Who’s leaving? Who’s returning? A look at NC State’s basketball roster for next season.
Kevin Keatts has no regrets about playing two extra games in Texas this season.
When it became obvious that N.C. State wouldn’t get an invite to the NCAA tournament, Keatts wanted to use the NIT as a building block for next season.
The Wolfpack’s season ended Thursday night, falling to Colorado State, 65-61. While the loss wasn’t what the team wanted, the two weeks of extra games did was give the young team valuable time on the court they will benefit from in the future.
“We absolutely got that,” Keatts said.
Of the eight players who played Thursday night against the Rams, seven will return next season. Every player on the roster is eligible to come back next year due to the NCAA ruling this as a zero year due to COVID-19. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where all three seniors return next season. If they leave, though, Keatts has three freshmen in his class of 2021 ready to play right away.
Here’s a look at how the Pack could look next season:
Who’s leaving
▪ D.J. Funderburk (6-10, 225): Funderburk scored 13 points in his final game against the Rams, 11 in the first half. Funderburk, who played in 20 games this year, tested the NBA waters briefly last offseason, but came back for one more year.
▪ Devon Daniels (6-5, 200): Daniels went down with a torn ACL in January. Like Funderburk, Daniels tested the draft waters a year ago before returning. At the time of his injury, he was leading the team in scoring, assists and steals.
▪ Braxton Beverly (6-0, 185): Beverly missed the NIT game against Colorado State with an undisclosed injury. He started 15 games as a senior, shooting 40 percent from three.
The exciting part for N.C. State fans should be the possibility of what the future will look like for Keatts. When Daniels was injured, that left the door open for more shots and minutes for players on the wing. Losing Thomas Allen for the year due to injury also meant more touches for his freshmen guards, who sparked the team to a five-game winning streak late in the season.
The extra games in the NIT just gave them more time to grow.
“The experience that Cam Hayes has gotten, that Shakeel Moore has gotten, that Dereon Seabron has gotten, it’s unbelievable,” Keatts said. “Typically you might get one freshman to get the chance to play a bunch of minutes in a season, but you don’t get three and I thought all three of those guys matured. I think the experience they had has been great. I’m excited we came to the NIT, we learned a lot from it, now we have to build on it.”
Who’s back
▪ Jericole Hellems (6-7, 205): The junior forward benefited the most from Daniels being out of the lineup. Hellems took over the scoring load, finishing in double figures in 13 of the final 15 games of the regular season.
▪ Manny Bates (6-11, 230): Bates, a sophomore, was the defensive presence in the middle that Keatts predicted, finishing the year on the ACC All-Defensive team. Bates led the ACC in blocks with 2.7 a game. He had 13 points in the season finale against CSU.
▪ Thomas Allen (6-1, 180): Allen, who went to Garner High and transferred from Nebraska, missed the final seven games of the year with an ankle injury. He was shooting 38 percent from three at the time of his injury.
▪ Cam Hayes (6-3, 175): The freshman point guard from Greensboro started the final eight games of the season, and 14 games overall. When Allen was injured, Keatts let Hayes lead the team.
▪ Shakeel Moore (6-1, 180): The freshman guard started two games in the 2020-2021 season, but was one of just two players to appear in every game this season. He led the team in steals.
▪ Dereon Seabron (6-7, 180): Once Daniels was out from his injury, Keatts needed another big guard. Seabron emerged as that player. Seabron started seven of the last eight games of the season.
▪ Jaylon Gibson (6-9, 210): Gibson, a late addition to the class of 2020-2021, appeared in 17 games as a true freshman, mainly as the third big man option off the bench whenever Funderburk or Bates needed a break.
▪ Ebenezer Dowuona (6-11, 235): Dowuona missed the game versus CSU, finishing his freshman season having logged just 48 minutes and five points.
▪ Nick Farrar (6-6, 260): Farrar played in seven games, scoring all five points this season in seven minutes of action versus Campbell.
Bates, the redshirt junior, was one of the four players Keatts asked if they wanted to play in the NIT. The Fayetteville forward is glad they made the trip.
“I think it was big for us, just for the future,” Bates said. “Just to know what the postseason feels like. Just that knowledge of what to expect for next year can take us a long way.”
Who’s coming in
▪ Breon Pass (6-0, 175): The point guard from Reidsville is a three-star recruit and the No. 7 player in the state.
▪ Ernest Ross (6-9, 210): Ross, a four-star recruit, is the No. 11 player in Florida and No. 14 power forward in the nation. He is expected to come in and compete for minutes in the post right away.
▪ Terquavion Smith (6-3, 180): Smith, the MaxPreps NC Player of the Year, led Farmville Central to a second state title last season. Smith is the No. 4 player in the state and No. 20 shooting guard in the nation.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 12:27 PM.
