NC State basketball updates official roster with new jersey numbers

The NC State basketball roster for next season is now official, with the eight newcomers having their assigned jersey numbers. In addition, the Wolfpack return five holdovers from a squad that went 23-11 overall last season and 12-8 in the ACC before bowing out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to Creighton.

NC State Basketball Roster For 2023-24

0 DJ Horne (6-foot-1, 175 pounds): The grad transfer from Arizona State with one season of eligibility left averaged 12.5 points and 2.4 assists per game last season for a Sun Devils squad that also reached the NCAA Tournament. Horne is a Raleigh native now getting a chance to play for his hometown team.

1 Jayden Taylor (6-foot-4, 195 pounds): Taylor is a junior who transferred from Butler, who lost to NC State last season. Taylor had 18 points in that game, and he would lead Butler in scoring last season at 12.9 points per contest. He also contributed 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 assists.

2 Kam Woods (6-foot-2, 185 pounds): NC State is attempting to get a waiver for Woods, who is listed as a junior on the roster but may have to sit out this season. Woods began his career at Troy, averaging 10.3 points per game as a rookie. After a stint at a junior college, Woods contributed 17.3 points per contest last season for North Carolina A&T and was named second-team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

3 MJ Rice (6-foot-5, 215 pounds): After a freshman season at Kansas, the former McDonald’s All-American and top NC State basketball recruiting target will don a Wolfpack uniform. As a freshman at Kansas, the native of Henderson, N.C., averaged 2.2 points in 7.5 minutes through 23 games.

4 LJ Thomas (6-foot-2, 205 pounds): As a freshman, Thomas played in 30 of 34 games, averaging 9.5 minutes per contest. He contributed 2.4 points per game.

10 Breon Pass (6-foot-0, 175 pounds): The rising junior played a reserve role last season for the second straight year, although he played more frequently in games (30 versus 25 as a rookie). He averaged 1.5 points. 

11 Dennis Parker Jr. (6-foot-6, 205 pounds): Parker, a four-star recruit from John Marshall High in Richmond, Va., signed with NC State basketball in November. In 25 games as a senior, Parker averaged 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per contest while shooting 57.4 percent from the field.

12 Michael O’Connell (6-foot-2, 195 pounds): The grad transfer from Stanford with two seasons of eligibility left started the bulk of the past three seasons for the Cardinal, averaging 6.3 points and 3.2 assists per game in his time in the Pac-12. He ended his Cardinal career ranked 15th all-time in assists in program history.

14 Casey Morsell (6-foot-3, 200 pounds): Morsell is using an extra season of eligibility due to the COVID rule that added a year for everyone playing in 2020-21. He enjoyed a breakout campaign last season, averaging 11.8 points per contest and shooting 78 of 190 (41.1 percent) on threes. Morsell was second on the team in both three-pointers made and shooting percentage beyond the arc.

23 Mohamed Diarra (6-foot-10, 215 pounds): The French national and Missouri transfer played in 25 games and made six starts for a Missouri team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Diarra averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds overall, but his production improved in SEC games to 4.8 points and 4.6 boards in 15.3 minutes per contest.

24 Ernest Ross (6-foot-9, 200 pounds): The rising junior played all 34 games last season for NC State and averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 boards while finishing second on the team with 27 blocked shots.

30 D.J. Burns Jr. (6-foot-9, 275 pounds): Burns was honorable mention All-ACC last season after he finished the year averaging 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22.9 minutes, shooting 56.1 percent from the field. He has one more season with the Wolfpack. In conference play, Burns was notably effective, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 boards while shooting 56.6 percent from the field. 

34 Ben Middlebrooks (6-foot-10, 240 pounds): The Clemson transfer and rising junior was one of just three Tigers to play in all 34 games last year, making seven starts in the process. He averaged 11.3 minutes, 3.1 points and 2.7 boards per game while shooting 48.0 percent from the field for the season.