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NC State lands 6’8 forward from Providence, Greg Gantt Jr. via the transfer portal (w/ highlights)

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3 years ago

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This offseason is insane.

There are tons of players entering the transfer portal and coaches’ heads are spinning trying to keep up.

Kevin Keatts was on a Zoom call with Jaden Gardner last night, we posted that this morning, and a few hours later. Boom. A commitment. Only it wasn’t from Gardner, it was from Greg Gantt Jr, another big man in the portal.

Here is him announcing it via Instagram…

Gantt Jr. is an interesting player, to say the least. The kid is 6’8, 220lbs from Fayetteville, NC. he was a 4-star prospect a couple of years ago, however, he never really got the opportunity at Providence and now he’s heading to NC State.

Gantt isn’t a post player, he’s more an oversized SF or a stretch 4. He’s a face-up guy with a nice jumper and someone who can extend the defense. In fact, this skillset is exactly what we outlined as the perfect match for this team when we ran our piece on the transfer portal last week.

Take a look at his highschool highlights…

What’s interesting is that Gantt Jr. only averaged 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists last season in 21 minutes per game. He was known as a pretty good shooter in high school, but at Providence he never got it going. He shot 30% as a freshman and 22% this season from beyond the arc.

Gantt actually added some more muscle between his freshman and sophomore season, and he’s an intriguing prospect. He definitely fits within Keatts system and Keatts seems to see something in him that could help unlock his potential.

I wouldn’t look at the stats and jump to a conclusion here. State had a lot of options at the PF position and was able to sell a lot of minutes to whoever was coming in. The fact that he chose Gantt tells you something, and doubting Keatts eye for undiscovered talent would be a mistake. He’s the guy who got commits from Josh Hall (when he was a 3 star) and Jalen Lecque (when he was a 4 star), both skipped college and went straight to the pros. He also scooped up Shakeel Moore last year while no one was paying attention and got both Breon Pass and Terquavion Smith while they were 3 stars and hadn’t exploded yet.

Watching this kid’s highlights, you see that there is raw talent there. Keatts seems to think he can help Gantt get to the next level. Based on his track record, we’re going to believe him.

Welcome aboard, Greg!

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Dof87
Dof87
3 years ago

Looks interesting. He’s a sophomore so I guess he sits a year.

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Topsportsman916
Topsportsman916
3 years ago
Reply to  Dof87

Don’t think any transfers have to sit out next year.

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Afterglow
Afterglow
3 years ago
Reply to  Topsportsman916

I was wondering the same. Is that really the case?

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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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2 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

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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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3 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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