The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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34 ■ THE WOLFPACKER they won't play. Those guys will have great opportunities to get on the floor." Playing for Richmond Senior, McNeil set the North Carolina high school sin- gle-game points record with 71 against Lee County last season, while Parker has been known for his unique athleti- cism and high-flying dunks on social media. In addition to NC State's newcomers, its returning guards will play key roles in the Wolfpack's search for its third consecutive NCAA Tournament ap- pearance. O'Connell is the bus driver after he averaged 13.2 points and 3.0 assists dur- ing NC State's ACC Tournament run, while Taylor is able to get hot from be- yond the three-point line with a lock- down-defense mindset. Sophomore Dennis Parker Jr. is a year older within the program, while senior Breon Pass, the only player on the roster to have stayed at NC State for all four collegiate seasons, is able to provide crucial min- utes as a reserve. Even though Pass only averaged 1.3 points in 5.3 minutes per game last sea- son, Keatts said he will have an oppor- tunity to be in the rotation on a more consistent basis this year. "I think we should appreciate a Breon Pass," Keatts said. "Very seldom will you see a guy start at a Power Five school and end up graduating there. They would transfer or go to the pros early. I'm excited about him. He'll be in the mix this year as an older guy." Frontcourt For the first time in two years, NC State will not have DJ Burns anchoring the post. Keatts found the 6-foot-9, 275-pound Burns from Winthrop in the transfer portal. "I don't think we understand the im- pact that he had on our program because he was unique," Keatts said. "I went out to try to find anybody I thought could be similar to DJ Burns. And guess what? I found no one." What he did find was a center who appears to be more than capable of handling himself in the ACC to replace Burns in the starting lineup. That player is 6-10, 240-pound senior Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, formerly of Louis- ville. Like Burns, Huntley-Hatfield can rebound at a high clip. But unlike the March folk hero, Huntley-Hatfield pos- sesses elite athleticism and can knock down three-pointers when needed — replacing what the Pack will miss from Mohamed Diarra, who turned pro after the Final Four. And even though Burns' absence will be noticeable this season, the Pack has confidence in its center duo, with Hunt- ley-Hatfield joining senior returnee Ben Middlebrooks. "I have two great, proven centers in our league," Keatts said. "Ben started at Clemson, and then had that run [in the postseason]. … He's going to be re- ally good. And Brandon is from Louis- ville, and though they didn't win a lot NC State Men's Basketball Roster No. Name Ht., Wt. Pos. Year Hometown 0 Mike James 6-5, 200 G R-Jr. Orlando, Fla. Started all 32 games as a redshirt sophomore at Louisville last season, averaging 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. 1 Brandon Huntley-Hatfield 6-10, 240 F Sr. Clarksville, Tenn. Earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition while playing for Louisville last season, averaging 12.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, with the latter figure ranking fifth in the conference. 2 Paul McNeil 6-5, 180 G Fr. Rockingham, N.C. Was the No. 53 overall player nationally in the 2024 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking, after setting a career scoring record at Richmond Senior High with 2,448 points. 3 Dontrez Styles 6-6, 210 G/F Sr. Kinston, N.C. Transferred from Georgetown, where he started all 32 games as a junior and averaged 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. Spent his first two collegiate seasons at North Carolina, playing in 45 games. 4 Breon Pass 6-0, 175 G Sr. Reidsville, N.C. Averaged 1.3 points in 31 game appearances for the Wolfpack last season. Scored a season-high 6 points in NC State's 94-85 victory over Louisville in the ACC Tournament. 5 Trey Parker 6-1, 165 G Fr. Fayetteville, N.C. Originally signed with NC State as part of its 2023 class but chose to play an additional season at Overtime Elite in Atlanta, where he averaged 11.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. 7 Bryce Heard 6-5, 170 G Fr. Chicago Was listed in the On3 Industry Ranking as the No. 98 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle before opting to reclassify to the 2024 class. 8 Jayden Taylor 6-4, 195 G Sr. Indianapolis Averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds and was second on the team with 47 steals while playing in 37 games with 25 starts in his first season at NC State after transferring from Butler. 10 Marcus Hill 6-4, 185 G Sr. Rockford, Ill. Was a 34-game starter at Bowling Green last season, winning first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors after leading the league with a 20.5-point scoring average. 11 Dennis Parker Jr. 6-6, 205 G So. Richmond, Va. Averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 29 games as a freshman, with 12 starts. Missed the last 11 games of the season due to an illness. 12 Michael O'Connell 6-2, 195 G Gr. Mineola, N.Y. Started 22 games in his first season at NC State after transferring from Stanford, including the last 21. Aver - aged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and a team-best 3.2 assists per game. 13 KJ Keatts 5-10, 165 G Jr. Cary, N.C. Appeared in six games last season, playing a season-high three minutes against Abilene Christian and Charles- ton Southern. 22 Jordan Snell 6-2, 165 G Jr. Cary, N.C. Appeared in 16 games in his first two seasons with the Wolfpack and made the ACC Honor Roll both years. 33 Ismaël Diouf 6-9, 215 F Jr. Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec Spent first two seasons at Laval College in Quebec, appearing in 50 games with 43 starts. Averaged 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds as a sophomore. 34 Ben Middlebrooks 6-10, 240 F Sr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Led the Wolfpack in offensive rebounds with 82 in his first season after transferring from Clemson. Averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 41 games, with three starts.