1. The Wolfpack Central was able to watch NC State senior center signee Shawn Phillips of Glendale (Ariz.) Dream City Christian play in Rock Hill, S.C., last Thursday. He also played Friday, and NC State coach Kevin Keatts was front and center for both games.
There’s been some mystery over the plans of the other senior signee, L.J. Thomas, a point guard prospect from Atlanta, Ga. Some have wondered if he’ll play for Bull City Prep (N.C.) for a sixth year of high school basketball. Some speculated that he’d enroll at NC State this January because of the aforementioned thought that he doesn’t need to be in high school anymore.
The mystery is solved and neither situations will return.
Thomas will be training this season and not play for Bull City Prep, or enroll mid-semester at NC State, where he could have played right away or redshirted.
The key people around Thomas think he’ll be fine working out this winter and won’t have rust when he does arrive at NC State. Barring a transfer, Thomas will have a key battle on his hands at NC State. Thomas and current freshman Breon Pass will compete to back up sophomore point guard Cam Hayes.
2. Event coverage continues, with Greenville (N.C.) Rose High playing Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High at 7 p.m. Friday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Rose High has enjoyed a near-storybook rise up this season to finish 11-4 and reach the NCHSAA 3A state title game. The main attraction for Wolfpack fans is senior NC State running back commit Michael Allen. The Sinclair network will show all four state title games, which is channel 28 on in-state DirecTV services, it appears.
The other state title game of recruiting note is Charlotte (N.C.) Chambers vs. Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons in 4A action at 7 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Chambers features juniors Daylan Smothers, a running back, and wide receiver Kevin Concepcion, who both have NC State offers. Another player that is interesting is senior defensive end/outside linebacker James Pearce, who seems to not have a lot of recruiting buzz despite having 18 offers. It makes one wonder if he’ll wait until February to pick a college.
Rivals.com just ranked No. 163 overall in the country, so he’s no sleeper anymore. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder had some debate about his academics in the past but apparently had a strong first semester of his senior year. He’s the classic tall and lanky, with the gift of chasing down quarterbacks and running backs from behind. The question has always remained is how much weight can he gain and how does he fit in various defensive schemes.
Hoops recruiting fans have a nice showcase event at High Point (N.C.) Wesleyan Christian from Noon-to-10:30 p.m.-ish on Saturday. I’ve circled this day when the schedules came out to see sophomore wing Paul McNeil of Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County at 12 p.m. Rivals.com ranks the 6-5, 155-pounder the No. 29 overall player in the class of 2024, and he already has an NC State offer.
Sophomore power forward target Jarin Stevenson of Pittsboro (N.C.) Seaforth High will be playing at the same event against Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth High at 6 p.m. Two other intriguing prospects include junior center Tichyque Musaka of Durham (N.C.) Good, Better, Best Academy at 7:30 p.m. Musaka plays junior guard Silas Demary Jr. and Charlotte Liberty Heights.
After seeing sophomores Stevenson, Drake Powell, Rakease Passmore, Kany Tchanda, Austin Swartz and Jordan Vick play live in the last few weeks, McNeil is another big piece to the puzzle. Some believe he is the No. 1 in-state target for Coach Keatts.
After McNeil, the next important program to watch live this month is the strong contingent at The Burlington School in Burlington, N.C. Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg sophomore wing Isaiah Evans is also starting to get big buzz in the state. Evans was just offered by Texas A&M for his first high major offer.
3. Some college coaches call it the “friends and family” approach to recruiting.
That is when a college lands a recruit from a high school and then keeps going back to that school in the future. Six members of the class of 2022 came from high schools that NC State has landed a recruit from in the last seven years.
Talking to some prep coaches who are about to have their seniors sign with NC State, they are hopeful some of their younger players will get a look from the Wolfpack, or already are.
The big one would be junior defensive end Monteque Rhames of Sumter (S.C.) High, who is teammates with defensive line commit Davin Jackson. Rhames is ranked No. 178 overall in the country, the No. 20 strongside defensive end nationally and No. 2 overall in South Carolina in the class of 2023 by Rivals.com.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder has 11 offers, including one from NC State. He unofficially visited NCSU for both the Syracuse game Nov. 20, and the North Carolina win Nov. 26.
