NC State basketball’s big news on a big man adds to roster rebuild for 2023-24 season

Steve Wiseman
·1 min read
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N.C. State’s strong run of men’s basketball roster additions continued this weekend with word that Duson Mahorcic will be able to play for the Wolfpack next season.

The 6-10 Mahorcic joined N.C. State last season but was limited to 10 games due to injury. He said on social media Saturday he’s received official word that the NCAA has approved him for a medical hardship redshirt for last season, giving him another season of eligibility to use with N.C. State.

A native of Belgrade, Serbia, who played high school basketball in suburban Chicago, Mahorcic played for four different colleges in four seasons prior to joining N.C. State last season.

N.C. State’s Dusan Mahorcic is fouled as he drives against Pitt’s Federiko Federiko during the second half of a men’s basketball game at PNC Arena on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Raleigh, N.C.
N.C. State’s Dusan Mahorcic is fouled as he drives against Pitt’s Federiko Federiko during the second half of a men’s basketball game at PNC Arena on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Raleigh, N.C.

Mahorcic began his career at Division II Lewis (Ill.) before playing in junior college at Moberly (Mo.) Area Community College. After one season each at Illinois State and Utah, he planned to use his final season with the Wolfpack last season.

After playing 20.7 minutes per game and averaging 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds while starting in nine of his 10 games with the Wolfpack last November and December, Mahorcic suffered a knee injury that required surgery and ended his season.

His approval to play next season adds to coach Kevin Keatts’ roster rebuild. N.C. State added three transfers in 6-5 guard D.J. Horne (Arizona State), 6-5 small forward MJ Rice (Kansas) and 6-10 forward Ben Middlebrooks (Clemson) last week. Earlier in April, 6-4 shooting guard Jayden Taylor announced he was transferring to N.C. State from Butler.

The Wolfpack return 6-9, 275-pound center DJ Burns and 6-9, 195-pound forward Earnest Ross from last season’s 23-11 team that made the NCAA Tournament.