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NC State Basketball

Tyler Lewis to Transfer from NC State

Published

10 years ago

on

NC State media relations release:

Tyler Lewis, a sophomore guard, has decided to transfer. The 5-11 Lewis started 18 games for NC State this season, including the last 14 contests of the season. “I wish Tyler the best,” NC State head coach Mark Gottfried said. Lewis stated: “I’d like to thank NC State, my teammates and coaches, and the Wolfpack Nation for the past two years. While I will be finishing my career at another school, I will always be grateful for the opportunity I had at NC State.”

 

Our Take
I spoke to many people off the record about transfers this offseason and how we thought that State had a good chance of losing a point guard. From conversations we had with those around the program, it was obvious that the Lewis camp wasn’t all that happy about the way Tyler was handled early in the season. Whether you agree with that or not, the truth is that both Lewis and Barber came to NC State as McDonald’s All-Americans and both wanted to be the leading man on this team. Can you blame them?

Now, before you start saying that this is selfish or that players just can’t handle competition anymore, I want you to realize that this is a very unusual situation and we don’t think Tyler is even close to that type of player. Lewis was really supposed to be the ‘guy’ this year and then Gottfried went out and got Barber. Now, you can’t blame Gott. The guy just saw a super-talented PG and went and got him. The problem was that now you have a guy who is supposed to be the leader on your team, fighting for a starting role and major minutes.  That instability at your lead guard position isn’t as great as it is at other positions.  Tyler didn’t want to play the rest of his career having to look over his shoulder every time he made a bad pass. Gottfried obviously wasn’t going to commit to either Barber or Lewis and with both only a year apart that means that somebody is spending the majority of their career in college as a backup. Neither one of these guys think that they are a backup, so therein lies your problem.

I honestly do believe that this transfer will help Tyler’s future. As we’ve stated, if he wants to play at the next level he needs to change his body. With his height and lack of lighting quickness, he needs to by physically imposing and able to move people if he wants a shot at the next level. This year off will give him time to do that. We wish Tyler the best and will really miss watching him play for the Pack.

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NC State Basketball

The Roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball Team is all but Set Heading into 2024-25

Published

1 day ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

NC State does have 1 scholarship available, and could still add a player out of the Transfer Portal. With that being said, the roster for the Men’s Basketball team is pretty much set for the 2024-25 season.

Non-graduates had to enter the Transfer Portal by April 30th, and Graduates had to enter by May 1st. Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell both made public announcements that they were returning, but the closure of entrance to the Portal means that Breon Pass, Ben Middlebrooks, Dennis Parker Jr. and MJ Rice are all set to return next season.

In a world where the Transfer Portal has all but become free agency in College Basketball, with some players switching schools on an annual basis, it’s encouraging that Kevin Keatts not only recruited a Top-10 Transfer Class, but also recruited a majority of the eligible players to stay. Three players that could transfer entered the Portal (I’m not counting Mohamed Diarra in these numbers, who opted to go pro), while 6 opted to continue running with the Wolfpack.

As a result, below is a breakdown of the roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball team heading into 2024-25, realizing the Wolfpack could still add one player (this team is deep).

1 year of Eligibility 

Guard Michael O’Connell
Guard Marcus Hill
Guard Breon Pass
Guard/Forward Jayden Taylor
Forward/Guard Dontrez Styles
Forward Ben Middlebrooks
Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

2 Years of Eligibility

Guard/Forward MJ Rice
Guard Mike James
Guard Jordan Snell (Walk-On)
Guard KJ Keatts (Walk-On)

3 Years of Eligibility 

Guard/Forward Dennis Parker Jr.

4 Years of Eligibility 

Guard Paul McNeil
Guard Trey Parker

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Men’s Basketball 2024 Transfer Class Ranks in the Top-10 Nationally

Published

2 days ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

NC State’s Men’s Basketball team has picked up 4 players from the Transfer Portal this offseason, and the class ranks 10th nationally according to ON3, and 15th nationally according to 247Sports.

ON3

247Sports

NC State’s 2024 4-Man Transfer Class

Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville)

Guard/Forward Dontez Styles (Georgetown)

Guard Mike James (Louisville)

Guard Marcus Hill (Bowling Green)

NC State still has a chance to move up in the rankings. East Carolina Power Forward Ezra Ausar just wrapped up an Official Visit to NC State, and things are looking good for the Wolfpack. ON3 ranks Ausar as the #67 overall player in the Portal, and the #15 Power Forward.

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

Published

2 days ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

Andy Katz is beginning to make his rounds for his Offseason Convo series, and he took the time to meet with NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts.

In their conversation, Keatts talked about what this run has meant to Raleigh and the Wolfpack fans, how it has helped sell the program the way it deserves to be in recruiting, and even how it helped and hurt in the world of the Transfer Portal.

Check out the conversation below:

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NC State Basketball

Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State

Published

3 days ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

Guard Michael O’Connell announced today that he will be playing his final year of eligibility at NC State next season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael O’Connell (@michaeloc_12)

Today was the final day graduate players could enter the Portal.

This past season, O’Connell averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wolfpack, starting 22 of the 41 games he played in.

O’Connell took over as NC State’s starting Point Guard on January 30th in a win against Miami.

He only scored in double figures in 9 of his 41 games this season, but 6 of those came in postseason play (5 in the ACC Tournament). O’Connell took things to another level in the ACC Tournament, playing aggressive on the offensive end, looking for his shot, and attacking the rim.

NC State played it’s best basketball of the season when O’Connell was running the show. He ranked 3rd in the ACC in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.5).

Heading into next season, with a lineup filled with new faces, having the calming presence of a veteran leader like O’Connell is reassuring.

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