It may be early, but NC State men’s basketball appears to have a talented freshman class this season. The three-man class is made up of freshman guards Trey Parker, Bryce Heard and Paul McNeil.
So far each player is contributing early and flashing their talents and their teammates are taking notice.
“I’ve definitely seen them improve, just their overall feel for the game,” said graduate guard Michael O’Connell. “High school to college is a big difference, when I came it was a big adjustment.”
Parker is an intriguing point guard for the Wolfpack who could potentially run the red-and-white’s offense when O’Connell heads to the bench. The Fayetteville, North Carolina native played with Overtime Elite last season, giving him valuable experience against other highly talented players before even reaching college basketball. And so far this season, Parker appears to be the most ready to contribute among the trio of freshmen.
In the third game of the season, Parker had a breakout performance against Coastal Carolina. He played 20 minutes and tore up the Chanticleers’ defense with 13 points off the bench. Additionally, Parker was relentless in chasing rebounds, securing five boards despite being one of the shorter players on the court. With his combination of athleticism and energy, Parker is emerging as a key player for NC State.
“He’s getting better,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “He is an energy guy, and every game I go into the game saying, ‘Who is going to be my energy guy?’ And I thought Trey was great — he’s had great practices.”
While Parker came to NC State a year later than expected after playing at Overtime Elite, his teammate Heard arrived a season early. Despite being the age of a high school senior, Heard joined the Wolfpack this offseason and is showing promising signs already. The 6-foot-5 guard can do a little bit of everything, including shooting, driving and rebounding. For now, Heard is focusing on just sticking to his game and excelling within the system.
“Just trying to play within the offense,” Heard said. “Not trying to do too much, just keeping it simple, getting open shots, crashing the glass and running on outlets.”
Against USC-Upstate, Heard made a visible impact in his Wolfpack debut. In 15 minutes, the Chicago native hustled up and down the court, turning in eight points and five rebounds. Heard also forced a pair of steals in the Coastal Carolina game, flexing his defensive ability and basketball IQ. While his role this season remains unclear, he has the talent and hustle to be an impact player down the line.
“What helps him is he’s got a really strong knowledge of the game,” Keatts said. “He knows how to play, where most freshmen you’re trying to figure out how to not be a liability and be able to score.”
Rounding out the Wolfpack’s freshman class is McNeil. The most highly anticipated recruit in the class, McNeil was ranked as the No. 77 recruit coming out of high school, according to 247Sports. Best known for his ability to shoot the lights out, McNeil has one of the most valuable skill sets in basketball.
One way for NC State to reach its ceiling this year is for McNeil to break onto the scene. While he hasn’t had a breakthrough moment yet, the talent is certainly there. For now, McNeil is still adjusting to college basketball and the physical challenges of playing against bigger, stronger and faster athletes.
“Paul McNeil is not shooting the ball well because of the fact that he’s working harder now than he ever has in his life,” Keatts said. “But once he starts getting into better shape, he’ll start making those shots he used to make in high school.”
It’d be premature to go ahead and crown this trio of freshmen as the next great group of NC State basketball players. However, all three have loads of talent and are already flashing their skill sets. Regardless of how large or small their roles are this season, Parker, Heard and McNeil have the potential to be the future faces of NC State basketball.
