 minutes, so until 920 to answer it.

SPEAKER_03 31:43

Is that for the Saturday game?

SPEAKER_00 31:46

The tickets.

SPEAKER_03 31:47

Yeah. All right. So this is what I'm gonna do. I don't have tickets to give away this week. But if you are the winner, you and a guest can come to the tailgate on Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Ooh, let's go. Okay, so so amping even more. So two free tickets and a personal invitation to to Greg Leg's uh uh tailgate. And and again, y'all, if if if you know nothing.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

We have a top show up on Saturday.

SPEAKER_00 32:15

So yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, it again, like I would love, honestly. Uh okay, we will get to that, or do we should we not get to that?

SPEAKER_03 32:24

I mean, you can talk about it now. I don't care. How many people we have there? We had a lot of people.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Greg breaking news. Greg got arrested.

SPEAKER_03 32:30

Yeah, well, we didn't get arrested, but apparently they didn't like us tailgating at the tail at the at the West Deck because we've been tailgating for ever.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:40

But we've also never had 80 people show up to a tailgate.

SPEAKER_02 32:43

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 32:45

Yeah, it was huge. It was insane. Anyway, go ahead, Leighton. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_00 32:48

What anyway? So again, two tickets to almost two weeks from now, versus UNC at home, senior night, Saturday, first uh first pitch, 2 p.m. Uh, again, regular season finale, plus also two, a personal invite to Greg Leg's uh tailgate before that, too, as well, which is amazing, too, for sure. So quite the opportunity here. So, with that being said, again, if you haven't entered already, to do so, first of all, you have to go to our Twitter page, the tweet at the top, the spans at the top, retweet it. Make sure you follow us at Tuffy Talk now on Twitter. And now within by 9.20 p.m., answer the following question here. And I'll make sure it's in the banner here at the bottom here.

SPEAKER_03 33:31

But and the first one, the first person that you see, right timestamp, that's the winner. This or are you are you gonna pick from any correct choices? Like what's the let's get all the rules here?

SPEAKER_00 33:42

Yeah, let's let's see. I mean, I I I kind of like I kind of like the first. I kind of like the first. What do you what do you think? Yeah, I don't like it.

SPEAKER_03 33:50

Hey, it's it it's it's your Twitter handle, so you you do it.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

Uh what do you mean? It's at Tuffy Talk now. We're all tough you talk, Greg. What do you mean?

SPEAKER_03 33:58

Well, you changed the password and we can't get into it now, so we'll talk about that after the show. Uh so it's your turn now.

SPEAKER_00 34:06

Just right now, just right now. All right, cool, cool, cool. All right, so uh so in 1967, NC State's live mascot was discovered by a zoology professor to not not actually be a wolf. What animal was it? So again, that that that question is down the banner once again. But for those listening, I'll say it again. In 1967, NC State's live mascot was discovered by a zoology professor to not actually be a wolf. What animal was it? Uh so Greg, did you say you know the answer to this?

SPEAKER_03 34:38

I did. I'm actually typing it in our Discord to our internal chat. Check to see if I'm right.

SPEAKER_00 34:45

Okay, yeah, let me here here live and in person. I'm I'm gonna uh I'm I'm I'm a little moderator chat. Yeah, I know. I was just my my microphone was slow to pull it up. All right, let's see. Uh yep, nope, Greg got it right. So with that being said, again, put it, put that, put your answer in the chat here. Uh and uh so but hey, let's let's jump into it here real quick. Uh and uh we'll come back to this here. So I do want to talk a little bit here about here. Let's let's jump let's jump on women's basketball here, real quick, as we got a big commit uh over the weekend. Uh uh transfer uh guard from Colorado. Uh Desiree Wooten, uh 5'8 guard, 13.4 points per game, which led the team, uh 2.6 assists per game, all Big 12 honorable mention, appeared in all 34 games, uh, started seven of those, uh, which is interesting. She started seven, appeared in all 34, but led the team in points per game. Interesting. Uh big 12 experience, final year of eligibility is coming up here on their final year of eligibility here. Uh, Greg, uh do how how how big of a piece would you say this is uh for this upcoming team? Massive.

SPEAKER_03 36:06

It's big. Um we didn't have a quote unquote proven shooter. And and she um her um her shooting percentage is pretty darn good from deep, especially if um you just catch as a catch and shoot clip, it was it was really good. Um we talked the last couple of weeks as you know, you we we were talking about how this roster was filling out that um you know you you got it you got a you got a big freshman coming in, you got a transfer portal and Lee from Auburn um to to kind of fill up the the front court, but you still needed some backcourt shooting and this one this one checks the blocks for for the lady pack.

SPEAKER_00 36:48

Yeah. Michael, what about you?

SPEAKER_02 36:50

Yeah, yeah. I mean, you needed to add another guard with who he lost. Um and I I think he's also a pretty good defender. I mean, uh all defense team at a previous stop.

SPEAKER_03 37:05

Um yeah, doesn't it doesn't be her third stop too.

SPEAKER_02 37:10

Yeah. And you know West probably doesn't have closest to uh the amount of NIL money that um uh is I would say is equal to his accomplishments. Um and uh so it's it's really important that you know uh you're getting these uh getting these girls kind of diamond in the rough a little bit overlooked in the transfer portal because he just can't go in and pick out anybody he wants. Um yeah, it's a big thing up.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

Well well and the one thing too as well, Greg, is obviously in the women's game, three-point is key. And there's no doubt that we need the help with three, uh definitely more three-point shooters. The one thing which is kind of interesting, so so last season at Colorado, she averaged a little bit more than four three-point attempts per game, made about one and a half of those per game, which is a 35.2 percent three-point percentage. So not a high volume three-point shooter, but again, statistically, 35.2 percent. You're pretty happy with that. So you know, solid. You know, solid. So it's enough they have to respect you.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

Yeah, and again, I think I think she's she's over the last couple of years, she's that those numbers would be better. Uh that'd be the top two or three on the on the team. Um, with this is it's an area we've really struggled. And you know, with Zoey's downhill play, you know, a kick out would be nice from time to time. And that's someone that you can rely on hitting the shot uh at a decent clip. So I I think this is going to uh change kind of the dynamics of of what we've seen over the last couple years. And hopefully, hopefully it's the you know, it's the the piece that they need to get back to ACC, you know, quote unquote dominance.

SPEAKER_00 39:04

Mm-hmm. Yeah. No, so again, huge piece for sure to add with Camille Pierre, Zoe Brooks, uh uh Caden Samuels, uh uh Destiny Lunin, Adelaide Jernigan, and Maddie Cox.

SPEAKER_03 39:16

Uh do you guys think she's a she's an into the day starter? Do you think she's gonna plug in right now? I I think so.

SPEAKER_00 39:23

I think she has to. I I I I don't I don't think she goes anywhere her last year where she's not starting, honestly. Well unless you're going unless you're going for I mean again, I mean unless you're going for a big contender. But I don't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:38

No, I I mean I I'm with Michael. I think she's gonna be, you know, I I think I think it's gonna be either her or Lunin.

