NC State forward MJ Rice will sit out remainder of the basketball season
N.C. State will be without sophomore forward M.J. Rice the remainder of the season, the school announced Wednesday.
The school said a waiver will be submitted requesting that this be a redshirt season for Rice. The decision was made in the best interests of Rice, who transferred to N.C. State from Kansas after last season but sat out the first seven games of the the 2023-24 season for personal reasons.
NCSU coach Kevin Keatts, after the Pack’s 59-53 loss Wednesday at Virginia, did not elaborate on the decision, saying he would respect the privacy of Rice and his family.
Rice has appeared in nine games, averaging about 9 minutes a game and 4.1 points. He did not play against Wake Forest or Virginia Tech.
Rice accompanied the Wolfpack to Charlottesville, Va., for Wednesday’s game against Virginia and participated in pregame warmups. It is thought he will continue to take part in most team activities while sitting out.
Rice, born in Henderson, was a consensus 4-star recruit and ranked No. 29 nationally by 247Sports.com as a high school senior. He played in the 2022 McDoanald’s All-American Game after a senior year at Prolific Prep in Napa, California.
Rice appeared in 23 games as a freshman at Kansas, averaging 2.2 points a game.
This story was originally published January 24, 2024 at 7:11 PM.
