1. We’ll call this “Operation Snook.”
I ventured to Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor hosting Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg in the NCHSAA 4A playoffs on Tuesday. The reason was Mount Tablor junior Shamarius “Snook” Peterkin, who I had seen at point guard last June for the NCHSAA showcase events, and then followed up to watch him play wide receiver against Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley in the season opener.
Peterkin on the football field glides at 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds. He’s a big play waiting to happen, whether in the passing game or on kickoff returns. The only thing stopping him from having a big game against a quality Grimsley squad was a brutal case of cramps that knocked him out halfway through the game.
Peterkin the basketball prospect last June looked like a low-major prospect, who would be a welcome walk-on addition to a school where he signed in football, if allowed.
That was the backdrop to seeing him against a talented North Meck team led by Duke senior signee Isaiah Evans, a five-star small forward, who Rivals.com has ranked No. 17 overall in the country.
Peterkin brought his “A” game and Mount Tabor was smart and worked the clock to shorten the game. Then when the wanted to score, they hoped Peterkin would provide the magic and he did. He had 23 points and if not for a few shaky calls in the final 90 seconds, the Spartans might have won, but fell 45-42. Peterkin, even at times with Evans guarding him, got into the lane and took care of business and made enough jumpers to keep the defense honest. He looked like he’s now a mid-major prospect, who could get looks from the Atlantic 10 or AAC. As a hoops walk-on at a high major, he wouldn’t embarrass himself at all.
Also at the game, was NC State assistant coach Joel Justus, who is a Mount Tabor graduate. Football coach Tiesaun Brown counts Justus as a friend. NC State could have two reasons for Peterkin to want to go there — both football and basketball. He’s often talked about doing both, but it’s hard. There are several examples in the distant past like Charlie Ward (QB/PG) at Florida State, Julius Peppers (DE/PF) at North Carolina or Tony Gonzalez (TE/PF), who is now an ACC legend with California in the league. There are also plenty of players who played hoops and then tried football after they were done playing.
It’s hard to pick out a player who successfully pulled off doing both in recent years. Maybe it has to be wide receiver/point guard Bruce Ellington at South Carolina, but he didn’t play football his freshman year, but was a quality player in both sports in 2011-13 and became a early-entry fourth-round NFL Draft pick.
The reason for this context is that NC State could have a serious edge with Peterkin if it offers the chance to play both sports. One source said that the Wolfpack would vault to being his leader. The key to all this is to get Peterkin signed, and whatever happens after that happens. He might realize playing both sports is too hard.
The school that might not allow Peterkin to play both sports? Some think North Carolina. The Tar Heels apparently will only take a few wide receivers in the class of 2025 and have options, including who we’ve about in the past — wide receiver/center field Micah Matthews of Virginia, who NC State is recruiting in both sports, but view him as a running back.
The last prospect NC State went down this road a little bit was wide receiver/shooting guard Tre Turner of Greensboro Northwest Guilford in the class of 2018. Turner was ranked No. 157 overall in the country by Rivals, was a Wolfpack legacy and half-brother of former UNC player P.J. Hairston. He was a quality wide receiver and he played traveling team ball with CP3 and looked like a Atlantic 10-level shooting guard.
It hurt when he picked Virginia Tech, and then for whatever reasons — the VT football coaches or Turner — he didn’t play basketball. What stung was that in 2018-19, the Hokies were down to seven healthy basketball players and could have used Turner for sure. The infamous 47-24 Virginia Tech win over NC State had the seventh man play just five minutes. On the football field, Turner went on to catch 134 passes for 2,292 yards and 14 touchdowns in 44 games.
Peterkin has an official visit to Virginia Tech on May 31-June 2.
I ventured to Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor hosting Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg in the NCHSAA 4A playoffs on Tuesday. The reason was Mount Tablor junior Shamarius “Snook” Peterkin, who I had seen at point guard last June for the NCHSAA showcase events, and then followed up to watch him play wide receiver against Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley in the season opener.
Peterkin on the football field glides at 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds. He’s a big play waiting to happen, whether in the passing game or on kickoff returns. The only thing stopping him from having a big game against a quality Grimsley squad was a brutal case of cramps that knocked him out halfway through the game.
Peterkin the basketball prospect last June looked like a low-major prospect, who would be a welcome walk-on addition to a school where he signed in football, if allowed.
That was the backdrop to seeing him against a talented North Meck team led by Duke senior signee Isaiah Evans, a five-star small forward, who Rivals.com has ranked No. 17 overall in the country.
Peterkin brought his “A” game and Mount Tabor was smart and worked the clock to shorten the game. Then when the wanted to score, they hoped Peterkin would provide the magic and he did. He had 23 points and if not for a few shaky calls in the final 90 seconds, the Spartans might have won, but fell 45-42. Peterkin, even at times with Evans guarding him, got into the lane and took care of business and made enough jumpers to keep the defense honest. He looked like he’s now a mid-major prospect, who could get looks from the Atlantic 10 or AAC. As a hoops walk-on at a high major, he wouldn’t embarrass himself at all.
Also at the game, was NC State assistant coach Joel Justus, who is a Mount Tabor graduate. Football coach Tiesaun Brown counts Justus as a friend. NC State could have two reasons for Peterkin to want to go there — both football and basketball. He’s often talked about doing both, but it’s hard. There are several examples in the distant past like Charlie Ward (QB/PG) at Florida State, Julius Peppers (DE/PF) at North Carolina or Tony Gonzalez (TE/PF), who is now an ACC legend with California in the league. There are also plenty of players who played hoops and then tried football after they were done playing.
It’s hard to pick out a player who successfully pulled off doing both in recent years. Maybe it has to be wide receiver/point guard Bruce Ellington at South Carolina, but he didn’t play football his freshman year, but was a quality player in both sports in 2011-13 and became a early-entry fourth-round NFL Draft pick.
The reason for this context is that NC State could have a serious edge with Peterkin if it offers the chance to play both sports. One source said that the Wolfpack would vault to being his leader. The key to all this is to get Peterkin signed, and whatever happens after that happens. He might realize playing both sports is too hard.
The school that might not allow Peterkin to play both sports? Some think North Carolina. The Tar Heels apparently will only take a few wide receivers in the class of 2025 and have options, including who we’ve about in the past — wide receiver/center field Micah Matthews of Virginia, who NC State is recruiting in both sports, but view him as a running back.
The last prospect NC State went down this road a little bit was wide receiver/shooting guard Tre Turner of Greensboro Northwest Guilford in the class of 2018. Turner was ranked No. 157 overall in the country by Rivals, was a Wolfpack legacy and half-brother of former UNC player P.J. Hairston. He was a quality wide receiver and he played traveling team ball with CP3 and looked like a Atlantic 10-level shooting guard.
It hurt when he picked Virginia Tech, and then for whatever reasons — the VT football coaches or Turner — he didn’t play basketball. What stung was that in 2018-19, the Hokies were down to seven healthy basketball players and could have used Turner for sure. The infamous 47-24 Virginia Tech win over NC State had the seventh man play just five minutes. On the football field, Turner went on to catch 134 passes for 2,292 yards and 14 touchdowns in 44 games.
Peterkin has an official visit to Virginia Tech on May 31-June 2.