SPEAKER_02 39:44

I was gonna say maybe Lunan, but I think, you know, I think the experience she's gonna put it. I think you right now, you know, without any insight into any practices or anything, just you know, just kind of I mean that's what you're hoping for, at least, right?

SPEAKER_03 39:59

Like you're hoping that she's your starter. I I think that you give her every opportunity to be your starter unless she gets beat out or just doesn't perform to what you expect. But yeah, I'm with you.

SPEAKER_00 40:10

So do you feel like with the pieces that we have right now, do you think uh uh Michael that we can say truly if this year's roster is gonna be better than last year's roster, or do you think that you still need a couple more pieces until you can truly distinguish?

SPEAKER_02 40:27

Um I think it's gonna be hard to say because you're you're also moving some people around. I think Pierre's probably gonna play more at the five. Um which I I mean keeping her, I I really didn't expect to keep her. I thought for sure she was gonna go back in the portal. So that's pretty pretty huge. So um but I don't know. And and and right, if we're if we're assuming Wooton and the Auburn transfer are gonna be starters, you know, that's and then Pier moving to the five, that's like a completely new lineup. It's hard to hard to judge right now, but it's definitely definitely encouraging um that West has been able to get some some people to plug in there.

SPEAKER_00 41:12

Yeah. So so Greg, do you feel like the bigger bigger priority at this point is getting another shoot uh a guard that can shoot the three, or do you think that you need more size depth?

SPEAKER_03 41:23

That's a tough one, really. Uh I I I'm always the person that wants offense. I think you know you I think you can make offensive players better defensive players than defensive players making them offensive players. Um, so if you're gonna go for a big, then they better be able to be be impactful and not just like clog the lane. I mean like rebounds are fine, but I I I want scores. Um so if you're if we're if you're making me choose one or the other, I I would take a guard. Um you still have 90 cox. You you do have some size. Um yeah, I you know, not a ton of scoring, but um I get give me scores all day.

SPEAKER_00 42:07

Yeah, what about G, Michael?

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Yeah, I think I probably would go another another guard as well. Um I think it's just uh Wooten's a good pickup, but again, it's one that's one guard you've added and lost.

SPEAKER_00 42:26

Especially too, because behind behind her, I mean, so you so you have Brooks, you have Wooten, and that are established. I mean, that they're they're you know, upperclassmen have a lot of experience for sure. But behind those two, you have Loon and Journagen that are still very inexperienced and very raw in terms of from a talent perspective. So so yeah, I I think you you gotta have a a third, like it's it's a must. You need to have a third guard that has experience that you can build off of, unless you're feeling extremely high on Lunin or Journagin, which is the possibility.

SPEAKER_03 43:02

I mean, if they if they take a jump, like uh like it doesn't have to be like a super significant jump, but like just a okay, a next level jump. Right. I would be okay rolling with that and getting another big. Um, but we haven't seen like guards. I mean, Zam was Zam took a step up this year, um, but we just haven't seen like, you know, we had Lacey Steele a few years ago, didn't do a whole lot. Um and we've had some other guards, like for whatever reason, we didn't play and and they they've gone on and did done other things. So I don't know, but like I said, give me the scoring. So if Lunan or Jernigan step up, then okay, go get me a big. But I I feel to your point, I feel more comfortable getting someone a little bit more established, especially if this is Pierre and Zoe's last run. Um, you know, we especially again at the guard plate, you had Zoe playing 39 and a half minutes basically every damn game, and you could just see the Wear and tear on that at times at the end of games, where we talked about it multiple times. I think we lost like six or seven games when we were up like in the fourth quarter, you know, by darn near double digits on like three or four of those occasions. And you could just tell like the they ran out of gas at the end of the game. And you know, you won a couple of those rank matchups. The season looks different, right? You're not playing a Michigan in Michigan in the second round. You may be hosting a game at home where where you know it's a lot different. And you know, not saying you go win a national championship, but you you definitely have the ability to advance further into the tournament.

SPEAKER_00 44:34

Yeah, no, absolutely. Uh I mean, and Roger saying we need a 6'5 player with a Medea attitude. Like, yeah, I mean, like I I I would be happy with either. I mean, I don't think I think you mean you got to get one of those for sure, but ideally get both. But I I mean, can you get both? Do you think you can get both? Well, probably not like that will be impact players.

SPEAKER_02 44:58

Yeah, that's the thing.

SPEAKER_03 44:59

That's the thing. Yeah, you can develop somebody. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I mean there's always someone that's willing to come, you know, move up a level and play, whether that's from a D2 or a what do you call it? Non-power, you know, mid-major. That's what the word I was trying to come up with. Like you like, you can you can give them a bag of basketballs and a scholarship and they'll come play for you because you know people just want to compete. But again, sure. Are they gonna make a difference? Probably not.

SPEAKER_00 45:23

Yeah, yeah. No, agreed. So with that being said, uh, Preacher Man is the got the correct answer first, a coyote. So it's uh so it's the question of uh of uh 1967 and state's live mascot was discovered by a zoology professor to not actually be a wolfful animal, was it? A coyote. So Preacher Man, uh DM directly uh if you can, uh us on Twitter, and uh we'll get you set up. And then and if you can for some reason, because I know I guess if we're not if we're not following you, but we'll let you DM us directly. So if we're not gonna discord, use in the Discord. Okay, even better. Perfect. So so we'll just we'll message you directly on Discord than Preacher Man as well, too, and we'll get you those tickets, get you the all the deets uh for the tailgate, man. So congratulations, excited to to have you. But yeah, it's actually a fascinating story here as well. Uh it's it actually uh sorry, I lost my notes here. Need to pull it back up here. So, okay, so in 1966, students raised $700 by selling 25 cents shares uh to purchase a live wolf mascot to celebrate the opening of Carter Finley Stadium. They paid $125 to the Osborne Zoo Supply Company in Minnesota for what they thought was a four-month-old timber wolf, then spent another $125 to ship him to Raleigh. The students loved him, uh, named Lobo the Third, which he all which uh uh Preacher Man also pointed out too as well. Made appearances at games and student events for years. He was especially popular because he would howl on the sidelines. Uh, then came the twist. After prevent students knows the animal, quote unquote, looked a little funny. Uh, Dr. Fred Barcolo of NC State Zoology Department examined Lobo the Third and confirmed that he was a coyote, not a timber wolf. Uh, the revelation made Front Page News and Rollers News and Observer, but Dr. Barcolo wasn't upset. He actually defended the coyote, saying, Frankly, I'm glad we didn't get a wolf. Wolves are very high strung and nervous. The coyote has a temperament more like a dog's, and he can stand up to civilization. Rather than being embarrassed, the fan base leaned in and the phrase coyotes with uh with a K, K-Y-O-T-I-E-S, coyotes are cool with a K, uh spread throughout the student newspaper. Then that same football season, Sports Illustrated dubbed the Wolfpack and its quote-unquote white shoes defense, the quote-unquote cool coyotes, again, both with both K's, after In-State beat second-ranked Houston. The team went on to finish 9-2 and win the school's first ever bowl game in a 14-7 win over Georgia in the Liberty Bowl. Uh so and and and the story ends with Instate's uh, like all in-state stories can, with Lobo third was retired in 1970, and died uh and quote and quote unquote save Lobo campaign kept him from being put down. He was supposed to go to the NC zoo, but died of heartworm support zoo was completed. So that is the full story there. Kind of a crazy story here, and not one that I'm sure a lot of state fans know for sure. I didn't I didn't know it to that extent. I didn't know that one, yeah. Not that whole story, yeah. Oh, so what but so again, congratulations, preacher man, uh uh uh on on getting that. And again, we'll get you set up here once I get your quote off the screen here. So, with that being said, now that we got that out of the way, I think we're gonna jump to the big news here, y'all. Uh, Paul McNeil officially announcing he is running with the pack. What? Just now we're breaking, we're breaking, we're breaking it.

