Kansas basketball: Former KU guard heads home, transfers to NC State

The highly touted MJ Rice did not live up to his expectations with Kansas basketball, but he will transfer to NC State with hopes of tapping into his potential.

Jayhawk fans were stoked when they heard the news of MJ Rice’s commitment to Kansas. He was 247 Sports‘ 32nd nationally ranked prospect in the Class of 2022 and was expected to be a vital part of KU’s future. Ultimately, Rice transferred from the program on March 30th.

His only season in Lawrence was a massive disappointment. Between a lingering back injury and defensive struggles, the fit never materialized at Kansas. In 23 games, Rice averaged 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds while shooting 40.8% from the floor.

Rice is a Durham, North Carolina native, and he will be about 30 minutes away from his home at his new school. He announced today he would be transferring to North Carolina State University.

It is an ideal fit for his new destination, as he gets to still play Power 5 basketball with fewer expectations. Along with DJ Horne and Ben Middlebrooks, the Wolfpack have brought in an impressive batch of transfers thus far.

Kansas is looking at Harrison Ingram to replace the role Rice was supposed to have at KU. Marcus Adams Jr. could also see minutes at the small forward position. Coming into school, scouts said he had tons of potential to bud into a top-notch player. Unfortunately, several factors attributed to his struggles with the Jayhawks.

He was one of the five players to transfer from the school and the third to commit to his new school. We now await Zach Clemence and Joseph Yesufu’s decisions. Rice might not have had the career with Kansas he hoped for, but he still could make it to the NBA if he shows out with NC State.