College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 26-15; 9-11, Tenth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, lost in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament

Head Coach: Kevin Keatts (Eighth Year; 139-94 at NC State, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Michael O’Connell – 6’2″, 195 5th-year Senior

G Jayden Taylor – 6’4″, 195 Senior

G Mike James – 6’5″, 200 Junior

F Dontrez Styles – 6’6″, 210 Senior

F/C Brandon Huntley-Hatfield – 6’10”, 240 Senior

Experienced Reserves

G Breon Pass – 6’0″, 175 Senior

G Marcus Hill – 6’4″, 185 Senior

W Dennis Parker, Jr – 6’6″, 205 Sophomore

F Ismaël Diouf – 6’9″, 215 Junior / Canada

F/C Ben Middlebrooks – 6’10”, 240 Senior

Freshmen

G Trey Parker – 6’1″, 165

G Bryce Heard – 6’5″, 170

W Paul McNeil – 6’5″, 180 / Top 100 recruit

That March run was fun, eh? Despite a four-game losing streak to end the regular season, a 9-11 record in Atlantic Coast Conference play, and rumors of an upcoming coaching change, the Wolfpack played a joke on the whole world of college basketball last March. 

A team that was almost certain to be left out of the NCAA Tournament after a season that began with high expectations, NC State took the old adage of ‘controlling their destiny’ to heart. The Pack began to get right against Louisville in the first round of the ACC tourney, and decided they could play well enough to win their league and earn its automatic bid to the Big Dance. Nine games after their stinker of an end to conference play, one of the most improbable teams in the whole field had earned itself a spot in the Final Four. Along the way, the Pack – and their gregarious star big man DJ Burns – had captured the admiration of the college basketball world, and head coach Kevin Keatts could no longer hear the rumors about his job status over the sound of all the contractual bonuses he had raked in. 

So…how do you follow an act like that?

For starters, three key pieces of the rotation who each played in every one of the Pack’s 41 games last season return, along with an exciting youngster who fought his way into the lineup and even started 12 contests. Trading upon his reputation for making transfers into their most productive self, and, you know, the nets he cut down last spring, Keatts has built around that core. Has he just assembled some more talented pieces, or has Keatts put together a cohesive crew which can get rolling before their backs are completely pressed against the wall?

A great many of the Pack’s points will come from new faces this season, but the third-leading scorer from last winter is back to help lead the way. In his first season after arriving from Butler, Jayden Taylor put up good numbers, became more dangerous than ever from the land of trey, and saw inconsistent minutes at times due to inconsistent production. In the end, Taylor found a fit as State’s 6th man, and finished up by posting ten games with at least 18 points. Taylor’s improving three-ball proved to be a vital piece in the Pack’s attack; he and graduated sniper DJ Horne accounted for 169 (59.2%) of the team’s made triples on the season. Taylor began to make a concerted effort to score close to the rim or attempt triples last year, and he ended up making more than a hundred free throws as well. 

Veterans Ben Middlebrooks and Michael O’Connell also came aboard last season as transfers, and both enjoyed some of the biggest moments of their careers during State’s legendary run. Middlebrooks turned out to be a great fit off the bench as a big who could play alongside the smooth-operating DJ Burns or complement Mohamed Diara. He can shoot the ball a bit, but Midslebrooks was by far most effective when he worked his way into the paint. With great effort and good positioning, Middlebrooks cashed in the good looks he found from State’s guards for a career-high 21 points against Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament, and he has shown off his full skillset by posting 12 points, six boards, three steals and a pair of blocks in the Pack’s iconic overtime win over Virginia in the ACC tourney. He takes his time to get looks inside, and Middlebrooks employs slick footwork and a barrage of shot-and-head fakes to open up looks. One of his primary talents is getting to the foul line; during State’s postseason run, Middlebrooks (a reliable 74.1% career foul shooter) took four trips to the stripe per game. As his minutes have risen, so has his free throw rate, which sits at .716 for his career; for reference, Zach Edey posted a .632 mark for his career. This year, with the poise and confidence gained during March and his increasingly assertive approach, Middlebrooks hopes to become an even bigger piece of State’s post offense. 

It’s not easy to graduate from Stanford in three years, and it might actually be more difficult to run the point for a double-digit seed that advances to the Final Four. O’Connell has done both already, and now he returns to captain the Pack for one final season. A 22-game starter who led the Pack in assists, O’Connell is a stout veteran whose calm ballhandling and steady distribution were particularly vital in the postseason. 

