ACC Basketball: 2024 offseason grades for all 18 programs

North Carolina State Wolfpack - Grade: A

Since the start of March, there’s been no bigger “winner” in the ACC than NC State, whose miracle ACC Tournament and eventual Final Four run guaranteed Coach Kevin Keatts’ security for the future. And despite losing three key starters (DJ Burns, Casey Morsell, and DJ Horne), they used the momentum of the postseason run to land some quality transfers.

The Wolfpack landed four key pieces from the portal, including two from Louisville. Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield was a breakout contributor in the second half of last season, while Mike James is a 6’6 versatile guard who averaged 12.6 ppg on 40% shooting. Dontrez Styles is a double-digit scoring forward from Georgetown, while Marcus Hill is coming off scoring 20 ppg at Bowling Green as a capable lead guard.

NC State also brought back a few key pieces from the rotation too. Guards Michael O’Connell and Jayden Taylor played big roles last season, along with Ben Middlebrooks, who could be a breakout frontcourt candidate in the frontcourt without Burns around.

Considering the production that the Wolfpack was forced to lose, they did as well as possible in terms of roster building, using mostly proven ACC-level players. There’s a chance that what happened in March was a fluke but if nothing else, they found a way to take advantage to stay viable in the league.