Breaking: Isaiah Miranda enters transfer portal
In December, NC State basketball fans were excited to receive news that top forward Isaiah Miranda was reclassifying and enrolling midyear with the Wolfpack. The addition came just as forward Dusan Mahorcic had gone down with a season-ending knee injury. The hope was that Miranda, an athleticially-gifted 7-footer, would alleviate some of that loss.
Fast forward five months later, Miranda never did or will play for NC State.
Miranda entered the transfer portal Tuesday morning. He has also entered the NBA Draft process but is not expected to be considered as a potential draft pick.
After his reclassification, Miranda was rated the No. 40 player in the 2022 class by On3. The On3 Industry Ranking had him at No. 40 overall, as well.
“The tools pop immediately for Isaiah Miranda,” On3 wrote in his scouting report coming out of high school. “At 7-0, 7-1 the center moves in a way most his size are not able. He is very fluid with a lot of explosive pop. Miranda can shoot the ball with deep range and he has great hand eye coordination with touch. His shot selection can be very erratic at times. He will have to learn the finer nuances of the game, like angles and footwork (he is oftentimes out of position to make a play). When it comes to raw upside, there might not be a player with more in this class. Now it is a matter of polishing it and putting it all together.”
The deadline to enter the transfer portal is the end of Thursday. Miranda becomes the fifth NC State basketball player to leave via that route.
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Junior center Ebenezer Dowuona (headed to Georgia Tech), redshirt junior forward Greg Gantt (UNC Asheville), fifth-year senior forward Jack Clark (Clemson) and the aforementioned Mahorcic have all entered the portal. Mahorcic recently made an official visit to Duquesne and reportedly has trips lined up to Western Kentucky and Ole Miss.
Mahorcic received a waiver for an added year of eligibility, while Clark is using his extra season granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Miranda would have likely competed for minutes at the power forward position with junior Ernest Ross. There is also the possibility that NC State basketball head coach Kevin Keatts could try a small-ball lineup with the addition of Kansas freshman and 6-foot-5, 215-pound wing MJ Rice, a former 5-star and McDonald’s All-American.
Miranda’s departure from the roster opens up a scholarship for Keatts to try to fill. The Wolfpack has been aggressively targeting point guards to add depth to the position.