“He’s coaching in timeouts. He’s talking in halftime. He’s encouraging guys,” Keatts glowed about O’Connell’s play prior to State taking the court at the Final Four. “Now he went from a guy who hadn’t scored many double-digit games to the tournament playing extremely well…We’re probably not here without Michael’s play.” O’Connell is a classic point guard, and prior to last season had done the majority of his damage off the bounce and by setting up his buddies inside the arc. Last season was his best as an outside shooter, as O’Connell sank 30 triples at a very respectable 37.5% clip. As befits his expanding role as a veteran leader, none of his deep heaves was more legendary than the triple O’Connell banked in as the buzzer sounded to force overtime against Virginia at the ACC Tournament. His role is likely to expand this winter, as Keatts will count on O’Connell, who has averaged at least 25 minutes in each of his first four seasons, to organize the Pack’s attack and get the new guys good looks where they’re most comfortable. 

Interestingly, two of the guys Keatts has added were the top scorers on the worst team in the ACC last year. That, uh, distinction is not all that there is to Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and Mike James, though. Whatever the standings had to say about Louisville the past couple of years, Huntley-Hatfield and James acquired a reputation as the first couple of guys in the gym each morning, and they’re ready for all the work to start paying off with wins. 

Last season was a big one for Huntley-Hatfield. A Tennessee native who began his career with the Vols, Huntley-Hatfield spent his first two years as a former 5-star recruit who hadn’t really started to put it all together. The light came on as last winter got coldest, though. Or, as Virginia Tech’s Mike Young put it, “He (Huntley-Hatfield) is kicking everybody’s tail that he comes across.”

“He’s been an enforcer,” said then-Louisville coach Kenny Payne at the time. “I think he’s proven that he’s one of the most improved (in the ACC), if not the most improved.” Over the Cardinals’ final 18 games last year, Huntley-Hatfield averaged 15.8 points on 57.9% shooting as he racked up eight double-doubles and finished the year fifth in the ACC in rebounding average. Now, Huntley-Hatfield is joining a program which saw all three of its top bigs have career-best seasons last year, and he has all of the pedigree to be State’s next star. With a strong and solidly-built 6’10” frame, Huntley-Hatfield can absorb plenty of contact and still get the ball or throw it down. The more physicality he brings, the better things seem to go, but Huntley-Hatfield also has the mobility and quickness to finesse some opportunities rather than just bulling his way to the rim. His jumper is improving, too; Huntley-Hatfield has made 16 career triples, and he sank 42.9% of his tries from deep last year. Really, Huntley-Hatfield shot the ball well from all over the floor as a junior, including 71.9% near the rim and a solid 42.1% rate on 121 mid-range looks, per Bart Torvik. He’s going to remain a featured option for State, and having shown the many skills at his disposal, Huntley-Hatfield could well be looking at an even bigger breakout to come. 

“He (Huntley-Hatfield) is kicking everybody’s tail that he comes across.”

– Mike Young (Virginia Tech)

A touted recruit in his own right, James redshirted his first season due to an Achilles injury, but soon became a very useful wing scorer for the Cards. He averaged more than 32 minutes and started every game he played for Louisville, but as things slipped away from the Cardinals last year, James slipped into a fair old shooting slump. Over his final 13 games, James made just 32.4% of his tries from the floor. Now that he’s moved on to State, James is ready to get back on track from a personal and collective perspective. 

Good size, length, and quickness aren’t all James has to offer. He’s also a talented passer and has a way of getting his hands on rebounds and loose balls. Much of his game is built upon the foundation of a dangerous drive game, and when James gets cooking he becomes a three-level scorer whose vision keeps the whole offense flowing. 

Competition for the best minutes on the wing is going to be fierce, as proven scorers Dontrez Styles and Marcus Hill are joining James in coming aboard, while last year’s top freshman – Dennis Parker, Jr – is back and getting better. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

9.6 – Turnovers Per Game (15th)

0.480 – Assists Per FG Made (245th)

75.6 – Points Per Game (92nd)

71.8 – Opponent Points Per Game (147th)

+3.9 – Average Score Margin (97th)

At Georgetown last winter, Styles finally got things figured out. A big-time recruit, Styles spent his first two seasons largely on the bench at North Carolina. He played a major role for the Hoyas, though, and now Styles seems to have gained the experience and understanding to get all of his skills going in the same direction at the same time. An effective rebounder who brings the toughness to guard bigger players, Styles became particularly good on the offensive glass last year. He snatched 71 friendly misses, and Styles turned those reloads into 27 putback tries, per Hoop-Math. He was also a reliable player finisher, hitting 54.2% on feeds which saw him cut to the rim, and Styles was nearly as good with a 51.3% rate on spot-up attempts, per Synergy Sports. With his ability to operate as the forward in a smaller lineup or slide onto the wing, Styles provides matchup options for the Pack. An interesting addition at forward will also be Ismaël Diouf, a Canadian forward who signed this summer after two years of college ball in Quebec. He can shoot and has good size, and Keatts is intrigued by his stretch skills up front.

