‘He brings it every day.’ How well-traveled center Dusan Mahorcic can help NC State win

Chip Alexander
·4 min read

Dusan Mahorcic was winding down in the N.C. State locker room Tuesday, lowering his personal RPMs after a revved up and productive game for the Wolfpack.

In 22 minutes against William & Mary, the 6-10 center had 12 points and nine rebounds, plus three assists and a blocked shot. The Pack won 85-64 at PNC Arena, pushing its record to 7-1.

Mahorcic sat back on a stool in front of his locker, his bearded face and dark eyes still showing some of the intensity of his play.

Asked how he would describe his basketball style, Mahorcic said, “Really tough.”

That’s it?

“I take that (center) position really personally,” he told the N&O. “It’s a position where you show dominance. You basically guard your own house, you know. I would say tough and I play good defense all the time and just try to win the game.”

Brought in by Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts to provide some size and, yes, toughness in the post, Mahorcic seems more than willing to give it to him and help the Pack win games.

“I knew I was getting an energy guy,” Keatts said Tuesday. “He’s a hard-headed guy. He brings it every day. He’s the type of guy you cheer for. He’s going to get on the floor, he’s going to block a shot, he’s going to jump up and down. He’s tailor-made for what our program is about.”

He’s a well-traveled player. Since leaving his native Serbia in 2015, Mahorcic has played at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles, Ohio; then in college at Lewis College, Moberly Area Community College, Illinois State and Utah before coming to NCSU.

And it could have been Clemson instead of Utah. Could have, but wasn’t.

“I kind of didn’t have luck with academics in the beginning,” he said. “I wasn’t able to go to a high major school right away because my grades were really bad. I came to America with no English. I could not write or speak. So I had to progress up every year to be able to play at this level.”

His eventual connection to the Wolfpack began at Illinois State, which faced Indiana State in the Missouri Valley Conference. Kareem Richardson was an Indiana State assistant coach before moving to Clemson before last season.

Richardson hoped to get Mahorcic to Clemson. Once joining Keatts’ staff this year, he did get him to N.C. State.

“I was going to Clemson but didn’t get into school,” Mahorcic said. “Once I transferred from Utah it wasn’t really hard to make a decision.”

Mahorcic missed eight games for the Utes last season with an early knee injury. He then played 13 games before being suspended for what Utah coach Craig Smith said was a violation of team rules, and left the program in February.

Mahorcic became another part of the Keatts basketball restoration project after the Pack’s 11-21 finish last season. Also joining the program from the NCAA transfer portal were guard Joiner, forward Jack Clark and center D.J. Burns, Jr., giving N.C. State a more formidable look.

Mahorcic, who weighs in at 235 pounds, and Burns, about 40 pounds heavier, quickly began banging in the post at the Dail Practice Center. Mahorcic said they were two strong competitors going at it, not giving an inch, and the two will share time in the middle this season, with 6-9 Ernest Ross also to contribute.

Mahorcic, a graduate student, started the first seven games of the season before Burns was the starting center Tuesday against William & Mary. He’s averaging 22 minutes a game, getting 9.5 points and 7.3 rebounds a game.

Nearly all of his 49 shots have come close to the basket. Not a single 3-point shot. The man knows his range.

Will those numbers translate into ACC play? Time will tell.

“Every day we’re learning more about ourselves,” Mahorcic said. “It’s a team of veterans and we all know how to play. It’s a matter of coming together and it’s coming together so far.”

NC State vs Pitt basketball

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Where: PNC Arena, Raleigh.

TV: ACC Network.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • George over pre-season wobble ahead of European Rowing Championships in Szeged

    Tom George believes a pre-season wobble is firmly behind him as he prepares for the European Rowing Championships in Szeged.

  • Biden administration is announcing plans for up to 12 lease sales for offshore wind energy

    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Biden administration is preparing to announce plans for a new five-year schedule to lease federal offshore tracts for wind energy production, with up to a dozen lease sales anticipated beginning this year and continuing through 2028. The plan was to be announced Wednesday in New Orleans by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Three of the anticipated sales would be for Gulf of Mexico tracts to be offered this year, in 2025 and in 2027. Central Atlantic area leases would be sold

  • US mandates new airline fee disclosure, refund rules

    The U.S. Transportation Department is finalizing on Tuesday new rules that require upfront disclosure of airline fees and mandate refunds for delayed baggage or inoperative services like onboard Wi-Fi. The rules, which were nearly three years in the works, will require airlines and ticket agents to tell consumers upfront about baggage or change and cancellation fees. The department said consumers are expected to save $543 million annually in excess airline fees.

  • How Volvo landed a cheap Chinese EV on U.S. shores in a trade war

    A made-in-China electric vehicle will hit U.S. dealers this summer offering power and efficiency similar to the Tesla Model Y, the world's best-selling EV, but for about $8,000 less. The EX30 from Volvo Cars, the Swedish luxury brand owned by China's Geely , foreshadows the fierce competitive threat U.S. automakers could face from Chinese EV manufacturers that have surged far ahead of global rivals, especially on affordability. The $35,000 window sticker of Volvo's compact SUV hits a sweet spot in the U.S. market, where most buyers cannot afford most EVs.

  • Sharon Horgan shares sadness after heartbreaking family loss

    Sharon Horgan has confirmed the loss of her beloved father, John, in a heartbreaking statement shared on Instagram.