Some are just assuming he’s going with Jackson to such games, and for the Tar Heels game, there was a group of players from his school. But doing some digging one source said he went to the Syracuse game with his girlfriend and it wasn’t driven by Jackson attending. It’s early with Rhames, but it would be a surprise if he got out of the Carolinas between NC State, North Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina.
Greensboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford senior wide receiver Terrell Timmons could have influence on a talented younger teammate.
Junior tight end Vance Bolyard has an offer from Louisville and the previous staff from Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder runs well, looks like he’ll easily gain 20 pounds and was used as a flex tight end and occasionally defensive end for Northern Guilford. He’s playing basketball this winter. Rivals.com ranks him the No. 20 overall junior in the state of North Carolina in the class of 2023. Bolyard unofficially visited for the Syracuse at NCSU game Nov. 20.
Kannapolis (N.C.) A.L. Brown senior outside linebacker Torren Wright is signing with NC State next week. Sophomore Xavier Chambers could have “next” at the program. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder might be a little small now but coach Mike Newsome believes in his play-making ability, whether at free safety, cornerback or wide receiver. He caught 37 passes for 493 yards and six touchdowns this season, and also added 20 carries for 85 yards and two scores. Newsome likes Chambers as a safety down the road.
Sophomore wide receiver Braylon Knauth is short at 5-8 and 165 pounds at Minneola (Fla.) Lake Minneola High, but makes things happen, especially in the return game.. That is the school that produced senior defensive line commit Nick Campbell. Coach Mike Jones thinks Knauth will end up a national recruit and the Wolfpack have started the process with him. He had 900 all-purpose yards, 31 receptions and six touchdowns this season.
Cary (N.C.) High has produced NC State defensive end Davin Vann, and his younger brother Rylan Vann will join him next year. Offensive tackle Shawn Burton Jr. is 6-4 and 275 pounds, and could be next in the class of 2023. Wake Forest was just in to see him this week. He’s attended an NC State home game.
There’s been some mystery over the plans of the other senior signee, L.J. Thomas, a point guard prospect from Atlanta, Ga. Some have wondered if he’ll play for Bull City Prep (N.C.) for a sixth year of high school basketball. Some speculated that he’d enroll at NC State this January because of the aforementioned thought that he doesn’t need to be in high school anymore.
The mystery is solved and neither situations will return.
Thomas will be training this season and not play for Bull City Prep, or enroll mid-semester at NC State, where he could have played right away or redshirted.
The key people around Thomas think he’ll be fine working out this winter and won’t have rust when he does arrive at NC State. Barring a transfer, Thomas will have a key battle on his hands at NC State. Thomas and current freshman Breon Pass will compete to back up sophomore point guard Cam Hayes.
2. Event coverage continues, with Greenville (N.C.) Rose High playing Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High at 7 p.m. Friday at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.
Rose High has enjoyed a near-storybook rise up this season to finish 11-4 and reach the NCHSAA 3A state title game. The main attraction for Wolfpack fans is senior NC State running back commit Michael Allen. The Sinclair network will show all four state title games, which is channel 28 on in-state DirecTV services, it appears.
The other state title game of recruiting note is Charlotte (N.C.) Chambers vs. Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons in 4A action at 7 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Chambers features juniors Daylan Smothers, a running back, and wide receiver Kevin Concepcion, who both have NC State offers. Another player that is interesting is senior defensive end/outside linebacker James Pearce, who seems to not have a lot of recruiting buzz despite having 18 offers. It makes one wonder if he’ll wait until February to pick a college.
Rivals.com just ranked No. 163 overall in the country, so he’s no sleeper anymore. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder had some debate about his academics in the past but apparently had a strong first semester of his senior year. He’s the classic tall and lanky, with the gift of chasing down quarterbacks and running backs from behind. The question has always remained is how much weight can he gain and how does he fit in various defensive schemes.
