Following a summer where Boston local Matt Damon captivated viewers as Odysseus in “The Odyssey,” Beantown is now celebrating another homecoming: Rashad King’s return to Northeastern basketball.
King called Huntington Avenue home for three seasons, where he averaged north of 10 points per game across 92 appearances. An All-CAA First Team selection in 2024-25, King enjoyed a breakout junior campaign which saw him top team leaderboards with 18.5 points per game, 106 assists and 46 steals. He established himself as a dominant force in Northeastern’s offensive scheme, perhaps best-remembered by a 22-point performance at William & Mary that he capped off with a game-deciding jumper.
King will once again be expected to be the engine behind Northeastern’s offense this year, providing a spark to a team that averaged 74.9 points per game last season and posted the worst scoring margin among CAA teams in 2025-26.
“We’re all very excited about him joining a group that we were already optimistic about,” said Northeastern assistant coach Matt Janning via text. Janning added King’s familiarity with Northeastern and the coaching staff made for an auspicious second stint.
In August, King was granted a temporary restraining order awarding a fifth year of NCAA eligibility. The Evans, Georgia, native was one of more than 50 athletes seeking additional eligibility who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in July, per USA Today Network’s John Leuzzi.
As King rejoins a familiar program and coaching staff, he will also be greeted with numerous signs of change. Junior guard Ryan Williams is King’s sole teammate remaining at Northeastern from his first stint, offering rare experience in a roster featuring just one other upperclassman in senior guard Mike Loughnane. The 14-man roster welcomes six freshmen alongside two sophomore transfers and returns just 30% of its scoring from the previous season.
King returns to Boston on the heels of a one-year showing with LSU. He made nine starts among his 32 games played in Baton Rouge, averaging 5.8 points per game for an LSU team that went 3-17 in SEC play and finished the season just below .500 at 15-17 overall. King checked in to 18 SEC contests, highlighted by a season-high 18 points in the Tigers’ 92-87 victory at South Carolina.
Chase Alexander is a writer and broadcaster with WRBB Sports. Check out his personal portfolio here and feel free to follow him on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).