NC State Basketball
NC State Guard LJ Thomas Enters the Transfer Portal
NC State is the first team currently in the NCAA Tournament to have a player enter the Transfer Portal. In a move that isn’t a shock, Sophomore LJ Thomas has entered the Portal. The move isn’t a shock, because he hasn’t been on the sideline with the team recently.
NC State sophomore point guard L.J. Thomas has entered the transfer portal. He averaged 2.6 points per game in 12 appearances this season before he departed the team.https://t.co/UavUI3LnS4
— NCAA Transfer Portal (@RivalsPortal) March 18, 2024
ESPN ranked Thomas as a 4-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class, while Rivals, ON3 and 247Sports all gave him 3 stars. Originally from Florida, Thomas finished his High School career playing for Bull City Prep in Durham, right down the road.
Thomas managed to carve out a more significant role as a Freshman last season, than he was able to do this year.
Obviously, NC State will be active in the Transfer Portal once again, but here’s a look at which Guards are currently coming back next season.
Jayden Taylor (1 year of eligibility)
Kam Woods (1 year of eligibility)
Breon Pass (1 year of eligibility)
Dennis Parker Jr. (3 years of eligibility)
Michael O’Connell (1 year of eligibility)
(I’m not expecting MJ Rice to return either, but we will see.)
NC State Basketball
Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State
ECU Transfer Power Forward Ezra Ausar (6’9″/240) was on an Official Visit to NC State yesterday, and according to analysts at ON3 and 247Sports, things are trending in the right direction for the Wolfpack.
Jamie Shaw of ON3 submitted a prediction for Ausar to eventually commit to NC State yesterday morning.
Cory Smith of 247Sports submitted a crystal ball projection for Ausar to run with the Wolfpack this morning.
Ausar just wrapped up his Sophomore season in Greenville, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field. As a Freshman, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds.
Ausar is a consensus 4-Star prospect in the Transfer Portal, and ON3 ranks him as the #60 overall player in the Portal and the #10 Power Forward.
Originally from Atlanta, Ausar played his Senior Season of High School at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. ON3 ranked Ausar as a 4-Star prospect coming out of high school, the #94 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.
Ausar has visited Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, met over Zoom with Georgetown, and had an in-home visit with Utah. John Calipari and his staff at Arkansas have been in touch with Ausar, as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and St. John’s. (Link)
Ausar has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and NC State currently has 1 scholarship remaining.
NC State Basketball
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MJ Rice was going to be the bright spot for years to come. What happened to him and his request for a medical redshirt for this year. What kind of shape is Parker in now after a week off. We still need his body instead of using Pass.
I wonder how bad things had to be between Thomas and Keatts for the player to walk away from the team midseason? Oh well, his loss. No doubt several of his teammates are going to transfer in the offseason. But at least they got to participate in an ACC Championship.