The NC State coaches have been out and about. NC State coach Mark Gottfried went to see Norfolk (Va.) Academy sophomore center David McCormack, who is a massive 6-foot-8 and 290-ish pounds. The Wolfpack offered him last June following his attendance to their camp.
NCSU assistant coach Bobby Lutz watched Concord sophomore point guard Rechon "Leaky" Black for the second time in the last two weeks, and Concord Cox Mill freshman wing Wendell Moore Jr. for the third time. Cornelius (N.C.) Hough sophomore Qon Murphy also got another look, and if he ever gets to the point of being offered, he's a NCSU lock. His family loves the Wolfpack.
NC State assistant coach Rob Moxley was in Baltimore checking on some under the radar types, who could be on the cusp of blowing up.
NCSU assistant coach Orlando Early could be attending the Holiday Invitational today (aka the Kentucky Invitational this year), but it could get tricky. NC State has shoot-around during the Concord Robinson vs. Fayetteville Trinity game at 1:50 p.m., and that would be the time for him to go over to Raleigh Broughton High today. I checked out Robinson vs. Katy (Texas) Cypress Lakes to see junior point guard Lavar Batts vs. Kentucky senior point guard signee De'Aaron Fox, a former Wolfpack target.
Batts did a lot of good things. He's a downhill point guard, athletic and quick and has the potential to be very good on defense. His jumper has improved, but still a weakness, however, he is good on the mid-range shot.
Batts opened the game with a three-pointer, but then missed his next five three-pointers, before drilling a beautiful pull-up three-pointer to finish 2 of 7 from beyond the arc. He finished shooting 8 of 20 from the field for 21 points (plus five assists). Fox and Cypress Lakes won the game, but Robinson hung in there. Fox had 23 of his 31 points in the first half and played exactly as you would expect from a five-star prospect. He'll need to get his legs stronger, but that is nit-picking.
Gottfried is expected to see Batts play Wednesday, which is significant because I am not sure he has watched him yet. Lutz just saw Batts last week against Wendell Moore and Cox Mill.
Freshman small forward Joey Baker would be the reason for the Wolfpack to see Trinity. He had 14 points in a blowout loss to High Point Christian, and he has a chance to be pretty good in the class of 2019. He doesn't start for Trinity, but is their top healthy college prospect. Boston College signee Ty Graves and junior shooting guard Michael Huiett were on fire from three-point land and combined for 11 three-pointers for HP Christian. Kentucky center signee Edrice Adebayo did his thing with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and they advanced to play Katy Cypress Lakes tonight.
Before leaving, I watched the first half of Virginia Episcopal against Jacksonville (Fla.) Arlington Country Day. The stud freshman center prodigy from Africa left ACD and is now apparently going to a school in Connecticut now, so that was disappointing. Arlington Country Day still rolled to a victory, while Kentucky signee Sacha Killeya-Jones had 21 of his 27 points in the first half.
NC State football signee Isaiah Stallings had 17 points, but Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford lost a spirited game against Garner (N.C.) High. Stallings and Terry Sanford play Raleigh Ravenscroft and junior point guard Michael Okauru at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday for the title of their bracket.
NCSU's Anthony Barber and Shaun Kirk were there, and hung out with Dennis Smith when the latter wasn't on Trinity's bench watching his alma mater play. Duke signee Harry Giles was watching the action. There weren't a lot of college coaches from what I could tell.
The attendance was impressive and debunked the myth that people wouldn't come if their weren't a lot of ACC recruits in attendance. Durham Voyager senior power forward Jay Huff signed with Virginia, Virginia Episcopal senior point guard Justice Kithcart signed with Pittsburgh and High Point Wesleyan senior point guard Brandon Childress is going to Wake Forest. Kentucky has three signees and Tennessee has two playing in the event.
NCSU assistant coach Bobby Lutz watched Concord sophomore point guard Rechon "Leaky" Black for the second time in the last two weeks, and Concord Cox Mill freshman wing Wendell Moore Jr. for the third time. Cornelius (N.C.) Hough sophomore Qon Murphy also got another look, and if he ever gets to the point of being offered, he's a NCSU lock. His family loves the Wolfpack.
NC State assistant coach Rob Moxley was in Baltimore checking on some under the radar types, who could be on the cusp of blowing up.
NCSU assistant coach Orlando Early could be attending the Holiday Invitational today (aka the Kentucky Invitational this year), but it could get tricky. NC State has shoot-around during the Concord Robinson vs. Fayetteville Trinity game at 1:50 p.m., and that would be the time for him to go over to Raleigh Broughton High today. I checked out Robinson vs. Katy (Texas) Cypress Lakes to see junior point guard Lavar Batts vs. Kentucky senior point guard signee De'Aaron Fox, a former Wolfpack target.
Batts did a lot of good things. He's a downhill point guard, athletic and quick and has the potential to be very good on defense. His jumper has improved, but still a weakness, however, he is good on the mid-range shot.
Batts opened the game with a three-pointer, but then missed his next five three-pointers, before drilling a beautiful pull-up three-pointer to finish 2 of 7 from beyond the arc. He finished shooting 8 of 20 from the field for 21 points (plus five assists). Fox and Cypress Lakes won the game, but Robinson hung in there. Fox had 23 of his 31 points in the first half and played exactly as you would expect from a five-star prospect. He'll need to get his legs stronger, but that is nit-picking.
Gottfried is expected to see Batts play Wednesday, which is significant because I am not sure he has watched him yet. Lutz just saw Batts last week against Wendell Moore and Cox Mill.
Freshman small forward Joey Baker would be the reason for the Wolfpack to see Trinity. He had 14 points in a blowout loss to High Point Christian, and he has a chance to be pretty good in the class of 2019. He doesn't start for Trinity, but is their top healthy college prospect. Boston College signee Ty Graves and junior shooting guard Michael Huiett were on fire from three-point land and combined for 11 three-pointers for HP Christian. Kentucky center signee Edrice Adebayo did his thing with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and they advanced to play Katy Cypress Lakes tonight.
Before leaving, I watched the first half of Virginia Episcopal against Jacksonville (Fla.) Arlington Country Day. The stud freshman center prodigy from Africa left ACD and is now apparently going to a school in Connecticut now, so that was disappointing. Arlington Country Day still rolled to a victory, while Kentucky signee Sacha Killeya-Jones had 21 of his 27 points in the first half.
NC State football signee Isaiah Stallings had 17 points, but Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford lost a spirited game against Garner (N.C.) High. Stallings and Terry Sanford play Raleigh Ravenscroft and junior point guard Michael Okauru at 6:50 p.m. Wednesday for the title of their bracket.
NCSU's Anthony Barber and Shaun Kirk were there, and hung out with Dennis Smith when the latter wasn't on Trinity's bench watching his alma mater play. Duke signee Harry Giles was watching the action. There weren't a lot of college coaches from what I could tell.
The attendance was impressive and debunked the myth that people wouldn't come if their weren't a lot of ACC recruits in attendance. Durham Voyager senior power forward Jay Huff signed with Virginia, Virginia Episcopal senior point guard Justice Kithcart signed with Pittsburgh and High Point Wesleyan senior point guard Brandon Childress is going to Wake Forest. Kentucky has three signees and Tennessee has two playing in the event.
