RALEIGH — The Wolfpack went from seemingly closing the season quietly with coach Kevin Keatts facing an uncertain future to winning five games in five days for the program’s first ACC Tournament title since 1987 — which ended up as merely a precursor to an even more improbable run to its first Final Four since Jim Valvano’s “Cardiac Pack†won the 1983 national title.
North Carolina State lost four starters, but has restocked through the transfer portal and is picked to finish eighth in the expanded 18-team ACC.
Players to watch
Jayden Taylor (senior, G, 6-4, 195, 11.2 ppg). Taylor is the top returning scorer who started 29 games and shot 53.1% last year.
Michael O’Connell (graduate G, 6-2, 195, 5.7 ppg). O’Connell hit the biggest shot of the March run, banking in a 3-pointer at the horn to force overtime in the ACC Tournament semifinals against Virginia and extend the late-season run. He presents a steady backcourt presence.
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Ben Middlebrooks (senior, F, 6-10, 240, 5.7 ppg). Middlebrooks played a valuable frontcourt role off the bench.
Departures and arrivals
The departures include leading scorer D.J. Horne (16.9 pg) and nimble big man D.J. Burns Jr. (12.9 ppg), who became a March Madness star last year. North Carolina State also lost starter Casey Morsell (11.1 ppg) and F Mohamed Diarra (team-best 7.8 rpg).
The transfers offer experience and potential versatility. Two came from Louisville in 6-10 forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (12.9 ppg) and 6-5 guard Mike James (12.6 ppg), while Dontrez Styles is a former North Carolina and Georgetown forward with size (6-6) on the wing.
North Carolina State also added 6-4 senior guard Marcus Hill from Bowling Green State, where he averaged 20.5 points per game as an all-Mid-American Conference performer.
The Wolfpack’s freshman class is headlined by 6-5 instate guard Paul McNeill, a four-star prospect.
Top games
South Carolina-Upstate visits for the Wolfpack’s Nov. 4 opener, while North Carolina State has three nonconference games that stand out: a neutral-site matchup with No. 14 Purdue (Nov. 28), a home game against No. 19 Texas (Dec. 4) and a trip to No. 1 Kansas (Dec. 14). North Carolina State opens ACC play at home against Florida State (Dec. 7) and has matchups with No. 7 Duke (Jan. 27) and ninth-ranked rival North Carolina (Jan. 11, Feb. 19).
Facts and figures
Keatts is 139-94 entering his eighth season with the Wolfpack, a stint that has included NCAA bids in 2018, 2023 and 2024. ... The Wolfpack’s 26 wins last season marked a high for the program since the ‘83 run. ... North Carolina State last went to three straight NCAA Tournaments during a run of four straight from 2012-15.
