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NC State Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Wolfpack

By Jerran Anderson

Mar 3, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; The NC State Wolfpack mascot performs during the first half at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; The NC State Wolfpack mascot performs during the first half at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Projected starting lineup

Point Guard: Michael O’Connell

Michael O’Connell joins the rotation as a graduate transfer looking to shore things up at the point guard spot for the Wolfpack. He spent the past three seasons at Stanford in the Pac-12 where he posted 6.3 ppg, 3.2 apg, 2.7 rpg and 1.0 spg across 89 appearances (76 starts) from 2020-23. He’s an indispensable playmaker who should hold down the point guard duties for the Wolfpack this season given his ability to find others in space.

Shooting Guard: D.J. Horne

D.J. Horne is another transfer portal addition who should find himself in the starting rotation. He’s a tremendous presence off the ball who can knock down shots on the perimeter with efficiency. He spent the past two seasons in the Pac-12 as well with Arizona State where he averaged 12.5 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 2.2 apg on 35.7 percent shooting from deep from 2021-23. Just as much as he can knock down shots, he can also find others in space to make plays.

Small Forward/Wing: Casey Morsell

Casey Morsell is probably the biggest X-Factor in the backcourt for the Wolfpack heading into 2023-24. He’s a versatile guard who can defend multiple spots on the floor with room to grow even more offensively after posting 11.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg and 1.1 spg as the third option to Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith this past season. He shot 41.1 percent from deep and finished ninth in the ACC in 3-pointers made (78) in 2022-23 and should be a leading name for their offensive attack this season.

Forward: Ben Middlebrooks

Ben Middlebrooks is another transfer portal addition out of Clemson who should see a ton of minutes given the Wolfpack’s style of play. He finished with 3.1 ppg and 2.7 rpg across 34 appearances in 2022-23. He’s a name with the potential to see a lot of minutes either as a starter or off the bench given his ability to operate inside and out.

Center: D.J. Burns

D.J. Burns made quite the debut for the Wolfpack this past season with 12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.5 apg on 56.1 percent shooting from the field. He’s a burden in the painted area to defend against and slowly found his way as a defensive presence in the NC State frontcourt as the season progressed. Look for him to emerge as quite the secondary option to have with their electric guard play.

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