  • Kansas must do more to prevent more tragedies like 2 women murdered in custody battle | Opinion

    Olathe’s Layne Project works to avoid family conflicts like the one that led to the deaths of Veronica Butler and Jillian Kelley. | Opinion

  • The strikes that could ruin your spring holiday – and how to claim compensation

    We are becoming all too familiar with strikes having an impact on our everyday lives – and upcoming industrial action could also throw your spring holiday plans into disarray.

  • Morning Bid: Tesla catches break, Meta next; TikTok countdown

    Ailing Tesla shares caught a rare 10% break overnight despite the electric auto giant's quarterly revenue miss, underscoring a better market mood as Meta steps up to the earnings dock later and U.S. business activity cools in April. Deep in a global price war and hit by waning worldwide demand for electric vehicles, Tesla said its quarterly revenue fell for the first time since 2020 and by more than Wall St analysts had forecast.

  • Car Thief Drives Off with Baby Inside Vehicle

    Memphis police were searching for a number of suspects in connection with the theft of a car and abduction of an infant after a vehicle was stolen with a baby inside, in Memphis, as seen in CCTV footage from Tuesday, April 23.The 1-year-old child was found uninjured in the back seat of the stolen vehicle around two miles away from the scene of the theft, police told local media outlet, Action News 5, adding that the baby was soon reunited with its mother.Footage released by the Memphis Police Department shows a black Chevrolet Camaro with dark tinted windows and black wheels, pulling into the parking lot of a gas station, and doubling back in front of an unattended silver Audi.A suspect can then be seen jumping out of the passenger side of the Camaro and sliding into the driver seat of the Audi, before quickly fleeing, following behind the Camaro.Police said the the victim of the theft, who had left the car running while he went inside the store, had been issued with with two misdemeanor citations, including for leaving a child unattended in a vehicle.Memphis Police Department appealed to the public for help identifying the fugitives. Credit: Memphis Police Department via Storyful

  • The Biden administration is tweaking rules on airline fees and refunds, saying it'll help consumers

    The Biden administration issued final rules Wednesday to clarify when airlines must pay refunds for a delayed flight and to better disclose fees for baggage or canceling a reservation. The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by definin

  • London travel news LIVE: Waterloo trains cancelled after person hit by train as bolting horses shut busy road

    Emergency services are responding to reports a person has been struck by a train between Kingston and Teddington. National Rail says the following services are affected: Waterloo to Teddington via Richmond; Waterloo to Strawberry Hill via Kingston, and Waterloo to Shepperton services. Meanwhile, there is significant congestion to traffic in central London, after multiple horses bolted through Aldwych.

  • Carli Lloyd turns diplomat, takes U.S. message to kids in Greece

    One of America's greatest soccer players is spending the week in Greece working with kids and reminding everyone that the most important moments in sports don't always end with a group of champagne-soaked winners holding up a trophy. Retired Olympian and World Cup star Carli Lloyd is joining one-time U.S. men's great Cobi Jones on the pitch and in communities in Greece as part of a program tailored by the U.S. Embassy in Athens, “Changing the Game: Sports for Inclusion.” One of its missions is t

  • Analysis-NYCB faces tough choices on CRE loans, balance sheet diversification

    New York Community Bancorp will have to lure buyers for its commercial real estate (CRE) loans with steep discounts and diversify its revenue as it races to shore up its finances. The bank's new management has promised to unveil a turnaround plan this month after losses on CRE loans, NYCB's core business, sparked a rout that wiped nearly $6 billion off its market value and sparked ratings downgrades. A $1 billion investment led by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's Liberty Strategic Capital has shored up the bank for the short-term, but it still needs to bolster its capital and shrink its exposure to the CRE sector, which has been hammered by higher interest rates.

  • In Missouri’s logging and lumber industry, we rely on treating the environment right | Opinion

    Arbor Day is a reminder that proper forest management has never been more important. | Opinion

  • US Supreme Court weighs Idaho's strict abortion ban in medical emergencies

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday wades back into the battle over abortion access in arguments pitting Idaho's strict Republican-backed abortion ban against a federal law that ensures that patients can receive emergency care. The justices are set to hear arguments in an appeal by Idaho officials after a lower court ruled that the 1986 U.S. law at issue, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), takes precedence over the state's near-total ban. President Joe Biden's administration has urged the justices to uphold that ruling.

  • Arsenal: Why Kai Havertz was happy to celebrate scoring against Chelsea

    From marquee signing to surplus to requirements, the German is finally proving his worth

  • ‘I’m 59 and do not have any money in retirement’: Dave Ramsey says this Floridian can still save her retirement

    The host isn't one to dole out false hope.

  • The corporate conversation around AI is changing: Morning Brief

    We're finally into the "show me" portion of the AI narrative, and Coca-Cola and Microsoft's new deal might be a glimpse of what the near-term future will be like for AI.

  • 35 Funny Tweets About Kids' Song Lyric Rewrites

    "My 8yo singing Howareyouyeah instead of Hallelujah is the rewrite we all needed."

  • Quintessentially Irish review – Pierce Brosnan weighs in on scattergun study of Irishness

    Brosnan to … Bolt? Frank Mannion’s follow-up documentary to Quintessentially British presents a grab bag of interviews – some with distinctly un-Irish personalities