The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1502339
TRACKING THE PACK JULY/AUGUST 2023 ■ 13 Home is where the howl is. Join today at go.ncsu.edu/AAMembership #HowlBack NC State's Men's Hoops Roster Finalized It took till the middle of June, but NC State men's basketball appears to have completed its roster for next season. Among the players who were late additions are Missouri forward Mohamed Diarra, Stanford guard Michael O'Connell and North Carolina A&T guard Kam Woods. However, Woods will need a waiver to play next season. O'Connell started the bulk of the past three seasons for Stanford, averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 assists per game. He ended his Cardinal career ranked 15th in program history in assists. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound O'Connell committed to NC State on May 14 after also visiting Wichita State. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining should he choose to use the extra year provided by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Woods (6-2, 185 pounds) started his career at Troy, averaging 10.3 points per game as a rookie. After a stint in junior college, he contributed 17.3 points per contest last season for North Carolina A&T and was named second-team All-Colonial Ath - letic Association. Like O'Connell, Woods has two seasons of eligibil- ity remaining. However, he may have to redshirt this coming season if he does not pick up a waiver from the NCAA. Woods committed in June after a spot opened on the roster following signee Trey Parker's decision to reclassify to the 2024 class. Parker is a native of Fayetteville, N.C., who was playing in a semipro league based in Atlanta called Overtime Elite. He has chosen to play another year for OTE while maintaining his commitment to the Wolfpack. Adding depth in the post is Diarra. The 6-10, 215-pound Mizzou transfer averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 25 games, including six starts, for a Tigers squad that won 25 games and reached the sec - ond round of the NCAA Tournament. During SEC play, Diarra's production increased to 4.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. Prior to signing with Missouri, Diarra was named the top junior college prospect in the country by at least one recruiting service after averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 boards as a sophomore at Garden City (Kan.) Community College. Diarra helps replace the loss of 7-foot-1 Isaiah Mi- randa, who entered the transfer portal without ever playing for the Pack. Miranda arrived in December but redshirted. In May, Miranda transferred to Okla- homa State. — Matt Carter 2023-24 NC State Roster Name Year* Ht. Wt. Hometown 2022-23 Stats D.J. Burns Jr. R-Sr. 6-9 275 Rock Hill, S.C. 34 games, 12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg Mohamed Diarra Sr. 6-10 215 Montreuil, France 25 games, 3.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg (at Missouri) 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) Casey Morsell Sr. 6-3 200 Ft. Washington, Md. 34 starts, 11.8 ppg Michael O'Connell Fr. 6-2 195 Mineola, N.Y. 28 starts, 5.2 ppg, 3.1 apg (at Stanford) Dennis Parker Jr. Fr. 6-7 175 Richmond, Va. 20.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg (at John Marshall HS) 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 Kam Woods Jr. 6-2 185 Bessemer, Ala. 30 starts, 17.3 ppg, 3.3 apg (at NC A&T)