College basketball’s transfer portal closed Wednesday, meaning players no longer have the option of leaving their current school and immediately playing elsewhere.
Following its run to the Final Four and before the May 1 deadline, NC State basketball had three players – Ernest Ross, Kam Woods and LJ Thomas – enter the transfer portal.
As of Wednesday, Louisville transfers Mike James and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, along with Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill and Georgetown transfer Dontrez Styles, have been added through the portal.
DJ Horne, DJ Burns and Casey Morsell – a trio of starters – have exhausted their eligibility and Mohamed Diarra plans to pursue professional opportunities. Coach Kevin Keatts still has one scholarship remaining to fill out the Wolfpack’s roster, which includes guards Michael O’Connell and Jayden Taylor.
After the transfer portal closes, here are five observations about the current state of NC State basketball’s 2024-25 roster and what could be next for the Wolfpack.
Michael O’Connell and Jayden Taylor are NC State’s returning seniors
NC State lost its leader in the backcourt with Raleigh native DJ Horne exhausting his eligibility, but the Wolfpack returns its best passer and best perimeter defender from a Final Four team. O’Connell led the team with a career-high 130 assists and shot a career-high 37.5% from 3-point range last season. Taylor played multiple roles, finishing the season as State’s sixth man. He averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and shot 36.4% from beyond the arc. Both players will be key players next season.
Ben Middlebrooks and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield are Wolfpack’s top post options
The Wolfpack lost an efficient scorer and elite passer in Burns, and saw a postseason double-double machine in Diarra opt to turn pro. Those losses place a heavier burden on returning big man Ben Middlebrooks, who averaged 5.7 points and 4.6 rebounds as a junior, and transfer Brandon Huntley-Hatfield. The former Louisville forward is NC State’s top scoring option in the post after averaging 12.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season.
Dontrez Styles brings versatility from UNC to Georgetown and NC State
Kinston native Dontrez Styles made a big play against Baylor as a freshman, which helped UNC continue its run toward the Final Four, but he played sparingly for the Tar Heels. After transferring to Georgetown, Styles averaged 12.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His athleticism, along with his defensive versatility and rebounding ability, should make him a perfect piece to NC State’s puzzle.
Mike James, Marcus Hill and Paul McNeil will be considered top scorers
With Horne and Morsell no longer in the mix, NC State needed to add some depth at guard. Keatts did it with transfers Mike James and Marcus Hill, along with freshman Paul McNeil. Hill averaged more than 20 points per game at Bowling Green, James was efficient at knocking down shots and getting to the free throw line at Louisville, and McNeil brings a scorer’s mentality to Raleigh after a storied career at Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham.
Will ECU transfer Ezra Ausar choose the Wolfpack?
The departures of Burns and Diarra opened up some frontcourt spots for the Wolfpack, who could be close to filling East Carolina’s Ezra Ausar void. Kevin Keatts got to work early in the transfer portal madness and could round out the attack by landing the 6-foot-1 forward. Ausar averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game last season for the Pirates.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared in The Fayetteville Observer: 2024-25 NC State Basketball Roster Update After Transfer Portal Closes