Following a successful junior college career, Hill exploded onto the Division I scene last fall. He scored the most points in the Mid-American Conference last season, and Hill was named first team All-MAC after doing just about everything for Bowling Green. Now that he’s come to Raleigh, NC, Hill is ready to show that he can make just as noticeable an impact without being on the floor for nearly all 40 minutes each night. A big guard, Hill had the ball in his hands regularly for the Falcons and facilitated much of the action whether he was scoring or setting up a teammate. He figures to take a similar turn running the show for Keatts when O’Connell isn’t out there – especially if he can continue to improve his jumper. Powerful off the bounce and fearless on his way through the lane, Hill is best getting into ball screen action and being opportunistic when the defense reacts. 57.9% of Hill’s shots were attempted near the rim last winter, per Bart Torvik, and defenders committed great effort to trying to make him shoot jumpers. A repeat of his 28.9% rare from downtown won’t earn Hill the same 36+ minutes he averaged a year ago, but the potential is clearly there for Hill to grow into a well-rounded offensive guard. 

The Pack got a jolt last year from the one freshman who stepped into their midst, Dennis Parker, Jr. A rangy youngster whose fearless style and athleticism made for clusters of valuable minutes, Parker will be looking for a larger share of the run this winter. He started 12 games last year, and averaged more than 15 minutes per contest even as Keatts constantly mixed and matched with his veterans. He’s effective in transition, and Parker’s quick feet and long reach allow him to be a disruptive defender. If he can iron out some inconsistencies shooting the rock this year, Parker’s value should increase considerably. Point guard Breon Pass is also back for another year as a solid, assignment-sound backup. He’s never played a large role, but Pass gets in on virtually every game anyway because he’s energetic and understands what Keatts wants. 

The shades of Jalen Lecque and Isaiah Miranda shall bother Pack fans no more: Trey Parker is actually going to suit up for State this year. After reclassifying and spending an extra year playing prep hoops following his commitment to State, Trey Parker (no relation to Dennis) will bring his own talents to the point. In doing so, the incoming freshman will buck a trend of previous recruiting frustrations and add another transfusion of speed and shifty ballhandling to the point. Bryce Heard has a bit of DJ Horn’s audacity and shot-making instincts, and will look to bring his own version of things to the Pack. Rated a Top 100 recruit by some publications, Heard signed later on thsn his classmates but should be an intriguing piece in State’s solid young backcourt of the future.

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

@ Kansas – December 14

N Purdue – November 28

vs Texas – December 8

N Ole Miss/BYU – November 29

vs William & Mary – November 22

This year’s top rookie is expected to be a local kid whose reputation in North Carolina has been on the rise. Paul McNeil is a Top 100 wing who won big at Richmond High School in Raleigh, and now he will bring the bucket-getting instincts and defensive intensity the home fans know well to the Pack. 

“I’ve learned a lot since being on campus,” McNeil said late this September. “I’m a young guy and my teammates have showed me how the ACC works, telling me how my body has to be ready and learning the switches on defense while being physical on the offensive side.” He can shoot it out to the three-point arc, slash rimwards for tough buckets, and is a budding problem for other wings to score against. With a bit of polish and experience, McNeil will become a mainstay for the Pack. 

The ACC has only gotten bigger and deeper this season as State recovered from the frenzy of late March. Though so many of the stars from that effort have gone, the ones who are back remember what it was like to be the underdog whose back was up against the wall, and they won’t be intimidated. The non-conference slate features doozies such as a trip to Phog Allen Fieldhouse, as well as a Final Four rematch against a (thankfully) Zach Edey-less Purdue. Things were far from pretty for much of last season, but in sports – as in so much of life – it’s how you finish things that counts the most. The Wolf Pack showed an incredible amount of fight when it mattered most, and that DNA remains in Raleigh. It’ll take another legendary effort to rise so high again, but NC State has learned how to believe that things will be great.