SPEAKER_01 48:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 48:54

We're breaking news. Well, yeah, Paul McNeil went to Willwaite's house and left a uh a stinky presentation. Flaming turd on the flaming turd on his front porch and came back then. She stayed. And uh yeah, no, it's it's huge, huge victory, I think, for Gainey. I I mean it just there's so much really to it. I mean, it's obviously not only just the the go ahead, Greg.

SPEAKER_03 49:19

No, I was gonna say there's a lot of layers to it. That's all I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_00 49:23

Yeah, it's a lot of layers, it's a lot of victory pieces to it. Um, I mean, not only just the fact that I mean, I mean, Paul McNeil is is an extremely talented player. I mean, he he he uh broke uh DJ Horns record, right, for most three points in this in a season. Uh learned that a couple weeks ago, thanks to thanks to Greg here. Uh and also too, as well. Again, I mean, just he's still definitely a work in progress for sure, in terms of from his defense perspective, in terms of uh his scoring ability developing that a little bit more. So a lot of potential there. Most too, as well, I think from an NC State fan morale perspective, too, as well. I mean, just like being able to get him back, a guy that's now been is going to be a part of three different head coaches during his NC State career, which is insane in today's day and age. Like it just it it's it's unheard of.

SPEAKER_03 50:15

Most would have been yeah, most would have been done after one.

SPEAKER_00 50:18

Yeah, no, a hundred percent would have said, get me the heck out of here. Um, and especially because after that one, what that that was a rough season, uh to say the least. So he didn't bail after that, bought into Will Wade, came back, and you know, definitely was offered a King's ransom to say the least for sure. Uh, you know, uh, you know, Ellis by LSU, and but yet still decided to run with the pack. Uh, you know, and so there's a lot of ways you can twist this, whether it's you know, spatting at, you know, you know, talking about, you know, that the the snake effect uh that's that's you know down by the river. But let's let's talk about really weird effects here. I mean, I mean, Greg, I mean just for Coach Gainey, uh again, a guy where I think a lot of state fans are saying, like, man, where's where's the the mic drop in the portal? You know, where's like you know, that big get we didn't get juke Harris, like you know, like where's the splash? Like these are a lot of you know good upside, but it's not the wow effect. But now you get the wow effect, and and and not only do you get the wow effect, you you get it after showing a lot of patience, a lot of patience. Uh, I mean that that's really drugged on for weeks, weeks.

SPEAKER_03 51:30

I mean, you got the number 12 guy in the portal. That you know, yeah, that in and of itself, right?

SPEAKER_02 51:35

He's he's not gonna show up as like a transfer, but like he should pretty much is, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 51:40

I mean, you got him out of the portal, like right. He he left for all such purposes. I mean, you had to re-recruit him, but uh which and that never happens either. Right, right. You don't see a lot, you don't see a lot when the guys come back to the school. I mean, it's probably I don't know, maybe less than 10 to 15 percent, I would guess. Um, that might even be high. Uh no, it's a huge get for for the program. I guess they it's weird, right? It's a huge get. No, he was like, you know, but um yeah, you know, with with the way this offense is sh is was kind of starting to shape towards, you know, you you you had good shooters already signed for for this class. Paul McNeil just bumps that up like even more, right? And and now you're going to be a very offensive-minded team, bringing in an offensive-minded guru coach from Georgia. Uh this team's gonna be fun to watch from a scoring perspective. Um, it's gonna be insane. The the question becomes how good defensively do they do they do they become, right? And there's that's where Justin Gini's calling card is. So if he can reach them to the to that potential, it's gonna be insane. But you get huge, huge get for McNeil um after what, a month, almost a month-long saga, right? Because like the the portal's been, I guess, basically open. Or it's been about a month since the portal opened.

SPEAKER_00 53:04

Yeah. And real quick, too, before we build off this two, we have more breaking news here. As uh Preacher Man just put in the comments that he got his schedule mixed up and actually will not be able to make uh the Saturday game. We have a second answer. Yeah, Roger, Roger Barber. So so Roger, I I don't know if you're in our Discord, but if you're not DM either myself or Greg, and uh we'll make sure to get you set up with the tickets and uh the tailgate details. So congratulations, Roger, and appreciate you uh Preacher Man being on the show.

SPEAKER_03 53:35

Preacher man, we'll get you something later on. We'll we'll get you hooked up.

SPEAKER_00 53:37

Yeah, we'll get you we'll get you set up later on. Yeah, no, you're you're you're a big supporter of us, and we appreciate you.

SPEAKER_03 53:41

I'll get you uh I got a ball cap I got for him from the tailgate hungry like the pack hat. So I'll get him, I'll get him one of those.

SPEAKER_00 53:47

There we go. See, uh hey, hey, for everybody who's tuning in, you know, for sure. Hey, that that's hey, if you come back for sure. We we know you, we love you, and uh and we'll make sure it's uh we take care of everybody. We'll take care of everybody. We take care of we take care of anybody. But yeah, oh look, Roger even coming in through Twitter. He actually went off and got on Twitter. So appreciate that. Yeah um anyway, so yeah, jumping back in. Yeah, so I mean, I think at this point, the the screaming, I think, story of this really is I mean, really, first of all, the the legend that is now Paul McNeil and the fact that I mean again, it it's just like you're talking about somebody that that has stayed now through three head coaches, um, but also to again like a guy that with his I mean because I mean LSU was offering no shocker here, a good chunk more than NC State was willing to offer. Uh and but yet he turned that down just to come back to NC State. And yes, there's there, you know, you could say there's reasons for that, uh, but uh, you know, uh again, just three different head coaches turning down less money to come back to NC State. It just you know, like in my opinion, like you think about the most beloved NC State athletes of all time. I mean, Michael, do you feel like Paul McNeil has now put his name on the list? He could be up there.

