Kevin Keatts finally got his man last week—he’d been recruiting Dontrez Styles since high school, and there was mutual interest between both sides last offseason before Styles eventually opted for Georgetown.
Styles said recently that he “wasn’t mentally ready” to make the move directly from UNC to State last year, which is something we can all appreciate, I think. Hell, I’m not sure if I was ready. We know how people can act toward players who transfer, and there was plenty of extra potential scorn that could have gone his way if he’d made the move across the triangle in 2023.
It worked out well all around, as I’m sure Styles feels more comfortable now in part because he was able to show at Georgetown that he’s a good player. It was the first time he’d gotten meaningful minutes in college, and he thrived—he started every game for the Hoyas and proved he could handle an above-average workload efficiently.
NC State is getting a player who is solid off the bounce and good at drawing free throws; someone who shot well over 40% on threes from either corner, which proved his biggest strength last season. In that respect, he’ll help replace Casey Morsell’s production.
He can contribute in a variety of ways—he was also a good offensive rebounder, for instance—and he won’t be feeling the pressure to prove himself that he might’ve last season. There’s no reason why his game can’t take another step forward in the year ahead.