The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1481002
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2022 ■ 33 pounds) averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent from the field in 20.6 minutes per game last season. Keatts raved about Burns' passing and efficiency and noted that he is working hard to get in better shape. "He certainly is effective," Keatts said. "One of the things I've learned over the last month or so is that he's a very underrated passer, too. He's a will- ing passer." "He can't jump, but he's really skilled," Mahorcic jokingly added. "He'll put the ball in the basket, no doubt." Mahorcic, who described himself as a high-energy big, averaged 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game while seeing action in 13 contests for Utah last season. The 6-10, 226-pounder contributed 9.9 points and 7.2 rebounds in 24.4 minutes a game at Illinois State the prior year. NC State also returns junior Ebenezer Dowuona in the paint. Dowuona started 27 of 31 games he played and averaged 4.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while leading the team with 54 blocked shots. The revelation from a preseason two- game exhibition trip to the Bahamas was La Salle transfer Jack Clark, a versatile 6-8, 200-pound forward who had a pair of double-doubles in those scrimmages. That included knocking down 6 3-point- ers while totaling 26 points and 11 re- bounds in a win over the Puerto Rican National Team. "It helped me to make my mark on the team a little bit and earn my respect from a lot of players on the team, especially being a transfer," Clark said. "Putting up the numbers, it kind of caught the eye of not only my teammates but my coaches, too." Last year, Clark contributed 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest at La Salle. He scored at least 20 points in three games, including two of his last three. In a victory over Duquesne, Clark scored a season-high 30 points to go with 8 re- bounds. "I like him as a Torin Dorn-type guy, but he's a little better shooter," Keatts said, referring to the former Pack forward who averaged 12.4 points per game. "To- rin Dorn was really special for us my first year. He could drive it, and he could shoot it. He could guard multiple positions. "We see Jack in that way." Two forwards returning from injuries are sophomore Ernest Ross and redshirt junior Greg Gantt. Ross was averaging 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 14 games before breaking his ankle. Gantt missed all season with a sports hernia after transferring from Providence, where he averaged 4.0 points and 3.1 rebounds as a sophomore. "Both guys are doing well," Keatts said. "I wouldn't tell you that they are in great shape right now, but both have been in practice full-time and are doing a good job." ■ NC State Men's Basketball Roster No. Name Ht., Wt. Pos. Year Hometown 0 Terquavion Smith 6-4, 165 G So. Greenville, N.C. Smith's scoring average of 16.3 points per game was technically the second highest by a freshman in school history behind Brandon Costner's 16.8 in 2007. (Dennis Smith Jr.'s record of 18.1 in 2017 was removed from the record books by an NCAA ruling on his eligibility.) 1 Jarkel Joiner 6-1, 180 G R-Sr. Oxford, Miss. Started 41 games for Ole Miss during the past two seasons and averaged 12.5 points per game in that time period. 4 LJ Thomas 6-2, 200 G Fr. Plant City, Fla. Averaged 18.5 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent overall from the field in 2020-21 at Bull City Prep, but he did not play (vol- untarily) this past season. 5 Jack Clark 6-8, 200 G R-Sr. Cheltenham, Pa. La Salle transfer has excited coaches in preseason and technically has two seasons of eligibility remaining. 10 Breon Pass 6-0, 175 G So. Reidsville, N.C. Could be the top reserve in the backcourt after playing 25 games last season. 11 Dusan Mahorcic 6-10, 225 F Sr. Belgrade, Serbia Expected to be one of the top players in the post rotation for NC State after transferring in from Utah. 12 Chase Graham 6-1, 180 G Sr. Raleigh Walk-on beginning his fourth season with the program. 13 KJ Keatts 5-10, 155 G Fr. Cary, N.C. Walk-on is the son of head coach Kevin Keatts. 14 Casey Morsell 6-3, 200 G Sr. Ft. Washington, Md. Prior to an ankle sprain against Nebraska, Morsell was averaging 12.3 points through the first eight games of last season. 20 Alex Nunnally 6-2, 180 G So. Cary, N.C. Walk-on is beginning his second season with the program. 21 Ebenezer Dowuona 6-11, 225 F Jr. Accra, Ghana Pressed into action last season due to injuries, had 18 games where he blocked multiple shots. Was fourth in the ACC in blocked shots per game at 1.74. 22 Jordan Snell 6-2, 155 G Fr. Cary, N.C. Walk-on is the son of NC State Director of Basketball Operations Steve Snell. 23 Greg Gantt 6-8, 215 F R-Jr. Fayetteville, N.C. Former Providence transfer who missed last season with an injury was a top-60 recruit in the 2019 class. 24 Ernest Ross 6-9, 190 F So. Alachua, Fla. Athletic forward was seeing an increased role, averaging 3.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.8 minutes over his last five games, including four in the ACC, prior to breaking his ankle. 30 DJ Burns Jr. 6-9, 275 F R-Sr. Rock Hill, S.C. In four games against Power Five teams last season at Winthrop, Burns averaged 16 points and shot 60 percent from the field.