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NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 18 state of North Carolina teams for 2021-22 season

By Cooper Watson

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA: A general view of the tip off between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA: A general view of the tip off between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels during their game at Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball Bob McKillop Davidson Wildcats (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Bob McKillop Davidson Wildcats (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

4. Davidson

One of the most telling things we can say about what Bob McKillop has built is that Davidson is Davidson, regardless of their conference, schedule, players shifting in and out, or any other extenuating circumstance. McKillop has built a program that is able to stand alone on its own two feet—a remarkable accomplishment at the mid-major level.

Having said that, the team did experience a significant loss this offseason in Kellan Grady, who transferred to Kentucky, unable to use his extra year of eligibility at Davidson due to their lack of a graduate school. Carter Collins also transferred to Murray State for the same reason.

Despite losing two of their top four scorers, Davidson returns a majority of their production from last season, including upperclassmen Hyunjung Lee (13.5 PPG) and Luka Brajkovic (10.9 PPG).

Davidson will be widely picked to finish somewhere in the upper-middle of the Atlantic 10 this season, but as we all should know by now, the favorites are never safe with McKillop’s Wildcats around.

3. N.C. State

Kevin Keatts’ club dealt with a key injury to leading scorer Devon Daniels last year, yet their KenPom ranking was the same at the end of the season as it was when Daniels got injured in late January.

Four of the team’s top eight rotation players from a season ago are gone, including the aforementioned Daniels as well as DJ Funderburk, Braxton Beverly, who transferred to Eastern Kentucky, and Shakeel Moore, who transferred to Mississippi State.

Having said that, four of the players who finished last season as starters return, headlined by F Jericole Hellems (12.9 PPG) and C Manny Bates (9.8 PPG). Senior G Thomas Allen (7.4 PPG) and PG Cam Hayes (7.8 PPG) also return, as well as one of the team’s top bench players in G/F Dereon Seabron (5.2 PPG). That could be the starting five, with transfers and freshmen filling out the rest of the rotation.

Keatts landed two notable transfers this offseason in Providence’s Greg Gantt and Virginia’s Casey Morsell, giving the Wolfpack reliable depth in both the frontcourt and the backcourt. Morsell has looked excellent this offseason, meaning that he could slide up into the starting five early in the season.

N.C. State’s incoming freshman class is ranked fifth in the ACC, led by four-star F Ernest Ross and G Terquavion Smith. Three-star G Breon Pass could also see some spot minutes in a backup point guard role.

Keatts is in his fifth season in Raleigh with the fans still looking for a taste of national relevancy. Keatts has recruited well given the FBI and NCAA allegations hanging over the program’s head from Mark Gottfried’s tenure, they just have not been able to turn that talent into consistent success. For the fifth time in his five years, NC State has an NCAA Tournament-capable roster.

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