Former KU basketball guard MJ Rice steps away from NC State. He says he’ll be back
Former Kansas men’s basketball guard MJ Rice, who announced his transfer to North Carolina State on April 25 only to take a leave of absence from his new team this summer, announced Tuesday he will remain a member of the Wolfpack squad.
Fans and media had noticed Rice, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound sophomore from Henderson, North Carolina, was not with the team when it was introduced at the NC State-VMI football game Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina.
“My commitment to N.C. State has not changed. I appreciate everything coach (Kevin) Keatts and his staff have done for me,” Rice wrote Tuesday on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). “For personal reasons I needed to step away from basketball for a period of time, but am excited to be back with my teammates soon!”
There was great interest in Rice following his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal on March 29 after an injury-plagued season in which he averaged 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in 23 games for the Jayhawks. He logged 7.6 minutes per game. He chose NC State as his transfer destination over Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Penn State and others.
Rice averaged 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists a game his junior season at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. He averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, California and was named a McDonald’s All-American.
N.C. State coach Keatts issued a statement concerning Rice on the day his transfer was announced.
“It’s great to add MJ to our program,” Keatts said. “He’s a young man that we recruited heavily when he was in high school. He’s an incredible talent and I think he’s going to unlock his full potential in our system. He’s got a really strong body and that paired with his explosiveness gives him great scoring ability.
“I think the world of him as a young person. He’s a terrific young man, and I think he’s a great addition to our locker room.”
Rice is expected to be a rotation player this season, perhaps a starter, at N.C. State. The Charlotte Observer reported that Rice has been working out with NBA trainer Marcus Hodges.
“In a new system at N.C. State, the opportunity to break out will be there. Rice will have the chance to take on part of the role that Terquavion Smith played the last few years,” wrote SI.com, adding: “(T)he former four-star recruit will be 22-years-old during part of his rookie season if he leaves college for the 2024 NBA Draft, which is older for a player of his experience. Even then, he’s worth a pick given his pedigree and background. He played at a very high level in high school and the spotlight never seemed too bright. Rice’s father played professional basketball overseas and oldest brother, Quentin, played basketball in college as well.”
Noted Eric Bossi of 247Sports.com: “For Rice to truly unlock his potential, a few things need to happen. For one, he needs to get his swagger back. Attitude is really important for some people and for a time, Rice thought he was the baddest dude on the block and his play reflected that.
“If he can get his nasty streak back, look out. Second, Rice will have to adjust his playing style some. He has shown the capability to hit jumpers from deep and wants to play as a traditional wing, but when he’s at his best he’s playing that combo role where he’s too quick for big guys and simply too strong for wing players.
“Most importantly, he needs to use this offseason to build up his body and get back to being 100% healthy. The fact is that Rice never really had an opportunity to be his best self at Kansas because injuries put him behind the curve.”
