You could say this is a first for college basketball
A player on a team headed for the NCAA Tournament has entered the transfer portal.
Sophomore guard LJ Thomas entered the transfer portal on Monday, according to multiple reports, after being away from NC State for at least a week.
North Carolina State guard LJ Thomas is entering the transfer portal with his team set to play in March Madness. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Monday was the first day that the portal was open for college basketball players and the news didn’t appear to shock many who had been following the Wolfpack, who stunningly won the ACC Tournament over the weekend.
Thomas did not travel with the Wolfpack to the ACC Tournament in Washington D.C. and he becomes the first NC State player to enter the portal this season.
Explore More
He wasn’t extensively used in NC State’s rotation, appearing in just 12 games while averaging 2.6 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists this season.
Thomas was averaging seven minutes a contest.
It was a stark contrast to the 30 games he appeared in during his freshmen season in Raleigh, while putting up 2.4 points a game and pulling down 2.1 boards.
Thomas had come to the program as a highly touted prospect, with ESPN ranking him a four-star prospect in 2022 while Rivals and On3 listed him as a three-star recruit.
North Carolina State guard LJ Thomas, left, has entered the transfer portal before the team plays in the NCAA Tournament. AP He had averaged 18.5 points during the 2020-21 season at Durham Bull City Prep.
Thomas’ decision to enter the portal right as his team begins preparations for the NCAA Tournament certainly makes the news notable and adds a new wrinkle to the evolving role the transfer portal is playing in college sports.
NC State will begin its run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Friday in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena when it takes on the No. 5 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders.
