The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1466831
8 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER T he new-look NC State basketball roster received three recent addi- tions via the transfer portal. Jack Clark, who was rated the No. 6 small forward prospect in the portal ac- cording to On3, was first to pledge. Clark opted to transfer after averaging 11.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in three seasons at La Salle. Clark red- shirted his second year and has two years of eligibility remaining if he wants to use the extra year granted by COVID-19. "NC State was one of the first schools that contacted me out of the portal, like a couple of days after I entered," Clark re- called. "I talked to my AAU guys about them, but I didn't know much about them. Then, I went down there, and it was a nice campus, nice area, nice arena. Everything was just nice compared to La Salle. "It was like a breath of fresh air going down there. They rolled out the red car- pet for me once I was down there." This past season, Clark, a 6-foot-8, 200-pounder from Cheltenham, Pa., contributed 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. He had three games with at least 20 points, including two of his last three contests. He scored a season-high 30 points to go with eight rebounds in a win over Duquesne. NC State also added guard Jarkel Joiner, a senior who previously attended Ole Miss. "I'm really excited to add Jarkel to our program," NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said. "I love the way he plays. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he's extremely quick with great athleti- cism. He's also an elite scorer and is a good defender, as well. "Off the court, he's going to make a difference in our locker room from the moment he gets here. He's a natural born leader, and people gravitate to him. He's got a great personality, and he's just an all-around good person. I can't wait to get him here in Raleigh." The Oxford, Miss., native returned home to play at Ole Miss for two seasons after beginning his career at Cal State Bakersfield. He was a first-team All- WAC selection as a sophomore, averag- ing 15.6 points a contest, before leaving for the SEC. Joiner was the Rebels' leading scorer last year, averaging 13.2 points per game, and he is considered a strong defender in the backcourt. He averaged 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game along with 2.3 assists. His season-high came when he scored 33 points at home against Alabama, an NCAA Tournament team. Joiner also had 20 points in a win over Memphis, an- other squad that played in the Big Dance. On3 rated Joiner (6-1, 180 pounds) the No. 9 shooting guard available in the portal. He will have one year of eligibility at NC State. Adding size to the roster will be Utah senior forward Dusan Mahorcic. The 6-10, 225-pound Mahorcic is well-traveled. A native of Serbia, he started his ca- reer at an NAIA school (Lewis Univer- sity) before moving on to a junior college (Moberly Area). That led to a scholarship at Illinois State, a school at the mid-ma- jor level of Division I college basketball. There, Mahorcic averaged 9.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shoot- ing 59.1 percent from the field against a schedule made up entirely of Missouri Valley Conference opponents. Mahorcic entered the transfer portal T R A C K I N G THE PACK NC State Basketball Adds Three Transfers To Roster Dusan Mahorcic, a 6-foot-10 forward who hails from Serbia, transferred to the Wolfpack after averaging 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 13 games for Utah last season. PHOTO COURTESY UTAH ATHLETICS