NC State forward Ernest Ross to enter transfer portal
NC State junior forward Ernest Ross announced his intent to enter the transfer portal Tuesday via social media. He will be the third Wolfpack player to do so this year, joining junior guard Kam Woods and sophomore guard LJ Thomas.
“Thank you WPN for the love and support you’ve brung me these three years,” Ross wrote on Instagram. “It breaks my heart but I will be putting my name into the transfer portal.”
A former four-star recruit, Ross played in 13 games and scored 4 total points during the Wolfpack’s up and down season. He finished the year 2-for-11 from the field, including 0-for-8 from three.
Ross logged 2 points on 1-for-2 shooting across eight minutes in the Pack’s win over Charleston Southern on Nov. 17.
Then, it took 34 games for Ross to score again.
The 6-foot-9 forward scored 2 points in the Wolfpack’s ACC Tournament Championship win over North Carolina on March 16.
That singular basket meant more than just the pair of points that it gave the Wolfpack in the first half against its arch rival Tar Heels.
“I’ve been working for it for so long,” Ross told TheWolfpacker.com afterwards. “To get that opportunity, it just shows me that I’ve been working hard and my hard work has paid off.”
Ross last appeared in the Wolfpack’s Sweet 16 win over Marquette for less than a minute in Dallas on March 29.
The reserve forward played a season-best 11 minutes in the team’s regular season finale, a 81-73 loss at Pittsburgh on March 9. He missed a three-point attempt in the appearance.
Ross’ playing time this season was a decrease from his sophomore campaign, where he appeared in 34 games. He averaged 3.5 points with 2.5 rebounds a game during that season with the Wolfpack.
The Alachua, Fla., native was second on the team in blocks with 27 during the 2022-23 season. He led the team in that department in 11 games during the campaign.
Ross finished his NC State career averaging 2.3 points with 1.8 rebounds and 35 total blocks. He scored a career-best 17 points in a double overtime win over Miami during his sophomore year.
