NC State has kicked the tires a bit on two guys, one who played against NC State, and another who the Wolfpack had looked at a year ago coming out of junior college.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett was a sophomore at Austin Peay, and has averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 60 contests (54 starts). He knows he’s a big man at 6-11 and 255 pounds, and plays like it. He was known in high school, and was committed to Penn State, but there probably is a back story on how he ended up at Austin Peay. They fired former Duke player/assistant coach Nate James and he enters the portal.
Hutchins-Everett went for eight points and four rebounds in 28 minutes in the Wolfpack’s 99-50 win. Then the next game he had 19 points and nine rebounds against Purdue and Zach Edey in a 63-44 loss. He also had 11 points and three boards against Tennessee. He had five games with 20-plus points.
NCSU also has contacted Sean Durugordon from Austin Peay per Twitter. He is 6-5 and 220 pounds and would need a waiver because he also transferred from Missouri, so I just don’t think that will go anywhere.
The other big man is Missouri’s Mohamed Diarra, who is 6-10 and 215 pounds and originally from France. He went to Garden City (Kan.) C.C. and had terrific numbers — 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds a game and 71 blocks. NC State showed interest but never offered from what I know of.
Things didn’t go so well the first half of his season in acclimating to big boy basketball at Mizzou. He had 10 games he didn’t get off the bench. He averaged 3.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and shot 40 percent from the field.
A trusted Mizzou source said his basketball IQ and ability to finish around the room just wasn’t there. He had his best game at Ole Miss, getting 11 points and six rebounds in the Tigers’ 89-77 win Jan. 24. He also had eight points and 12 rebounds against Alabama in a 85-64 loss Jan. 21. I’m sure if a coach watched him in those two games, he’d think he could handle being a backup center or third-string emergency post.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett was a sophomore at Austin Peay, and has averaged 11.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in 60 contests (54 starts). He knows he’s a big man at 6-11 and 255 pounds, and plays like it. He was known in high school, and was committed to Penn State, but there probably is a back story on how he ended up at Austin Peay. They fired former Duke player/assistant coach Nate James and he enters the portal.
Hutchins-Everett went for eight points and four rebounds in 28 minutes in the Wolfpack’s 99-50 win. Then the next game he had 19 points and nine rebounds against Purdue and Zach Edey in a 63-44 loss. He also had 11 points and three boards against Tennessee. He had five games with 20-plus points.
NCSU also has contacted Sean Durugordon from Austin Peay per Twitter. He is 6-5 and 220 pounds and would need a waiver because he also transferred from Missouri, so I just don’t think that will go anywhere.
The other big man is Missouri’s Mohamed Diarra, who is 6-10 and 215 pounds and originally from France. He went to Garden City (Kan.) C.C. and had terrific numbers — 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds a game and 71 blocks. NC State showed interest but never offered from what I know of.
Things didn’t go so well the first half of his season in acclimating to big boy basketball at Mizzou. He had 10 games he didn’t get off the bench. He averaged 3.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and shot 40 percent from the field.
A trusted Mizzou source said his basketball IQ and ability to finish around the room just wasn’t there. He had his best game at Ole Miss, getting 11 points and six rebounds in the Tigers’ 89-77 win Jan. 24. He also had eight points and 12 rebounds against Alabama in a 85-64 loss Jan. 21. I’m sure if a coach watched him in those two games, he’d think he could handle being a backup center or third-string emergency post.
