BREAKING: MJ Rice to step away from NC State program due to ‘personal reasons’

NC State wing MJ Rice will step away from the program due to personal reasons, he announced in a Tweet Tuesday afternoon. 

“My commitment to NC State has not changed,” Rice wrote. “I appreciate everything coach Keatts and his staff have done for me. For personal reasons, I needed to step away from basketball for a period of time, but [I’m] excited to be back with my teammates soon!”

Rice, a former McDonald’s All-American, transferred to the Wolfpack from Kansas in April. He was the No. 29 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. 

As a freshman with the Jayhawks, Rice averaged 2.2 points in 7.5 minutes a game across 23 contests before he returned to his home state as a native of Henderson, N.C. 

Rice was one of seven players to join the Wolfpack through the transfer portal this offseason, and was expected to be an impact player for NC State as a blue-chip high school recruit. He was the No. 45 small forward in the transfer portal when the Wolfpack landed him in April.

It’s unclear how long Rice will be away from the program, but he appears to be set on returning to the Wolfpack once he’s ready. 

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