NC State guard Mike James is 'really unlikely' to play in the 2024-25 season
NC State will have to wait until next season to see redshirt junior guard Mike James on the floor in a Wolfpack uniform. The Louisville transfer is “really unlikely” to play with a knee injury, Pack coach Kevin Keatts announced Monday.
“I would say we’re getting towards the point where it’s probably not going to happen,” Keatts said of James playing this season. “It’s down to a point of ‘does it make sense?’ Talking to Mike, I think he wants to play, but as I speak to the doctor and the trainer, he’s not 100 percent.”
“I would say it’s really, really unlikely at this point,” Keatts added. “I haven’t completely ruled it out, but I’d say it’s really unlikely at this point.”
James, who underwent a knee scope just before the 2024-25 campaign began, hasn’t set foot on the court for a game this season. It was described to be a two to four week injury, initially, but he has yet to fully participate in a practice since the surgery.
The Orlando, Fla., native averaged 12.6 points with 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists last season at Louisville. He played in 33.3 minutes a night while shooting 39.6% from the floor, including 34% from beyond the arc.
James was expected to be a key piece of what NC State was looking for this year, but the Wolfpack has had to manage without him. He likely would have played on the wing for the Pack, taking some of the load off of senior guard Jayden Taylor.
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But instead, James has donned a sweatsuit on the Wolfpack’s bench for the entirety of the campaign to this point.
Even though he has been sidelined, James tried to make a return. He went through 1-on-1 workouts with the Wolfpack coaching staff, while he also jumped into a handful of contact drills. But the recovery was taking longer than expected and with just six games left in the season, it appears that James will likely not be available the rest of the season.
He would be eligible to apply for a medical redshirt if he doesn’t play. James arrived in Raleigh with two years of eligibility remaining. This would be the second time in the last four years that James has been unable to play due to injury after he had a torn Achilles in his left leg just before his freshman season.
NC State has six regular season games remaining in the 2024-25 season. It won just its second game of the calendar year with a 70-62 victory over Boston College on Saturday and it is preparing to play at North Carolina on Wednesday night.
