Coming off an unlikely run to the Final Four, North Carolina State enters its opener Monday against visiting South Carolina Upstate hoping to make new magic with a retooled lineup.
Four of his top five scorers have departed but eighth-year coach Kevin Keatts still has enough returning players and promising newcomers to declare the Wolfpack “two-deep at every position.”
“We’re still going to have to develop chemistry. We’re still going to have to get better,” Keatts said. “We do have some very exciting pieces that I like.”
Four of those pieces came by way of transfer and add scoring punch. Bolstering the backcourt is Marcus Hill, who averaged 20.5 points per game last year at Bowling Green, while Dontrez Styles (12.8 ppg) arrives from Georgetown.
The Wolfpack also added two of Louisville’s top three scorers and rebounders in Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (12.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Mike James (12.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg).
Returning starters for the Wolfpack are Jayden Taylor (11.2 ppg) and Michael O’Connell (5.7 ppg, 3.2 apg), who enters this season as the top playmaker after assuming the role during last year’s run to the ACC tournament title.
Also back are key reserves Ben Middlebrooks (5.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Dennis Parker Jr. (4.7 ppg).
USC Upstate, which has been picked to finish last in the Big South, is in more transition than NC State. The Spartans have a first-year coach in Marty Richter and a new roster, as only one player is back from last year’s 10-20 team.
It’s a situation that reminds Richter of his stop at JUCO Florida Southwestern from 2016-18, when he went 56-10.
“When you’re a junior college coach, you had to send 10 out and you had to bring 10 more in or you had to send eight out and you had to bring eight in,” Richter said.
USC Upstate’s disparate collection of players includes five freshmen and three JUCO transfers. Only four Spartans, all guards, have been with Division I programs and Kanye Jones (8.0 ppg), a reserve last year at Buffalo, is the only one with significant experience.
Also arriving is Chico Johnson, who was a redshirt last year at Drake, where Richter served as an assistant the last six years.
