Former McDonald’s All-American guard leaves NC State basketball

NC State guard MJ Rice has withdrawn from classes and is no longer with the basketball program, according to multiple sources.

Rice went through summer workouts with the team and was enrolled in summer courses prior to withdrawing, and his decision comes well after the deadline to enter the transfer portal.

Therefore Rice will need a waiver from the NCAA to be able to play at any level next season, while also needing a redshirt for this past season. It’s unclear at this point if the former top prospect will pursue an opportunity to play Division I basketball during the 2024-25 season or not.

Rice is a 6’5 guard from Durham who played at three different high schools, earning an invite to the McDonald’s All-American Game before beginning his collegiate career at Kansas in the 2022-23 season.

Rice appeared in 23 games with the Jayhawks, averaging 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in 7.6 minutes of action before transferring closer to home to play for the Wolfpack last season.

However, he only appeared in nine games for Kevin Keatts’ team, averaging 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds before it was announced in January he planned to redshirt the rest of the season.