RALEIGH, N.C.—ACC Basketball Media Day is usually populated with familiar faces from each team -- the leaders and veterans of each program that we have seen perform on the court in recent seasons. NC State brought with them just that in senior leader Torin Dorn, however the player sitting to the left of him throughout the day was less of a familiar face.
Redshirt junior C.J. Bryce has not seen playing time in an NC State uniform due to NCAA transfer rules, yet he was the player who was invited to accompany Dorn on the trip to Charlotte. Bryce spent the day answering the basics, questions about himself, the team and why he followed Kevin Keatts. While Bryce has little experience as a member of the Wolfpack, he is among the most familiar with Keatts and his system.
The 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard enters his third season under Keatts, while several others are only entering their second and first seasons with him. Because of his experience and familiarity with the Wolfpack head coach, Bryce sits in a unique leadership role -- among a few of the reasons he was one picked to represent the team in Charlotte.
“One of [the leaders on this season's team] to my left, is C.J. Bryce, who played for me at Wilmington, and had two really good years for us," Keatts said. "Almost averaged 18 points a game as a sophomore. The thing that makes him special is he's a guy on our roster that's played for me the longest, which is two years.”
After Keatts left UNCW to take the head coaching job at NC State in 2017, Bryce, a former Seahawk under Keatts, announced his plans to transfer. He was coming off of a season where he was the leading scorer for a 29-6 Seahawk team that won a conference title and qualified for the postseason. Overlooked by ACC schools coming out of high school, Keatts believed Bryce was ready to play at the next level and offered him a spot on the Wolfpack roster.
“When I transferred, I took an official visit to obviously NC State but also to South Carolina and I really liked South Carolina but I chose NC State with what I know and who I know. I am glad I made that decision,” said Bryce when asked about the impact Keatts had on his transfer decision. “The intensity that he [Keatts] demands every day, he demands his team to be great and that is something you look for in a coach.”
During his freshman campaign at Wilmington, Bryce finished with 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 23.2 minutes played. He saw a huge uptick in his second season with 34.3 minutes per game and it paid off with 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per outing, leading to a second straight NCAA Tournament berth for the Seahawks.
NCAA transfer rules forced C.J. Bryce to sit out last season, but according to him, it was still an opportunity to gain experience and learn from a different perspective.
“We are very hungry to get back out there -- me and Devon Daniels," Bryce said. "It was a long sit out year. But the leadership role that we took on definitely helped us out and will definitely help this year. We are ready to get on the court."
To restate the obvious, there is a big difference in the game for a player who transfers into a league as prestigious as the ACC is in college basketball.
Not only is the experience different playing at a level as high as the ACC for a player, but for a coach there are changes too. For Keatts and his unique up-tempo offensive system he plans to implement, Bryce seems to think there is more potential for success in with his system with the roster the Pack has this season.
“Having more length at the guard position being able to pick guys up more full court," Bryce said. "That’s something that [Keatts] has always wanted to do and he is able to do it now. I think it will be very successful this year.”
As for Bryce, he can't wait to hit the court, but is already teeming with excitement about getting to ACC play to prove some of his previous doubters wrong.
“It’s something that I have dreamed about since I started playing basketball,” said Bryce. “Not being recruited by those teams coming out of high school definitely left a chip on my shoulder. Being at this stage now in my career, I'm definitely looking forward to proving myself every night."
LINK TO ARTICLE ON 247SPORTS: https://247sports.com/college/north-carolina-state/Article/NC-State-determined-to-feed-off-the-doubt-during-10-1-start-126679340