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What does Blake Harris’ eligibility mean for the NC State backcourt?

Published

6 years ago

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Last night, NC State was notified by the NCAA that transfer PG Blake Harris would be eligible to play immediately.

This comes just one year removed from having to fight the NCAA to consider Braxton Beverly eligible for simply attending a few summer school classes, and two years removed from the NCAA not giving Terry Henderson an extra year due to medical hardship after breaking his foot in the very first game of the season. So you can see why everyone was so surprised when the NCAA made this ruling.

Harris transferred from Missouri midway through last season, so it was believed that he would be eligible after the holiday break.

Harris’ argument to play immediately was partly due to the fact that he had an ill family member and he wanted to be closer to home. While it seems obvious for the NCAA to be lenient in this case, in the past we’ve seen them deny waivers on the same grounds.

With this news, the news of the new draft rules and the death of the RPI, it seems as if the NCAA is trying to right some of their wrongs and change the notion that they’re old, self-serving and out of touch.

So, how does this change the NC State backcourt rotation?

Markell is the starter at PG, there are no questions there. And until yesterday, it was believed Braxton Beverly would once again be his backup. However, the news of Harris’ immediate eligibility may change things up just a bit.

It’s likely that Keatts won’t really know his exact depth chart until a few games into the season. But the initial thought is that it will give him some room to tinker with Beverly seeing more time at the 2 (where he’s a lot more dangerous.)

Beverly is a unique player. What he lacks in height and ACC-level quickness, he makes up for in leadership and long-range shooting. However, he’s not without flaws.

As a freshman, Beverly hurt the Pack defensively when he was matched up with bigger, faster and stronger guards.  When the dust settled, he was second to last in most defensive categories (ahead of only Sam Hunt). This is where having Harris in the mix will be huge.

Keatts has Markell, Harris, Beverly, Devon Daniels, CJ Bryce and grad transfer Eric Lockett. That’s six quality players hoping to fill 2 or 3 positions. Obviously a good problem to have.

If you want our opinion, we think you’ll see Markell, Daniels, and Bryce in the starting 5, We believe the flow of each game will dictate how Keatts handles his rotation.

Get into a shooting funk and need more scoring? In goes Beverly.

Need to absolutely lock down on defense? You could see Markell, Harris and Bryce all at once.

Heck, if NC State starts struggling on the boards, you may end up seeing only two of these 6 in the game, with Dorn moving to the 3, Funderburk at the 4 and grad transfer Wyatt Walker at the 5.

Harris brings elite quickness, the ability to defend at a high level and good size to the PG position. At the same time he’s not a great shooter and there are times when he is a little impatient in wanting to get to the rim. This is the type of player that should actually compliment Beverly perfectly.

Braxton is known to be patient, heady and has a great stroke (especially in big situations). So, on paper, Keatts has a combination for nearly every situation that could arise.

The point to take away here is that Harris’ addition from the get-go makes NC State even more dangerous. We saw what Keatts could do with a depleted roster. Now we’ll get to see what he can do with one that is busting at the seams.

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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

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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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

4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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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

4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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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

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5 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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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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