The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1497827
MAY/JUNE 2023 ■ 41 with his left hand for an explosive dunk over the Bluejays' big man. 2. Jarkel Joiner vs. North Caro- lina in PNC Arena: Joiner's exclama- tion point on his 29-performance in the win over UNC in Raleigh came when he received an alley-oop from Smith and brought it down with two hands, giving the Pack a 73-63 advantage with 1:55 left, much to the delight of the partisan home crowd. 3. Ernest Ross vs. Virginia Tech in the ACC Tournament: The final points of the Wolfpack's 20-point, 97- 77 win came courtesy of the high-flying sophomore forward. While sophomore guard Breon Pass was attempting a jumper, Ross went to the basket from his position in the cor- ner, going around his Hokies defender along the baseline in the process. When Pass' shot hit off the rim and bounced toward Ross, the 6-foot-9 for- ward grabbed the board with both hands and then threw it down authoritatively with one hand. ■ NC State Reloading For 2023-24 Season The NC State men's basketball roster was nearing completion as of April 20 and will look dramatically different in 2023-24. The Pack has brought in four transfer portal additions this spring to complement a pair of fall prep signees, bringing the total number of newcomers to six. Three players have left the team via the portal, while sopho- more guard Terquavion Smith has opted to turn pro. All-ACC guard Jarkel Joiner and forward Dusan Mahorcic have exhausted their eligibility, but Mahorcic is ex- pected to apply for an added year, given that his last two seasons were cut short by injuries. The perimeter is where most of the add-ons have been in the spring. Butler sophomore guard Jayden Taylor, Arizona State grad transfer DJ Horne and Kansas freshman wing/forward MJ Rice all committed to join NC State. Taylor led the Bulldogs in scoring at 12.9 points per game last season. Horne, a native of Cary, helped the Sun Devils reach the NCAA Tournament by averaging 12.5 points and 2.4 assists per game. Rice was a McDonald's All-American and the No. 29 prospect in the 2022 class in the On3 Industry Ranking. As a freshman at Kansas, Rice, a native of Henderson, N.C., averaged 2.2 points in 7.5 minutes through 23 games. Also expected to return in the backcourt is Casey Morsell, using his extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Morsell had a breakout campaign last year, averaging 11.8 points per contest and shooting 41.1 percent on threes, making 78 of 190 attempts. Rising sophomore LJ Thomas, who played 30 games and averaged 2.4 points and 9.5 minutes, and rising ju - nior Breon Pass (1.5 points in 30 games) are also still at NC State. The Pack signed guard Trey Parker, a Fayetteville, N.C., native playing at Overtime Elite in Atlanta, which is a semi-pro league for high schoolers that allows participants to maintain collegiate eligibility. In 19 games, the high-flying Parker averaged 12.1 points, 2.8 boards, 2.3 steals and 2.2 assists. The On3 Industry Ranking for Parker has him rated No. 78 nationally in the 2023 class. Three players in the NC State frontcourt have transferred, including two to ACC rivals. Fifth-year senior for- ward Jack Clark, primarily a starter when healthy, is using his bonus year at Clemson, while junior reserve center Ebenezer Dowuona is headed to Georgia Tech. Redshirt junior forward Greg Gantt is leaving as a grad transfer to UNC Asheville. The good news for NC State is that fifth-year senior and honorable mention All-ACC performer DJ Burns Jr. is expected to use his extra season. Burns averaged 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22.9 minutes and shot 56.1 percent from the field. The Pack looks likely to return sophomore forward Ernest Ross, who played all 34 games and averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 boards while finishing second on the team with 27 blocked shots. NC State added Clemson sophomore center/forward Ben Middlebrooks. Listed at 6-10, 242 pounds on the Clemson roster, Middlebrooks was one of just three Tigers to play in all 34 games last year, making seven starts in the process. He averaged 11.3 minutes, 3.1 points and 2.7 boards per game while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. The X-factor in the post is the status of Mahorcic, who averaged 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds in 10 games be - fore dislocating the patella in his knee. Seven-footer Isaiah Miranda redshirted after enrolling midyear. After reclassifying into the 2022 class, he was rated at No. 40 nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking. Dennis Parker Jr. from John Marshall High in Richmond, Va., signed with NC State in November. In 25 games as a high school senior, he averaged 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. The On3 Industry Ranking has Parker rated No. 99 nationally in the 2023 class. — Matt Carter Tentative 2023-24 NC State Roster Name Year* Ht. Wt. Hometown 2022-23 stats DJ Burns Jr. R-Sr. 6-9 275 Rock Hill, S.C. 34 games, 12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg DJ Horne Sr. 6-1 175 Cary, N.C. 34 starts, 12.5 ppg (at Arizona State) Ben Middlebrooks Jr. 6-10 242 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 34 games, 3.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg (at Clemson) Isaiah Miranda R-Fr. 7-1 205 Pawtucket, R.I. — Casey Morsell Sr. 6-3 200 Ft. Washington, Md. 34 starts, 11.8 ppg Dennis Parker Jr. Fr. 6-7 175 Richmond, Va. — Trey Parker Fr. 6-1 165 Fayetteville, N.C. — Breon Pass Jr. 6-0 175 Reidsville, N.C. 30 games, 1.5 ppg MJ Rice So. 6-5 215 Henderson, N.C. 23 games, 2.2 ppg (at Kansas) Ernest Ross Jr. 6-9 195 Alachua, Fla. 34 games, 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg Jayden Taylor Jr. 6-4 195 Indianapolis 32 games, 12.9 ppg (at Butler) LJ Thomas So. 6-2 205 Plant City, Fla. 30 games, 2.0 ppg Just one year after going 11-21, coach Kevin Keatts guided the Wolfpack to a 23-11 finish and the team's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP