One of the <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/nc-state-basketball-roster-offseason-questions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biggest question marks for NC State basketball</a> in the offseason may have been answered.



Redshirt junior center <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/manny-bates-82167/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manny Bates</a> has decided to enter the transfer portal. Bates provided the following statement to <a href="https://www.on3.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On3</a>:



“Dear Wolfpack Nation, I would like to start by saying thank you to Coach [Kevin] Keatts and the coaching staff for investing and believing in my abilities these past four years. This has been such an amazing journey, and I am grateful to have experienced it in this program. I would also like to thank Wolfpack Nation for the unbelievable amount of love that has been shown through the ups and downs of my journey here.  I am forever grateful that I was able to call this place my home.



“It has been extremely hard to come to this decision, but after many difficult talks with my family and close friends I have decided to enter the transfer portal. I feel like this is the next step in my journey and I ask that you please respect my decision. I wish Coach Keatts and his program nothing but the best.”



Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts said on multiple occasions late in the season that he felt with a healthy roster that NC State basketball could have been a borderline top-25 team.



No injury was more devastating than losing Bates <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/nc-state-basketball-loses-manny-bates-for-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">about a minute into the opener</a>. During his rookie season, Bates had established himself as one of the premier shot blockers in the country. He had 147 rejections during his first two seasons in Raleigh.



In his second year on the court, Bates showcased a much-improved offensive game, increasing his scoring average from 5.1 to 9.8 points per game. He also went from a 48.6-percent free throw shooter to 68.6 percent.



The hope this season was that Bates, who also averaged 5.9 boards per contest in 2020-21 and contributed 2.8 blocks per game in his first two seasons, would turn into a reliable double-digit scorer and be an all-conference contender.



Instead, a shoulder injury that required surgery cost him the year.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/rdura-aloft-raleigh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" width="800" height="100" src="https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2022/03/30152648/image004-2.jpg" alt="Aloft" class="wp-image-632136" srcset="https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2022/03/30152648/image004-2.jpg 800w, https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2022/03/30152648/image004-2-300x38.jpg 300w, https://on3static.com/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2022/03/30152648/image004-2-768x96.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /></a></figure>



<h2 id="h-manny-bates-becomes-fourth-from-nc-state-basketball-to-join-transfer-portal">Manny Bates Becomes Fourth From NC State Basketball To Join Transfer Portal</h2>



Bates becomes the fourth NC State basketball player to enter the transfer portal. Previously, sophomore guard <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/cam-hayes-17468/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cam Hayes</a> revealed that he had <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/cam-hayes-nc-state-basketball-transfers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">chosen to leave NC State</a>. Sophomore forward <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/jaylon-gibson-59103/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jaylon Gibson</a> had earlier also decided to <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/nc-state-basketball-jaylon-gibson-transfer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">entered the transfer portal</a>.



In addition, fifth-year senior guard <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/thomas-allen-112209/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Thomas Allen</a> has decided to try to use the <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/thomas-allen-nc-state-basketball-transfer-portal/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extra season of eligibility at a different school</a>.



The departure of Bates leaves NC State with three open scholarships to use to fill out the 2022-23 roster. The Wolfpack is also awaiting decisions on two players who may be contemplating turning pro — redshirt sophomore guard Dereon Seabron and freshman guard Terquavion Smith.



Seabron finished the year as <a href="https://www.on3.com/teams/nc-state-wolfpack/news/all-acc-nc-state-basketball-dereon-seabron-terquavion-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the ACC’s Most Improved Player</a> and also was a second-team All-ACC selection. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest in 2021-22, and had 12 double-doubles on the season. He also led the Pack with 102 assists and 44 steals.



Smith led the Pack in scoring during ACC play at 18.3 points per game, shooting 40.1 percent on his threes (73 of 182). He was the second-leading vote-getter on the ACC All-Freshman Team and was leading the conference in threes made (96) entering the league tournament.



A recent <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/33610224/2022-nba-mock-draft-how-road-final-four-shaped-our-latest-updates" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mock NBA draft from ESPN.com</a> has Smith going in the second round.



——



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