SPEAKER_02 55:15

I mean I mean I mean, it him and like even when you look at football, CJ Bailey. I mean, that's guys who have decided had other options at bigger programs, uh offering more money and are now gonna be three year uh players at NC State, which that's rare. I mean, it's it's it definitely puts him up there, especially when you consider the transfer portal era we're in. Um yeah, I uh it like you said, there's a lot of layers of it to get into. Um you know, I think it's you mentioned it for Gainey. I think it's big for him as a recruiter at NC State because yeah, I mean, we know LSU was for sure offering more money. Um probably some other programs uh he talked to as well were offering more. Um I mean, he's gonna get uh well compensated from state, but we definitely were not his highest bidder. So yeah, you know, it that's a it's a big recruiting win from a gainy perspective on on building that relationship. Uh and you know, getting getting McNeil to come back.

SPEAKER_00 56:29

Yeah, no, absolutely. Uh Greg, I I know you're muted right now. Uh are are you able to add in here?

SPEAKER_03 56:36

No, I was um yeah, I was just trying to see like how many points he actually ended up with last year. And I, you know, I don't think he's one of those guys that's get gonna get to a thousand points, you know, and kind of the that major owner, but I could be wrong. I just couldn't find it fast enough. But just the fact that, you know, by all accounts, it sounds like he took again, these are estimates. Like we don't have any official numbers, but you know, if you go by rumored numbers that have been kind of verified on to multiple levels here, it sounds like he took about a $2 million, $2 million less to come to NC State or stay at NC State, depending on how you want to view that um that piece of it. But uh, you know, and again, those are just rumored numbers. Who knows what they actually are? But, you know, I it it I would be shocked if he didn't take less money to come back to state. I I think I feel confident in saying that. Um don't know what that value looks like. But and so I think I think at the end of the day, the the just the familiarity with staying in in in North Carolina. He's from North Carolina. Um, you know, he has ease and access to get back to see family when when you know there's breaks and all of that. That's not something easy to do at Baton Rouge. But again, if you're getting multi-millions of dollars, I think you can afford a flight back. But um it's much easier to be able to get in a car and drive a couple hours to wherever you're from and visit friends and family or or do that just to kind of get away and get some mental time. Uh so I think that I think there's some some value there to what state was able to offer, you know, in the quote unquote intangibles, not necessarily financially, but some of those things. And I think that does at the end of the day, I think that does play key. And uh and it wasn't like he and Gainey didn't have a relationship. Gainey recruited him out of high school. So there wasn't, you know, you know, they didn't have to quote unquote get familiar with one another. I think there was some familiarity already there. Um and I think he also knows like what more development he would have gotten if he'd stayed with Wade and and LSU, right? And so like maybe he feels like his ceiling is bigger here at state. Um, because the knock kind of has been against McNeil is if he has a deficiency, it's defensively, and that's again what we just mentioned earlier. That's Ganey's calling card.

SPEAKER_02 58:52

Um he would have had to play three other positions at LSU at the same time because they only have one other player on the roster. So that probably that would have been tough.

SPEAKER_00 59:00

Hey, listen, we we we we could we could do a whole we could do a whole segment uh uh just crapping on Will Wade right now for sure.

SPEAKER_03 59:07

Well, let's actually let's let's let's pull that thread just for one second. Like, how massive do you think that is for the fan base as well, right? Because that so we'll we won't like not obviously we'll talk about the team aspect here, but the fan base, right? Because again, you got Paul McNeil back. That you know, you look at social media, you do any of that stuff. It's been you know, bring Paul back or whatever that you know hashtag was. Um in that like we wanted him so bad. And again, I don't get in the in the other team's spheres, right? I don't know how bad like LSU was clamoring for Paul McNeil, but yeah, there was definitely a a love fest from the fan base. So that's I want your guys' thought on that. And then just that head-to-head battle from Gainey to to Wade. Um like how much does that affect the fan base? That basically Gainey went toe-to-toe with Will Wade, who's supposed to be this amazing recruiter, but I think at the end of the day, I think he's just amazing because he had dollars. I don't think it's relationships, I think he's full of crap. But um like how much of a win is that for the fan base as well?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:10

I I mean, real real real quick, Michael, just because I have a I have a big I really want to get in on this, is is like I think it it it unfortunately I think it's honestly a huge negative talking point against Will Wade. Like it's a huge testament against Will Wade.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:28

Especially if they had a lot of money, right? Right, no, exactly you couldn't even outbid him or outbid him.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:33

Like, like, like, like if his if Paul's experience with Will Wade from a personal and developmental perspective was average, was okay, was decent, like, plus I also get two million dollars more, plus I also get to go to you know a very diehard LSU fan base, and it's it's gonna be a crazy environment for sure. Like it's I'm gonna have all kinds of opportunities and be beloved and whatever, have opportunities, you know. I'm gonna be on TV, like like he could have it all at LSU. So if if if his experience with Will Wade was average, it would have been an easy absolutely no doubt about it. But yeah, the fact that not only did he like take forever to consider it, but he actually ended up even eventually saying no to it. I I think that says a lot about his thoughts on Will Wade, like and and and and and and how again it's it's a national scream, like you can't argue otherwise, say, well, no, I think he had a great experience. Well, okay, if he did have a great experience, then why would he say no? There's really no other reason otherwise, you know, for the most part. Yeah, oh okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:40

I was gonna say Mike here pulls up a good point. The last last thing he's saying the fact that none of our players, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:48

Yeah, the fact that somebody's saying the fact that none of our players had that entered the portal have gone to LSU says a lot about how those guys feel about Wade. Go ahead, Michael.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:56

Yeah, yeah, I think you nailed it. I mean, like he McDeal had his best year ever. I mean, it's two years, but you know, he he had a huge year under Wade. That was a big job. It was a big job offering offering him more money, and you know, didn't didn't go. Like that's that's yeah, you said it says a lot without saying a lot. I mean, and I think the fact that he only has one player sign, like I don't think there's some secret uh portal class he's just hiding right now. I mean that that was a rumor, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:02:27

Because apparently the rumor was they were waiting for McNeil to to commit, and then basically you ever play Jin Rummy where you put your whole hand out at once to be I think he's playing Jin Rummy, but he has no cards.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:40

No, that's just yeah, that's crazy. That doesn't happen. Like it that stuff gets out of with all the reporters and insiders now. Like there's no way that was ever gonna happen. Right. Yeah, yeah, I don't know. Yeah, but uh yeah, it's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:59

It's I I think again, it's a big win for the fan base and a big win for Justin Ganey, right? I just think I think it's you know, I I think it's one of those moves that I'm not gonna say won't go unnoticed, but it's gonna be like, you know, the the the before and after photo, right, where you see what this roster would have looked like and then what it actually looks like. And and again, if you get these guys to play defense, I I think it's gonna be a scary team. And I think you could I mean, okay, let's let's do this. I know we're not quite filled out as a roster, but are you more impressed with this roster that Ganey's brought in so far than what Will Wade had? I know the names are gonna be different, the names are much bigger, the names are hard to compare from Wade.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:40

