The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519757
BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN Now that NC State's season is over after a thrilling run to the Final Four, it's time to examine the roster moving forward. Here's a breakdown of everyone currently slated to be a part of the team next season, ranked in tiers based on their role. Note: All college class years reflect players' standing for next season. CORE PLAYERS • Graduate guard Michael O'Connell • Senior forward Brandon Huntley- Hatfield • Senior guard/forward Dontrez Styles • Redshirt junior guard/forward Mike James • Senior guard Marcus Hill O'Connell was one of the breakout stars of NC State's nine-game postsea- son winning streak. The Stanford transfer averaged 5.7 points, 3.2 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game for the season. His biggest impact came when he unlocked his scoring abil- ity in the Pack's ACC and NCAA Tourna- ment appearances. A native of Mineola, N.Y., O'Connell reached double figures in only three games during the regular season, but he had six such efforts in the two tournaments. That included five consecutive double-digit scoring per- formances in the ACC tourney. Styles, meanwhile, was a key portal acquisition. With Casey Morsell gradu- ating, NC State has a clear need for a big- ger guard at the wing. Styles, a 6-foot-6, 212-pounder, filled that role for George- town last season, averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. His skill set fits what NC State needed from the portal, allowing the Wolfpack to play big with Styles at the three alongside a pair of post players. James and Hill came aboard in late April. A Louisville transfer, James has 64 games of starting experience at the ACC level. He averaged 12.6 points and 5.0 re- bounds per game this past season, while Hill averaged 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists at Bowling Green. In the frontcourt, likely sliding into the center spot, is Huntley-Hatfield. An- other former Louisville player, the 6-10, 246-pound forward committed to the Wolfpack during the team's run to the Final Four and should be an impactful addition after averaging 12.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for the Cardinals this season. Huntley-Hatfield had been expected to team up with Mohamed Diarra in the Pack's frontcourt, but on April 24, Diarra announced that he was entering the NBA Draft. He had appeared in 40 games with 22 starts this season. For the year, Diarra av- eraged 6.3 points with 7.8 rebounds, and he was on another level in the postseason. The 6-10 forward averaged 9 points and 11.2 rebounds even as he fasted during Ramadan. ROLE PLAYERS • Senior forward Ben Middlebrooks • Senior guard Jayden Taylor • Sophomore guard Dennis Parker Jr. • Senior guard Breon Pass • Junior guard/forward MJ Rice Middlebrooks and Taylor both made their presence felt during their first sea- son at NC State after arriving via the transfer portal. Middlebrooks, formerly of Clemson, averaged 5.7 points with 4.4 rebounds per game for the Wolfpack as the sixth man down the stretch. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native played in all 41 games with three starts. His biggest impact was on the defensive end, where he was able to hold his own with any forward in the country. Middlebrooks played the best defense of anyone who went up against Purdue's Zach Edey in the Final Four, and he will likely re- turn in that role off the bench next season. Taylor played in all 41 games and made 29 starts. He was part of the team's start- ing five for much of the regular season but began coming off the bench when coach Kevin Keatts shuffled the lineup. The Butler transfer averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Parker did not play in the team's final 11 games. He was out with an illness for 10 of them but did dress for the Final Four loss to Purdue. A former four-star recruit, he made 29 appearances with 12 starts in his freshman season, averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds. Pass played sparingly but did contrib- ute in the NCAA Tournament, finishing with 4 points and a steal in nine minutes off the bench versus the Boilermakers. Rice could be an impact player if he is with the team next season. He appeared in nine games during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds be- fore electing to redshirt for personal rea- sons. INCOMING FRESHMEN • Guard/forward Paul McNeil • Guard Trey Parker McNeil is On3's No. 49 overall recruit nationally and No. 15 small forward. He has the opportunity to compete for a starting role in his debut season. In Janu- ary, he set the all-time North Carolina High School Athletic Association sin- gle-game scoring record with a 71-point performance for Rockingham Richmond High. He was a McDonald's All-American Game nominee. Parker is the No. 135 recruit in the class of 2024 after playing with Atlanta Over- time Elite this past season. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game with the OTE Cold Hearts. OPEN SCHOLARSHIPS: 1 As of April 25, three members of NC State's 2023-24 team had entered the transfer portal: junior guard LJ Thomas, senior forward Ernest Ross and senior guard Kam Woods. Their exits, coupled with the arrival of four transfers and two freshmen, left NC State with 12 schol- arship players on its projected 2024-25 roster. Point guard Michael O'Connell shined for NC State during the postseason. He scored in double figures in six of the Pack's 10 tournament games. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Transfers Fortify A Strong Contingent Of Returnees For 2024-25 Season MAY/JUNE 2024 ■ 29