After losing four of the top five scorers from the historic 2023-24 NC State basketball team, eighth-year Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts and his gang completed a promising reload via the transfer portal and recruiting trail. In doing so, they might have ensured a few votes from the media when the preseason AP Top 25 Poll comes out in late October.
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However, judging by the updated “Rothstein 45” that CBS Sports national college hoops expert Jon Rothstein advertised this week, it seems unlikely that NC State will begin the 2024-25 campaign with a ranking by its name.
Rothstein places the Wolfpack at No. 43 in the country.
UPDATED VERSION of the ROTHSTEIN 45.
TOP 10:
1. Alabama
2. Kansas
3. Houston
4. Baylor
5. Iowa State
6. UConn
7. North Carolina
8. Gonzaga
9. Arkansas
10. DukeCC: @FDSportsbook, @FanDuelResearch.https://t.co/nH7W39fh1V
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 28, 2024
He projects a veteran-laden NC State basketball starting five of graduate guard Michael O’Connell, senior guard Jayden Taylor, senior guard/forward Dontrez Styles (transfer from Georgetown), senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (transfer from Louisville), and senior forward Ben Middlebrooks.
In Rothstein’s rankings, NC State, fresh off an improbable ACC Tournament title and magical journey to the Final Four in Phoenix, sits below a handful of ACC teams: No. 7 UNC, No. 10 Duke, No. 37 Wake Forest, No. 40 Clemson, and No. 41 Miami.
The 2024-25 NC State basketball season officially gets under way on Nov. 4 when Kevin Keatts and his Wolfpack welcome USC Upstate to PNC Arena.
