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Our Take: UNCP Game Player Breakdown (Part 2)

Published

11 years ago

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Here is part 2 of our player breakdown from the UNCP exhibition game:

Jordan Vandenberg: After a great showing in the red/white scrimmage, Vandy was back at it again early in this one. He was running the floor, throwing down dunks and altering shots. That was short lived however as he went down with a high ankle sprain only 5 minutes into the game. According to early reports, Big V will miss 4 to 6 weeks of action to start the season. This is very bad news for the Pack who is already pretty thin on their frontline. This can still be a breakout year for the senior form down under, but he needs to make sure he gets back on the floor as soon as he can. For his sake and for the Pack’s sake.

Kyle Washington: I thought Washington was pretty good for his first action as a college player. He was very active and very aggressive, especially on the defensive end. With Vandy out, Kyle is going to have to become a real force in the lane and one of the team’s most trusted rebounders. Judging by his effort in this one, it’s entirely possible he can do that. His final like was 8 points (on 4-6 shooting) and 4 rebounds in 18 minutes. Pretty impressive if you ask me.

Lennard Freeman: Freeman was kind of the forgotten freshman in this class, but judging by his performance in the red/white scrimmage and his line in this one, i think it’s safe to say that he’s going to play a role on this team. With a thin front line and the team in need of some quality rebounding, Freeman might just carve out a little niche for himself. He was very active in his 24 minutes on the floor, and while he is still very raw on offense, he was very physical on defense and was hungry as he went after rebounds. Lennard finished with 3 points (1-1 from the field), but added 5 boards which was good for 2nd on the team.

Beejay Anya: It’s going to be a while before we see Anya logging major minutes. He still is pretty far off in terms of conditioning. He played only 5 minutes in this one, which is a shame because with a very thin frontcourt, State could use a big body in the paint. Beejay simply doesn’t look ready. When he came in early in the game he made a quick turnover and look a little frazzled out there, however thats expected out of a freshman in his first game. The real problem was his conditioning. He just wasn’t able to give constant effort and it showed as guys half his size were grabbing rebounds from right over top of him. We’ll have to keep waiting as Anya keeps working to get into game shape.

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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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1 day 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

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2 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

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2 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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3 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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