Um I I think I think I think honestly, like like this this roster doesn't have as much flash as last season's roster did. With last season, you had Jerry Dang, a six foot nine dude that can shoot three 35%. Like, whoa, that's at FSU, whoa, that's a big get. You know, you get Qwedir Copeland, whoa, that's a guy S Day fans know all too well, a guy that played at Syracuse, like whoa. Uh, you know, you get obviously Darion Williams, Mr. You know, all big 12, you know, like whoa, that is a huge get. Like, you know, just people losing their minds. Oh my god, Darien Williams, and oh my god, wow, you got the starting center for UNC. Whoa, you know, what did they get?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:22

It's so it's interesting, right? You've gone more the mid-rate, mid-major route to build this roster out than the power four route, right? Because pretty much everyone you had on the roster last year was P4. Um, right. With the minus of like Alan Breed. I think he's like one of the few um transfer portal guys that you brought in that didn't have P4 experience. Whereas this one, you only basically have two, again, if you're counting McNeil um with he and Adams. Um, am I missing anyone that also was P4 on this roster so far? I I you can't really say the kid from Washington State because they play in the past conference for basketball. Yeah. But I think that'd be right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, it's gonna be interesting to see.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:02

It's a definitely different approach.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:04

Um, yeah. I don't know. Well, I I I think it's it's very it's like listen, you know, I I think it's again, I I think I'm I'm I'm honestly in love with the roster so far because all of these guys, we talked about it last week, uh uh Michael and Greg, about how like all these guys are coming from programs and and and are coming in with you would you would think the intention of looking at NC State is like, wow, like I get to go play at NC State, I get to go play in the ACC, I get to go play in front of Wolfpack Nation. Like like they're like like you don't know it because you haven't really heard a lot from them, but you definitely feel like okay, if they're coming from Santa Clara, if they're coming from Boise State, you know, like okay, like they look at NC State as like a wow, this is amazing. And I get to come play at NC State. And on top of it, too, as well, though, these are guys that have proven uh effectiveness again. Hammond fight 15.6 points per game, 39 plus percent from three, uh Preston Edmead guys CAA rookie of the year tournament MVP 16.1 points per game. Like these are not scrubs. These are these are proven effective players with with ability. And on top of it too, as well, I honestly love even to the fact that these are offensive guys. Like everybody's saying, well, uh-oh, you don't have a lot of defense here. Well, but that's that's Ganey's MO. Like, okay, like I'd rather bring in guys that are offensive. So that way, you know, you're not you're not teaching a defensive guy offense from a coach that is, you know, a defensive guy. Like you bring them in with offensive tools already and you add the defensive tools, uh, you know, because Ganey can do that. So like I and I think I don't think too, like all these, like most of these guys probably didn't cost you an arm and a leg to get either. So, you know, I I still think you're not done yet here yet. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:49

I think one of the interesting things that you're now seeing in the NIL era too is you know, state historically has been very focused, you know, regionally and what the Nephasis and North Carolina building their rosters out. And before you brought Paul McNeil back in, you didn't have one kid from North Carolina on this roster. You you know, people from you know, Finland and California and and you know, um uh my mind's blanking me. It's getting a little late. But the point the New York, yeah, the point, the point being, like, yeah, like yeah, we've had some you know guys randomly, you know, from Florida like Corciani or Gooks from New York and you know Ernie Ernie Myers back in the day from from New York. But for the most part, you know, we we kind of build a a circle around the mid-Atlantic and and I mean we focus focus our recruiting in that area. But again, the NIL era is like, dude, if you've got a spot, you've got the the right dollar and the right coach, like you can pull pluck guys from pretty much anywhere around the country. Like Darion Williams last year was from California. Um you know, Lubin was from Orlando, Florida. Like you had guys from all over the place.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:52

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:53

Definitely less less important now. Yeah. So so Michael, I mean, you know, do you do you do you feel like at all? Like, you know, looking at this roster here, I I know Musa is still a kind of a question. I know there's rumors definitely going around of there of what he what does he do. Uh, you know, so let's assume Musa does come back here. Do you think you're about complete, or do you think you need another? I think you do.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:20

Bake a lot. As far as like getting low.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:22

Yeah, as far as like actual impact players. Yeah, he's probably the last piece. I mean, maybe you add another uh a backup point guard.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:32

Um I don't think you do.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:34

Yeah, I I I think if anything, maybe a high school guy, and then they brought in Adams who can kind of play correctly that can play the one in a pinch. Like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:46

Again, when you use the word impactful, that means dollars, right? And I feel like this this roster, you know, again, we don't know exact numbers, but these guys haven't been cheap, right? Most starters are going to cost you anywhere from one to one point five million dollars at a minimum. Um and again, what did you when did you end up paying for forty? Is it two or three? You know, yeah. And again, it's it's only sounds like a like okay, it's only a million, but when you're when your budget's ten to eleven million dollars, that's a tenth of your budget, that million dollars, right? And depending on if you're trying to get backups, you could probably get two backups for a million. But if you're getting a starter, again, like I said, so most starters nowadays are going to run you at least a million dollars.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:26

Yeah. Yeah, well, and I mean, because looking at the roster right now, I think the only question I really have is in terms of size, the size pieces down low. Now, I mean, if you bring back Moose, uh, you got Moose, you got uh Kyle Evans, six foot ten. Uh, you know, so do you feel like that's enough? Or you would you like, you know, would you ideally want another piece? I mean, like Yalaho, you know, who uh we talked about here in the in the comments here, technically still has not signed yet. Uh things are looking positive there, but you know, I don't know. Like, you know, what what what do you what do you think, Michael? You think you think that's enough?

SPEAKER_02 1:10:00

Yeah. From a size perspective? I think if you get, yeah, I think if you get Musa back, I think you're probably set there. Again, for rotational guys who will actually play this court. Maybe add another guy into the bench who's, you know, also 6'10, but you know, how good is it gonna be? How much is it gonna really affect the game, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:22

Yeah, I mean, ideally, you would like another backup center. I I just don't know if the money is there and or like I mean, we brought a few guys in for visits, but those doesn't seem to have materialized. Um and like I don't know, I will say this like Evans only averaged like two fouls a game last year. Um, but again, that was in a different league. Will that translate to the ACC? Uh, you know, if you can stay out of foul trouble, you really don't necessarily need another guy. Um But yeah, like like Michael said, like maybe maybe like a Scotty Bu Bay, where if you need to get some fouls, you know, that eat up five minutes, they give someone a break, and he can get you four fouls in five minutes. And again, that's not a knock on Scotty, like he played his ass off. Um but you just need somebody to kind of just bang around for a little bit to give your guy a rest or you know get him keep him out of foul trouble. Yeah. Like you can get you know five hundred thousand dollars, $150,000, whatever it is, in two bags of basketballs. Like just yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:29

