In his first NC State basketball campaign last season after transferring from Butler, Jayden Taylor proved to be an effective perimeter bucket-getter, averaging 11.2 points across 27.3 minutes per game.

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But the program lost the magical 2023-24 squad’s leading scorers in DJ Horne and DJ Burns, not to mention two of the other top five in Casey Morsell and Mohamed Diarra.

Now, there’s no telling how the scoring averages will shake out for Kevin Keatts’ eighth NC State basketball team in light of all the intriguing new talents in Raleigh via the transfer portal and recruiting route. However, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Taylor is the logical preseason pick to become the Wolfpack’s next premier scoring weapon.

And that’s precisely what CBS Sports national hoops guru Jon Rothstein forecasted on social media after watching Taylor sizzle as Keatts’ deep bunch competed in its first official practice last week:

“Jayden Taylor shined on offense today for NC State. Made four three-point shots at one point in practice. Looks primed to be the Wolfpack’s go-to guy in 2024-25.”

Taylor, who exhibited his defensive abilities to the tune of 1.1 steals per game last go-round and was one of only five players on the team to appear in all 41 contests, trailed only Horne in 3-point attempts for the 2023-24 Wolfpack. He shot 36.4 percent beyond the arc.

The 2024-25 NC State basketball season tips off at home against USC Upstate on Nov. 4.

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