NC State’s Dontrez Styles ready to face former squad as first meeting with UNC looms 

Wedged into the seats inside Capital One Arena during the ACC Tournament last March was someone that nearly bleeds ACC basketball. He grew up surrounded by it in Kinston, dreaming one day of taking the court for one of the three squads in the Triangle. 

That person achieved his dream out of high school. He spent two seasons at North Carolina, but after being used sparingly, the 6-foot-7 wing decided to look elsewhere. Did he want to stay in the area? Yes. But was he ready for the landing spot to be at NC State? Not yet. 

“I wasn’t mature enough to take on what comes with that,” Dontrez Styles said. “I know that’s a big thing. You’ve gotta be very strong to do that, strong-minded.”

So, instead, Styles landed at Georgetown. While he was able to craft a role for himself as a do-it-all athlete for the Hoyas, recording career-best marks in points (12.8), rebounds (5.8) and minutes played (33.5), Styles missed what he grew up on: ACC basketball. 

Fortunately for him, the league tournament was inside Georgetown’s home arena. 

Styles, who once donned the Carolina blue and was heavily courted by Wolfpack coach Kevin Keatts out of high school and in the transfer portal, found himself back at home with ACC basketball. He went to every single NC State and North Carolina game during the tournament, where eventually their paths crossed in the title game. 

And that’s where the Pack got the better end of the Tar Heels, propelled to the moment by graduate guard Michael O’Connell’s buzzer-beating triple in the semifinals. NC State raced past UNC, 84-76, and Styles took in the show. 

But as he sat inside the arena, just 1.3 miles from the White House, Styles didn’t have any idea of what was to come. He didn’t plan on entering the transfer portal, but eventually he did. NC State was the final destination and it rekindled his childhood dreams of playing on Tobacco Road. 

“It was a no-brainer,” Styles said. “I feel like I’m an ACC guy. I’m from North Carolina, I grew up watching this my whole life. Deep down, I knew where I wanted to be, so I made it happen.”

This time, however, it will be different. Styles, who has started 13 games for the Wolfpack this season, will face off with his old team on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m., ACC Network) for the first time since his departure after the 2022-23 campaign. The wing is believed to be just the fourth player to ever play on both sides of rivalry, joining Bernie Mock, Fred Swartzberg and Bones McKinney, who began their careers at NC State but transferred to UNC after returning home from World War II. 

Styles is a different player than when he suited up in the Carolina Blue. He’s evolved since leaving Chapel Hill. And being back in one of the league’s most-storied rivalries is exactly where he wanted to be.

“To be here right now,” Styles said, just over 24 hours before his former and current schools were set to clash at the Lenovo Center, “it’s a blessing.”

Growing at NC State

Three programs in a three-year span isn’t the path that Styles foresaw for himself as a four-star recruit out of Kinston (N.C.) High. But it’s how life shook out for the wing. It has pushed Styles to grow, and in turn, it has paid dividends both on and off the court. 

Styles began the season with an up and down shooting stroke, but he quickly found a way to impact the game without scoring: rebounds. He began the campaign as NC State’s leading board man through the first four games, hauling in 6.3 a night, including an 11-rebound effort against Colgate. 

As the year progressed, Styles seemed to settle in. It took seven games, which featured a 3-for-12 showing during the Wolfpack’s trip to San Diego, but he returned with a vengeance. 

Although he took more of a scoring role at Georgetown, Styles needed to find other ways to affect games with the Pack. He used his rebounding and defensive prowess to do that, which led to the ball going through the hoop. The wing scored in double figures in each of the next three games, including a 21-point outburst to push NC State past Florida State in the Pack’s ACC opener. 

“I’m just trying to do all the small things to help this team win and not base my game off just scoring,” Styles said. “Just trying to go rebound, go be the best defender and know that’s going to come. That’s going to help us win games.”

That mindset proved to Styles his growth was on the right trajectory. He hates to lose, which is evident on the court, but his ability to channel that the right way is what has impressed Keatts the most this season. 

“I love his growth,” Keatts said. “He’s a competitor. … It means something to him. Losing affects him. You know, if he doesn’t have a good game or if he has a good game, he’s going to be in the Dail working. That’s what I respect about him because some guys will make excuses about it, but I’ve never heard him make an excuse.”

Although Styles, who’s averaging 9.6 points with 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks, has leaned on the small details of his game, the Wolfpack coaching staff set a new goal for him: be aggressive. 

“The games where he’s aggressive,” Keatts said, “I think he really helps our team.”

The proof is in the pudding on that one. Styles has logged back-to-back double-figure scoring efforts, while he has also hauled in 17 rebounds in the past two outings. He posted his first double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 rebounds at Wake Forest, a step in the right direction. 

For Styles, who is continuing to adjust to Keatts’ free-flowing style of play with consistent on-ball pressure, it’s all about growing comfortable in Raleigh. So far, he feels like that has appeared through every workout and practice session. 

“I feel like each and every day I come in here, I’m getting more comfortable.” Styles said. “I’m being myself.”

Preparing to see UNC again

Keatts wants to be clear: Styles is a Georgetown transfer. That’s where he arrived through the portal from, not UNC. 

Of course, Keatts is kidding. He’s aware of what lies ahead when the Tar Heels and Wolfpack square off on Saturday afternoon. So does Styles, who has consistently played it off as a normal game. 

That doesn’t mean he hasn’t talked with those he once called teammates on the other side of the game. Styles admitted he’s texted with several players, including RJ Davis, Seth Trimble and Jalen Washington. 

Trimble, who Styles will likely see as a defensive matchup since the Pack will switch everything on that end of the floor, is recovering from an upper body injury. NC State expects him to be ready to go against the Pack, and Styles is well-versed in that matchup. 

“We used to play 1-on-1 all the time when I was there, so he’s a great defender. He’s stocky, he’s strong, athletic. It’s going to be a huge challenge, but I can’t wait to go out there and compete.”

Although Styles wasn’t routinely used at UNC, just 5.9 minutes a game, his biggest moment was key in the Tar Heels’ run to the 2022 Final Four during his freshman season. Styles knocked down an overtime 3-pointer during the Tar Heels’ second round meeting with Baylor, which opened the scoring in the extra period. That seemed to inject life into UNC, who eventually worked its way past the Bears to make it to the Sweet 16.

That moment, looking back on it, was a critical part of Styles’ college basketball career.

“That year, it was crazy,” Styles said. “It kind of feels like it was a blur because it happened so fast. It was a great experience for me. It got my college career going a little bit, so I’m thankful for that.”

As the clock ticked down to the first of two meetings with the Tar Heels — the Pack will travel to Chapel Hill on Feb. 19 — Styles brimmed with a smile as he spoke about playing his former team for nearly 15 minutes. 

Yes, there will be some added juice in Styles’ veins for the game, but he’s ready for the moment. And, in the end, he just wants to add to NC State’s win column.

“I’m just trying to go out there and get the win,” Styles said. “Just trying to build off what we did last game, and know that it’s bigger than me. We’ve gotta keep going. We’ve got a goal that we’re trying to reach. … It’s not about me at all. Yes, it’s important to me, but it’s more important for the team to go out there and get this win.”