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
Looking at our remaining 11 games, there are generally (based on both NET & KP rankings – but not trying to even guess the quad rationale) 7 opportunities for quality wins, and 4 opportunities for ugly losses.
If we go 4-3 in the former, and win all of the latter, that has us at 23-8 / 13-7, Keatts best ACC regular season, and before the post season, one win away from his highest win total at State. That would be one heck of a turnaround, and if we get into the NCAAT, should assure him his job for another season.
Alright, back to business.
Let’s put all of the UNC crap behind us and play like we are capable.
Really liking how Ernest has stepped up his game. I think Greg is still getting used to playing again, he needs to get minutes. And keep giving Breon and LJ as many minutes as you can, both so they will grow, and our three headed guard monster will be fresh and ready for the final push in every game.
I’ll take a 2 pt win and a healthy T. Maybe Ebe is back to full strength and can help. Will Ross hit another 3?