Mike James finished second to Brandon Huntley-Hatfield in total points on last season’s Louisville roster. Now, Huntley-Hatfield is averaging 8.7 points through the NC State basketball squad’s 7-3 start, but James still hasn’t played for the Wolfpack.

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The 6-foot-5, 200-pound James, a redshirt junior and former four-star prep from Orlando, Fla., underwent minor knee surgery in the preseason.

‘I don’t know,” eighth-year NC State basketball head coach Keatts said about a possible date for Mike James’ NC State basketball debut after watching his Wolfpack defeat the visiting Coppin State Eagles, 66-56, in Reynolds Coliseum on Tuesday night. “He’s trending. He’s getting better. He’s doing some more. There’s a little bit of individual workouts now.

“But I don’t have a timetable when he’s going to play.”

Roughly four weeks ago, Keatts estimated that James, a projected top scorer for the Wolfpack, would be out another two and a half to three weeks.

“He’s a 6-5 strong win that’s played a lot of basketball,” Keatts noted at the time. “And we’re missing him.”

It sounds like there’s no chance Mike James will be available to play when the Wolfpack (7-3, 1-0 ACC) travels to Lawrence, Kan., for a road showdown against the No. 10-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (7-2, 0-0 Big 12) at 3:15 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN).

NC State then has over a week off before hosting Rider on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 4 p.m. ET (ACC Network).

Stay tuned to NC State Wolfpack On SI for more NC State basketball news.