Yeah, no, absolutely. So, you know, I I think uh right now you're feeling really, really excited, uh, especially, you know, and we didn't even talk about him too, because obviously Paul McNeil kind of ruined the this guy's uh uh you know time, I guess is the word to his spotlight, but uh Darius Adams, too, as well. I mean, again, a former McDonald's all-American, uh player, yep, player in the country. Uh you know, a guy that I think, you know, across the board, everybody says, you know, just had a rough season last year at Maryland. But again, I mean, I think he is a guy that I don't think it was a rough season. Like well, just well, in terms of from an expectations perspective, with what he was expected to do. Okay, that's cool. That that point. That point.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:09

And and they and the team wasn't very good either.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:12

No, they put a lot on him. Like, yeah, I think he can come into this situation and is not expected to to be a key cog, and then he can play more naturally and and you know, um, just play play smoother and play easier. And I think that's you know, give him a chance to build some confidence and then let them let them blossom. I think that's uh you know, and sometimes these resets are a good thing too for these athletes. It's just you know, change of scenery and new coaching philosophy. And you know, just sometimes when you gel with your coach or don't gel with your coach, that that greatly affects your play. You know, if you always have to look over your shoulder at the guy on the bench that's gonna come relieve you, like you sometimes force things and and you know, you just kind of snowball.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:55

Yeah. Uh preacher man asking, is able going pro? That's another interesting comment.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:00

Sounds like he's in the draft.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:04

He's definitely a drawing type. Got invited to the combine. Well, and and listen, uh, you know, my my my dad taught me at a young age, never judge a man based off his words, you know, judge him more based off his actions. And at the end of the day, uh he deleted all the UNC stuff from his Instagram profile. I mean, I don't think you do that just, you know, oh, it's just bring cleaning. I'm just gonna delete the UNC stuff from my Instagram page, you know. Uh I don't know. Just you know, so you actually speak louder than words, right?

SPEAKER_03 1:13:33

Yeah, you've seen some prognosticators in the draft, NBA draft analysts saying that he could be probably a you know a second round draft pick, mid mid-second round draft pick. Um, you know, I look sometimes these guys just don't want to play in college, right? They want to go and play ball, they don't want to go to a class. No, I don't know how much these guys really go to class these days anyway, but right um, you know, you can just go focus on ball, you know, all day, all night. Um, I think the pay's better in in the college, but again, do you want to deal with all of that?

SPEAKER_00 1:14:05

Correct. No, I mean I can tell you right now, if you if if if you're not getting if you're getting drafted in the second round, you're not making three million dollars next year. Uh, you know, period. So, but you know, again, just he making three million at Carolina.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:18

We like we don't know. Like, I don't think he's making three million at Carolina.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:22

Yeah, I think that was the rumor.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:24

Yeah, that's about three million. Again, none of these numbers are confirmed, but uh, no, so wait, okay, so wait, okay, so if it's three million, okay, let's play this game for a minute. If it's three million and Paul McNeil's three million, whose three million do you want?

SPEAKER_00 1:14:39

Paul McNeil, all day. And and that, and that's not just because Paul McNeil ended up here. I would have said that. I think we even even because because again, even before all this went down, even before the season went over, it was it was all not even speculation. It was a pretty much understanding that you're not gonna keep Paul and Abel. You're gonna keep one or the other.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:59

Well, it wasn't even a matter of fact of keeping both of them. It the like it was obvious that that Matt Abel was not gonna be here next year on his own his own accord. Like, I don't think it was even an option. Like, one, you weren't gonna afford both either. Like, if they're both getting three million, you weren't gonna pay six million for two guys. I didn't see like that wasn't gonna happen. But by all the rumors and kind of like the way, like if you follow IPS and listen to them, like Matt Abel's dad was a little vocal on some of their YouTube videos that they had posted. Um, I don't think the the the the snake used them properly. Um didn't develop them. I mean, hell Wade came out and said that it's not his job to get guys to the NBA. Like those are his exact words, which is like like I get it. I get it. But if you coach them up to win at your level, you're you're making them better to get to the NBA. Like that's like I think they I think they go hand in hand at the end of the at the end of the day. Um but anyway, uh I I'm shocked that he's not going to Carolina. Like it does sound like he's gonna stay in the NBA draft. Like it just seems like it. But I'm okay with that because he did an interview yesterday to have an NC State t-shirt on. So he'll be one of ours if he goes into the draft.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:18

There we go. Well, and and and it's it's interesting too, again. Hey, you know, again, we we we've already done a little bit of a segment here on the snake, and but it's also interesting too, as well, in that there's a potential of Malone losing able, and he also lost that center commit, too, as well. That's center from FAU as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:36

FAU, one of the one of the FAs or one of the Fs.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:39

And then on on top of it too, uh V Sar officially announces going in the NBA draft too, as well.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:44

So again, it's uh he's going in the wrong direction for players.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:47

They're there.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:48

Did you guys see the the the uh the field of 68 did a who was the biggest loser in the transfer report? Have you guys seen did you see that tweet? I saw a thumbnail. Haven't listened to it. Yeah, and then Mark Pope in the middle for Kentucky uh was the was the third person. Yeah, I definitely will be enjoying listening to that pod at some point in the next day or two.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:10

Yeah, because man, because I mean, yeah, Pope is gonna get absolutely uh so by all he's got scorched.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:17

Yeah, by all accord, state has gotten three guys out of the top 100, depending on who's whose top 100 board you believe in portals and all that, but it at least like they got at least three. Um pretty good, I would say. Like, like you know, there there was a lot more, you know, state toughies on on some of these than some of these other teams. Um you I think you I think you like where we're at, and I think you like his first haul. And then you know, the proof will be in the pudding here in about eight months when they get you know, when they get towards the middle of the start of the season, because four months from now is is December, and we'll be in the thick of it and getting an ACT play going.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:59

That's right. Speaking of being in the thick of it, though, it is time to jump on over some NC State baseball here. As finally, Greg, we are back once again having a live show, celebrating and bringing some excitement that uh that definitely is deservedly so for NC State's baseball. Man, what a week they had for sure. Uh, you know, obviously starting off with getting the sweep against ECU. Oh, yeah, sorry, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:23

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll let you finish up.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:25

The season, the season sweep first ECU, uh, which from a resume perspective, from a at large bid perspective, is huge for sure. I mean, I think from a I mean, obviously, ECU since then's making their resume even worse. I think in uh beat uh against Tulane or something like that over the weekend too as well. So they're probably not out of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:47

Um we flipped uh yeah, we flipped the RPI on them. We basically changed places on RPI. Um yeah, they're they're they're in desperation mode, but they were kind of like this last year and made a tournament run in the in the American and and ended up getting a bid. So it's not over for them by any stretch of the imagination. They they are a good ball club, but um, yeah, it kind of got jump started with that, and then kind of hit a little speed bump on Friday in the first game of the double header. Um got down early in that game, called our way back, and then just kind of gave it up in the eighth. Um, we had a little a little nemesis show up and uh was kind of the difference maker in game one. Alex Sosa came came came back to town and yeah, made us made his presence known in in game one, but we got him in uh in game two. Was it game two? Yeah, maybe game three. Which game three when Nance Pillag pitched.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:39

