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Jon Rothstein of CBS recently tweeted out his Top 5 players that have the potential to make a big jump this upcoming season.

Lets take a look at each player and highlight why they could be primed for a breakout season.

Bonzie Colson PF 6-5 235 lbs. Notre Dame:

At a glance it would seem that Colson is extremely undersized for a power forward in the ACC, but Colson has a 6’11” wingspan that allows him to play much bigger than his 6’5″ frame. Not only does he play with great energy and heart; Bonzie also has a great feel for the game. His coaches rave about his intangibles and his passing ability. Look for Bonzie to thrive in the uptempo system that Coach Brey runs. With the absence of Pat Connaughton there will be more opportunities for Colson.

Ja’Quan Newton G 6-2 185 lbs. Miami: 

Newton is a former ESPN Top 100 recruit hailing from the class of 2014.  In his freshman season with the Canes he saw action in 34 games and started 3. His season high of 16 points came against Notre Dame.  In that game he shot 66% and showed he could get into the lane using his outstanding quickness. Not only is Newton quick, but he proved in Cameron Indoor Stadium that he can elevate and finish in traffic this past season. Versus the Blue Devils he blew by Quinn Cook and then proceeded to dunk on Rasheed Sulaimon. Newton will have plenty of opportunity as the Hurricanes will need to replace Lacomte and Burnett.

Marial Shayok SG 6-5 207 lbs. UVA: 

Shayok was a prized addition for Coach Bennett as he was the only freshman to see action in all 34 games for the Cavs. The reason many feel that Shayok will breakout this season is because he is similar to Justin Anderson, in the way that he is a big bodied athletic wing that is multi-skilled. At first glance it is obvious that Shayok is an excellent defender given his physcial abilities, but he also has a decent touch on the offensive end. In his freshman campaign he proved to be capable of knocking down the three ball and posted a clip of 38% from distance. Bennett will definitely look to Shayok to replace Justin Anderson who left to pursue his professional career.

Malik Abu PF 6-8 240 lbs NCSU: 

Coach Gottfried has already challenged Malik to become a more effective scorer this coming season. There is not a player on this list that has a greater potential to breakout this season than Abu! He has all of the physical tools a coach can dream of and he has the mental makeup to take full advantage. There are many adjectives that can be used to describe Malik, but more often than not it is his personality and selfless demeanor that makes the headlines. NC State will need points this season after leading scorer Trevor Lacey left to play overseas, and his running mate Ralston Turner graduated.

If State is going to contend for a top-6 finish this season they will need Abu to answer Coach Gottfried’s call to be a more effective scorer from the block. Last season there were plenty of flashes that enticed Pack fans and at times it looked like Abu was on the cusp of something great. The real challenge this season will be the fact that it will be expected of him to be more consistent and other teams will be aware. The main thing for Abu is to be aggressive, but still allow the game to come to him. Cat Barber and Abu could make for a lethal combo in the pick and roll. Only time will tell if Abu is capable of reaching his full potential.

Chinanu Onuaku PF 6-10 230 lbs. Louisville: 

Standing at an imposing 6’10” Onuaku uses his length to defend and block shots. Last season he averaged over a block a game despite only averaging 17 minutes per contest. With the departure of Harrell, Coach Pitino will turn to Onuaku to fill his void. Even though his strength is on the defensive end, Onuaku showed that he can finish well around the basket. In his freshman season he shot a sensational 62% from the field. Another positive for Onuaku is that he just recently helped the 19U USA team win gold in Greece at the FIBA World Championship. Look for this experience to springboard Onuaku heading into the fall.

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

 

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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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ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

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ECU Transfer Power Forward Ezra Ausar (6’9″/240) was on an Official Visit to NC State yesterday, and according to analysts at ON3 and 247Sports, things are trending in the right direction for the Wolfpack.

Jamie Shaw of ON3 submitted a prediction for Ausar to eventually commit to NC State yesterday morning.

Cory Smith of 247Sports submitted a crystal ball projection for Ausar to run with the Wolfpack this morning.

Ausar just wrapped up his Sophomore season in Greenville, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field. As a Freshman, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Ausar is a consensus 4-Star prospect in the Transfer Portal, and ON3 ranks him as the #60 overall player in the Portal and the #10 Power Forward.

Originally from Atlanta, Ausar played his Senior Season of High School at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. ON3 ranked Ausar as a 4-Star prospect coming out of high school, the #94 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Ausar has visited Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, met over Zoom with Georgetown, and had an in-home visit with Utah. John Calipari and his staff at Arkansas have been in touch with Ausar, as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and St. John’s. (Link)

At this point, it’s good news that Ausar has no visits scheduled after the visit to NC State.

Ausar has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and NC State currently has 1 scholarship remaining.

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