CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael O'Connell’s critical role in last year's postseason run cemented his name into NC State history. Now, in his final season, the veteran point guard looks to leave a lasting impact on the program as one of the program’s faces this winter.
O'Connell showed tremendous growth for the Pack in 2023-24 as both a player and leader. Finding his voice in the locker room and on the court helped ignite State's ACC Championship and Final Four run. That spark showed on the court as “Tournament Mike” scored 3.8 more points per game and shot .131 better from 3-point range than the regular season edition.
With a year of experience emerging in that leadership role for the Pack, MOC is looking to build on those skills he learned with the Pack last season.
"Being a point guard, you have to be more vocal and try to be a leader on the floor," O'Connell said. "You're running plays and trying to help guys be in the right spot and talk through things on defense. You have to be a leader in a sense or be at least vocal. My voice has grown from when I first got here until this point. I try to continually be vocal, talk to guys, whether helping them out, whether understanding things or trying to be more comfortable with the team and the program."
The veteran point guard only started coming out of his shell during the Pack's late season surge, but the underlying voice was always there. O'Connell's former Stanford teammate (and now ACC foe) Maxime Raynaud got to know him well both on and off the court. As a member of the Cardinal, O'Connell's voice as a teammate and leader made a memorable impact on his teammates, Raynaud included.
"The way he carries himself," said Maxime Raynaud. "He manages to be, at the same time, one of the most competitive dudes I've been around and one of the funniest and the most teammate-oriented guy ever. That's something that I think is amazing. He will always have a good time. Doesn't matter who he's hanging out with from the team.
“He’d hold each one of us so accountable and put in so much intensity at practice."
Of course, that personality finally bubbled to the surface last year with the Wolfpack. In the midst of Pack's midseason struggles which contrasted with and ultimately set the stage for its Final Four run, O'Connell's voice emerged as a driving force on the team. Kevin Keatts famously did a double take when he first heard MOC's voice resonating in the locker room, showing just how impactful his leadership was and is for the red and white.
Looking ahead to the new season, O'Connell leadership brings even more value as one of the few returning players from last year's squad. He and Jayden Taylor -- the other Wolfpack player at this year's ACC Basketball Tipoff -- account for 57 percent of NC State's returning minutes and 77 percent of its returning starts. With eight new pieces coming into the fold, O'Connell leading presence creates crucial stability in maintaining the program culture which propelled that Final Four run in the first place.
Of course, last year's squad also featured a plethora of different faces coming together in Raleigh and that worked out pretty well. O'Connell now takes that experience as a key cog of the Pack's historic run and seeks to apply it to a new collection of talent. Though you can't simply replace DJ Burns, DJ Horne, Mo Diarra and company, the squad O'Connell finds himself leading has plenty of skill in its own right. If anything, the roster makeup mirrors last season's squad with no one star overshadowing the collective talent.
"It's hard to pinpoint one player at this point," O'Connell said. "We've had a lot of good guys come in. They're all proving themselves each day. Every guy is getting better.
"Dontrez Styles has been performing every day at a high level offensively and defensively, rebounding. All aspects of the game he is playing really well. Our big man, Brandon [Huntley-Hatfield] has been playing really well too. Our guards, Marcus [Hill], Trey [Parker]. It's hard to pinpoint one guy that's going to be super helpful throughout the season. Everyone is going to contribute at different levels and help us win some games."
With another slew of promising talent available, O'Connell and the Pack open the season Nov. 4 against USC Upstate. Tipoff from Lenovo Center is set for 7 p.m., with multiple banners being raised beforehand as the Pack looks to earn more next March.
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