So which which I do want to ask which I do want to ask because Michael, did you did you watch game three at all?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:46

Yeah game.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:47

Yeah. Okay. Uh one thing which Greg I noticed very vividly for sure is that the first time Alex Sosa was a bat in game three, there wasn't really much noise around him whatsoever. But as his at-bats went when the game mattered the louder, the loud yeah, as the as the at-bats went, when the games matter, when the at-bats mattered more and more, the booze got louder and louder. Uh up, that left the bat was pretty rough. Yeah, no, it bases loaded, like man, he could have absolutely put a dagger in State fans' hearts, but nope, grounded out. But man, there was some loud booze for sure for him on that one here. Yeah. Uh so you know, which again, you know, it it's it's a lot of you know speculation there for sure. You know, from a okay, like, you know, what was the reason? You know, was it you know to pursue? Was it more of you know us moving on? Like, you know, it's a lot of speculation there for sure. But still, it's still it's over, exactly. It is what it is, and hey, you know, I I think it's you know, it's it's it's a I think it's a natural reaction for most fans saying, well, hey, you were for us, and now you're at a conference, you know, opponent, you know. So, but I thought it was uh definitely it was it was a huge highlight point for sure in the fact you like Sosa, it literally set up so perfectly where you could have absolutely ripped to shreds NC State fans' hearts right then and there, bases loaded down by one. And then they kept and then they kept showing him sad afterwards.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:18

Yeah, that was a little much. That was a little much. Look, I I got no ill will to Alex. Alex was a good kid. Um, yeah, you know, his parents were at the tailgate on Saturday. I enjoyed seeing seeing them again, Pete and Christina, they're amazing folks. Um yeah, look, was I mad the kid hit a home run against us? Absolutely. Like, did I boo him or do any of that? No, I I don't like it's not that serious for me. Like I said, I still love the kid. I'll it's an unpopular opinion, I'm sure. But again, I get to get to know these families and get to know these kids on a different level, um, away from the away from the ballpark. And you know, they're they're humans and they're just trying to figure their life out. So you you'll never hear me bash these kids publicly. Um yeah, I mean it hurt my heart when he hit a home. And I'm like, damn it, really? Really? Yeah, I know. Um but yeah, you know, it was good. We got the last laugh. We got the series. Like again, I I when these when these guys have come back, I I want them to do well, but I want us to win. And you know, I I would have been extremely happy that he hit that three-run home run in the first game and we won. And you know, but hey, he that was the difference maker. I know that wasn't the that wasn't the game-winning uh hit or RBIs, but that was a difference maker in that game. We lost by three, and he hits a three-run home run. Um, but you know, enough about that. Like, let's talk about our boys because our boys showed up in a big way. You got you got big moments in that second game. Coop was amazing in game two, career high, nine strikeouts. Like he was everything we needed. And then the bullpen showed up right behind him with um Sam Harris, and uh I don't have my notes in front of me, so it was a long weekend, but you know, he was really good. The I mean the offense was even good all weekend. Like that wasn't that wasn't the problem. We lost game one. We put up nine runs, like nine runs should win you a ball game in the ACC. Um, you know, we did dig our hole, you know, but we fought back. And then uh game three, uh um, you know, Hemerick didn't go as long as you would like, but the boys picked him up. And again, that's what baseball is about. You know, if some guy's not having a day, you know, you you you you look to your teammate and see if they can get your back. And damn, did did did Anderson Nance get his embacker? Like career high, 16, 100. I don't know why I say 116 pitches because I get in trouble when I say 116. I think it was 110 or 113. I think it was one of those numbers. Um, what did he end up with? Seven innings pitched.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:52

So five, five, five and two-thirds, five and two-thirds innings pitched, gave up nine hits, but only gave but only gave up, but only gave up, but only gave up two earned runs. Uh only had one walk, but nine strikeouts. So a nine to one strikeout to walk ratio.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:07

Yeah, and a lot of those the hits and walks, they actually came in like the like the the ninth.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:13

Um yeah, you know, got in a little bit of a trouble.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:17

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, got pretty, you know, but fought through it, man. Like, you know, his like I honestly, I don't I don't know why I thought it was seven innings. It was a lot that Friday, I was uh if I can backtrack for a second. We were at the ballpark for like nine hours, like it was insane how much time we were there on Friday. Um, and then all the tailgate stuff that we did. Uh so I kind of the games became secondary for me. But yeah, Nance was just like lights out, and then like his his emotional reaction, like you could definitely just see like the weight of the world just explode out of his body when he got like a couple of times, right? Like one, the first time that I really saw a lot of emotion was when he got Alex DeSosa to roll over in the eighth, seven or eighth, I can't remember. And then in the ninth, um he he uh you know got like I said, got into a trouble. Defense didn't help us in a little bit of that. And you know, you're like, okay, this is like you know, oh, by the way, freaking Sherman Johnson and Luke Nixon on Saturday, amazing. Like they were just and look, and I'll say this too. Luke Nixon was on the cover of our of our of our menu this week. I'm not saying that had anything to do with it, but homie homie hits two home runs in massive fashion. And then you hit Big Sherm, Big Horn, Big Perm, hits a grand slam in the eighth. Yeah. That was a massive, I mean, especially when you get into trouble in the ninth. Like, like, I don't know if you let Nance go as long as you do. Well, I I can't say that. I would say if it were me the pitching coach, I don't know if I let Anderson Nance go as long as he does without that five run cushion. Like he got himself into a little trouble, worked himself out of it really well. But like the margin of error from five runs to one run is a lot different. And you know, when you get bases loaded only up one, I don't know. Like, but again, like who do you trust in the bullpen? Like, I think, like, I think Mikey Ragusa was warming up at one point, and and I would have been okay with him as as well as he's pitched over the last couple of weeks. But uh, no, that was uh that was a that was a gut check moment if there ever was one with the season kind of hanging in in limbo a little bit. Because now now you're on the right side of the RPI, if you ask me. What are your thoughts, Michael?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:28

Yeah, I think you needed to get more uh you needed to win at least one. You couldn't get swept. So you got that done on Friday and then gave yourself a chance to win the series, and they did. And that's that's huge. I think you're back pretty you're on the right side of the bubble now after that. And uh yeah, just I mean, just to kind of big picture with the season and where they're at uh with uh uh with losing uh uh your two starters.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:53

Uh you know uh yeah, they could have even easily folded like a cheap launch, and we had it.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:59

They just keep winning, and and I think a big part of that is something that uh state struggled with in recent years is the midweeks. Like they've been winning all those midweek games. Yeah, CW twice, ECU twice. Like there were the yeah, there were some years where it's like, yeah, they'd win on the weekends, but then lose a bad midweek game. Yeah, and other than the other than the offense.