Hoops recruiting fans have a nice showcase event at High Point (N.C.) Wesleyan Christian from Noon-to-10:30 p.m.-ish on Saturday. I’ve circled this day when the schedules came out to see sophomore wing Paul McNeil of Rockingham (N.C.) Richmond County at 12 p.m. Rivals.com ranks the 6-5, 155-pounder the No. 29 overall player in the class of 2024, and he already has an NC State offer.
Sophomore power forward target Jarin Stevenson of Pittsboro (N.C.) Seaforth High will be playing at the same event against Kernersville (N.C.) East Forsyth High at 6 p.m. Two other intriguing prospects include junior center Tichyque Musaka of Durham (N.C.) Good, Better, Best Academy at 7:30 p.m. Musaka plays junior guard Silas Demary Jr. and Charlotte Liberty Heights.
After seeing sophomores Stevenson, Drake Powell, Rakease Passmore, Kany Tchanda, Austin Swartz and Jordan Vick play live in the last few weeks, McNeil is another big piece to the puzzle. Some believe he is the No. 1 in-state target for Coach Keatts.
After McNeil, the next important program to watch live this month is the strong contingent at The Burlington School in Burlington, N.C. Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg sophomore wing Isaiah Evans is also starting to get big buzz in the state. Evans was just offered by Texas A&M for his first high major offer.
3. Some college coaches call it the “friends and family” approach to recruiting.
That is when a college lands a recruit from a high school and then keeps going back to that school in the future. Six members of the class of 2022 came from high schools that NC State has landed a recruit from in the last seven years.
Talking to some prep coaches who are about to have their seniors sign with NC State, they are hopeful some of their younger players will get a look from the Wolfpack, or already are.
The big one would be junior defensive end Monteque Rhames of Sumter (S.C.) High, who is teammates with defensive line commit Davin Jackson. Rhames is ranked No. 178 overall in the country, the No. 20 strongside defensive end nationally and No. 2 overall in South Carolina in the class of 2023 by Rivals.com.
The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder has 11 offers, including one from NC State. He unofficially visited NCSU for both the Syracuse game Nov. 20, and the North Carolina win Nov. 26.
Some are just assuming he’s going with Jackson to such games, and for the Tar Heels game, there was a group of players from his school. But doing some digging one source said he went to the Syracuse game with his girlfriend and it wasn’t driven by Jackson attending. It’s early with Rhames, but it would be a surprise if he got out of the Carolinas between NC State, North Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina.
Greensboro (N.C.) Northern Guilford senior wide receiver Terrell Timmons could have influence on a talented younger teammate.
Junior tight end Vance Bolyard has an offer from Louisville and the previous staff from Virginia Tech. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder runs well, looks like he’ll easily gain 20 pounds and was used as a flex tight end and occasionally defensive end for Northern Guilford. He’s playing basketball this winter. Rivals.com ranks him the No. 20 overall junior in the state of North Carolina in the class of 2023. Bolyard unofficially visited for the Syracuse at NCSU game Nov. 20.
Kannapolis (N.C.) A.L. Brown senior outside linebacker Torren Wright is signing with NC State next week. Sophomore Xavier Chambers could have “next” at the program. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder might be a little small now but coach Mike Newsome believes in his play-making ability, whether at free safety, cornerback or wide receiver. He caught 37 passes for 493 yards and six touchdowns this season, and also added 20 carries for 85 yards and two scores. Newsome likes Chambers as a safety down the road.
Sophomore wide receiver Braylon Knauth is short at 5-8 and 165 pounds at Minneola (Fla.) Lake Minneola High, but makes things happen, especially in the return game.. That is the school that produced senior defensive line commit Nick Campbell. Coach Mike Jones thinks Knauth will end up a national recruit and the Wolfpack have started the process with him. He had 900 all-purpose yards, 31 receptions and six touchdowns this season.
Cary (N.C.) High has produced NC State defensive end Davin Vann, and his younger brother Rylan Vann will join him next year. Offensive tackle Shawn Burton Jr. is 6-4 and 275 pounds, and could be next in the class of 2023. Wake Forest was just in to see him this week. He’s attended an NC State home game.
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