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NC State wants to build off last year’s Final Four appearance with a 3-0 start, but first-year coach Justin Gray and Coastal Carolina stand in the way when the teams meet Wednesday in Raleigh, N.C.

Gray hopes to lead the Chanticleers to their first NCAA Tournament since 2015. Interim coach Benny Moss wasn’t retained after the team finished 6-17 in the wake of Cliff Ellis’ midseason retirement in December of last year.

NC State returns five players but lost most of its core from a year ago. Jayden Taylor is the only returning player that started most of last season, with 29 starts in 41 games while averaging 11.2 points.

Other notable returners for NC State include Ben Middlebrooks and Michael O’Connell. Middlebrooks is averaging 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in their first two games, up from 5.7 points in 16.3 minutes per game off the bench last season. O’Connell made 22 starts, averaging 5.7 points per game as well.

“(Middlebrooks) is an energy guy,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. “I just think he’s been around college basketball for so long that he sees the ups and downs. He understands the aspect of it, never getting too high, never getting too low.

“He understands that what’s important is our team winning.”

NC State has six players averaging double figures in scoring over their first two games. They opened their season with a 97-66 win over USC Upstate, led by 14 points from Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill. Middlebrooks recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

They had a tougher go-around in their second game, an 81-72 win over Presbyterian. Taylor led the way with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting while Middlebrooks came off the bench to score 16 points.

The Chanticleers split their first two games, beating Western Michigan by four in their season opener before losing to East Carolina by four. Junior college transfer Rasheed Jones has led the team in scoring in both games, averaging 17.5 points per game.

“(Jones) can make one-on-one plays,” Gray said. “He can play in pick and roll. He can create for others. So we have a bunch of guys that are sort of unproven, right? They have an opportunity to sort of carve out what it’s gonna look like for them.

“I think it’s, truthfully, one of the teams that we’ll have four or five guys that’ll be able to do that.”

Grand Canyon transfer Noah Amenhauser, who stands at seven feet two inches, is second on the Chanticleers in scoring, averaging nine points per game off the bench. Jordan Battle and Denzel Hines are averaging eight ppg apiece, and Hines also leads the team in rebounding with seven per game.

NC State guard Dennis Parker Jr. is questionable for the game with an undisclosed injury. Ismael Diouf is also questionable, pertaining to an eligibility-related suspension.

–Field Level Media