SPEAKER_03 1:27:24

But you know, um this is just a team that struggled on the road in ACC play. Like even if you go get one of like like you got one in Wake, you got one in tech, you got swept in um Georgia Tech, right? Tech Virginia Tech that was, and then you you you only win one of three at Florida State. Like, if you could have won like one at Georgia Tech and then won the Virginia Tech series where you had a chance at that. Like Virginia Tech was the best opportunity to win a road series um up to this point. Um, the season looks a lot different if you have those two ACC. wins like as crazy as that sounds but those would have been huge huge wins um on your resume with series wins because here's the thing we just ended Miami's sixth game series winning streak like that's how you make the tournament like you go win weekend series and that's something that we've struggled now you you were talking big picture Michael I think you you you gotta go win Stanford you you can't lose two or three against Stanford yeah um that that really hurts your chances if you go get a sweep I think you're a lock uh for the tournament yeah because all you have is UNC left who's you know right top eight seed and you're not gonna get penal hides at that point for you. No and if you if you go sweep Stanford um I almost feel like you could almost get swept at Caroline or against Carolina not out of Caroline because it's at home. Not that I want that I'm not advocating for that in in no shape or form. But it doesn't hurt you like you're saying yeah you've built in that mark for error because but if but if you go take two of three from Stanford and two of three from Carolina um or again I'm getting I'm getting ahead of myself here I'm getting really ahead of myself but if you go sweep both of those you might jump from a three to a two in a regional yeah like that's that that's like like a a sweep against Carolina would be one of the most massive things that has happened at this ball club in a while. And it's just it's just a boost that it does emotionally as well heading into the ACCs. Again getting ahead of myself but I'm just painting pictures right like what we what we need to look at and what we need to kind of chase here. But I think again two of three against Stanford and one at one of three against Carolina I don't think there I don't think there's any questions.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:42

12 and 12 you get to 15 wins the ACC you're probably pretty sad at that point.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:49

Yeah because 15 15 makes you 15 and 15 in ACC play you're going like the ACC the ACC conference is probably number two in the country as far as conferences for baseball relativity um yeah like you're you're gonna get in especially you got a couple of wins against ECU whether or not they're a tournament team that's a that's another question that's not for us to discuss because I don't give a shit about them. And then you have a win against coastal which is which is a nice mid midweek I mean they're number eight nine in the country. Yeah which has looked better better as a year for them. So so that's what looks you know that's kind of what we're looking ahead of. I think I think um you know seeing Mikey Ryan walk around in a tennis shoe he's out of a boot now that's it that's encouraging. I don't know if he gets back this week um oh we haven't even talked about this week right other than Stanford they just canceled um North Carolina AT God that they did like ANT is number 290 in baseball RPI.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:49

Like that's an insane they didn't even like try and make it up that that that there was going to be rain they're just like yeah we're no mutually great to cancel yeah we're good we're gonna we're gonna send you some gas money and some Twinkies and a bag of baseballs there you go it it's and well and and just to iron out too as well uh so yeah right now Stanford is number 115 in the RPI uh yeah UNC is number six uh it is on the road but yeah you're gonna lose 115 that's tough can't lose that series but it's tough man you're going across country no there's not a from what I understand they're gonna leave Wednesday um we'll leave Wednesday morning and head out west uh to get get acclimated and um yeah so I think uh I think Friday night's game is at nine Eastern I think um game two is that five Eastern and game three I believe is at four eastern if uh if if I remember correctly okay it's not bad times yeah especially for for Wild West games for sure so yeah um yeah no so good deal there yeah no but also too as well y'all definitely got to give a shout out to uh real quick to the headball coach himself on passing a key milestone of 1100 career wins NC State which is the fourth AC coach do it uh 20th division one coach at a single school to reach that 1100 win mark here uh now obviously Greg it's it's uh you know it's we talked about this oh yeah I don't know where you're going with this well yeah no just like you know it it adds to as well I mean there's there's a reason why it's the Elliott Avon Clubhouse for sure um yeah there's a reason there's a reason why it's not a matter of if but when you know definitely a statue goes up uh you know with him for sure um you know here but you know again it it's uh you wish he had AC title to it that's the that's uh that that was the biggest comment you saw to it and it still can happen it still can happen for sure uh but it it is definitely wild for sure and you and you and you feel for sure the the unluckiness that he's had in an aspect too for sure the fact that he's had 1100 career wins at one school and has not had one conference title yet you know I I told you I was mad I missed I'm if they had won the first game on Friday when I threw the opening pitch up that would have been win eleven hundred and I was like that would have been kind of a cool thing to say I threw the opening pitch out but I can always say I threw the one out before so same day same day yeah same day yeah same day that's I I I like that twist um it's it's it's a it's a partial truth um yeah for anyone that doesn't know today's coach aven's birthday so happy birthday coach avenge happy birthday coach avenue everything's coming on the event yeah so anyway yeah yeah I had a really cool conversation with him like it was it was kind of a neat like just chat for a few minutes with him before the game um he had some very kind words and I definitely reciprocated and just you know thanking him for his 30 years of service and you know if there's ever coach that you know epitomize he said I'm kind of like the fan that epitomizes NC State and like you know like it was really cool for me to have the opportunity to throw out a first pitch and I kind of basically said the same thing back at him.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:08

I said coach while you're while you're saying this like like you are the epitome of coaches. Like you grew up an NC State guy. Like you know you talk about David Thompson and and all these like stories of Monte and like all of like the glory days of NC State sports in the 70s and 80s and um I said like like I'm sure you had opportunities. I I didn't say this to himself but I'm thinking to this myself now it's like I'm sure you had opportunities you know especially given you know the the the the the lack of facilities that this program has had over the decades and that that you're able to bring in the talent coach at coach up that talent that they overlook what's not there but they see the heart of a man and the heart of a coach that really cares and wants to win and um just says a lot about him as a man and as a his and his character and his coaching ability. So um yeah it was a really nice conversation to have for him well with him excuse me.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:03

Yeah yeah and Preacher Man here saying can the statue be of his spin uh actually what you should do is then okay I like this what you do is you you build a statue but then you put it on a rotating pedestal so it makes a little like a spin right you get the spin move well that's good guys I'm gonna have some jump off here yeah I'm I'm pretty much done my myself my friend so let's let's wrap this down yeah we'll wrap it up here but uh so with that being said Wolfpack Nation first of all so I want to thank everybody for tuning in here with us been a lot of fun I've loved seeing everybody in the chat uh congratulations to Roger on winning the giveaway uh really appreciate everybody who did enter uh but also to you as well if you haven't already make sure you give us a follow at TuffyTalknow on Twitter if you haven't hit that subscribe button and like button yet and light they're lighting up for you right now that means you need to hit them make sure you go and do that right here right now and uh as always y'all with that being said we'll see y'all soon let's take care of Stanford let's get this thing done and uh again let's just get excited for what's to come here so with that being said beat the trees beat the trees beat the trees and go go pack y'all we'll see y'all soon