Ernest Ross, MJ Rice no longer with NC State men's basketball
NC State men’s basketball forwards MJ Rice and Ernest Ross are no longer with the program, TheWolfpacker.com learned Tuesday morning.
Both players contributed to the 2023-2024 Final Four run in reserve roles, appearing in a combined 23 games. NC State now has one scholarship remaining after picking up a commitment from Canadian Laval University (Can.) transfer forward Ismaël Diouf.
Ross, a 6-9 junior, previously entered the transfer portal and committed to UTSA before returning to the program. He rejoined the team at one point but is not longer a member of the roster, per a source.
The forward spent three seasons with the Wolfpack, scoring 145 points and grabbing 114 rebounds over the course of his career. He appeared in 14 games, playing 7.1 minutes per contest and scored 1.6 points per game to go along with 1.6 rebounds as well. Ross is from Alachua, Florida.
Rice transferred to NC State after starting his career at Kansas. The former elite four-star recruit, considered the No. 10 small forward in the 2022 class, is a 6-5, 215-pound small forward. He played 8.8 minutes per game across 9 contests and scored 4.1 points per game.
“He gives us another dimension,” head coach Kevin Keatts said after Rice made his debut with the Pack. “We’ve been playing with six of our new dudes, now we add the seventh. I’m happy for him. He’s going to help us, he’s going to be really good for us.”
In late January, NC State announced that he will sit out the remainder of the 2023-2024 season and pursue a redshirt season. Rice is a former McDonald’s All-American.
NC State now heads into the 2024-2025 season with 12 scholarships. Based on current intel, it sounds like that last roster spot will likely remain open.
