WESTFELD, IND — NC State coach Kevin Keatts was in the attendance for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League on Friday evening.
The first evaluation period is this weekend, so coaches could hit the road.
Keatts, Clemson’s Brad Brownell, Virginia Tech’s Mike Young and Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes, were among the coaches who watched CP3 vs. LivOn, which is a Louisiana-based squad sponsored by former NBA player Randy Livingston.
Keatts was able to watch Southern Durham (N.C.) junior wing Jackson Keith and Davidson (N.C.) Day junior combo guard Isaiah Denis as the main attractions. Both were solid in a easy victory. CP3 doesn’t have a pure point guard this year, so it’s all wings and a post player. It’s one of their weaker teams, but Keith showed his flashes of being a top 75 player and even caught a body with one of his dunks. He didn’t try many jumpers, and missed the ones he did.
Denis is intriguing but hasn’t been offered by NC State yet. He helped lead Davidson Day to a NCISAA Division II state title. Former NCSU assistant coach Joel Justus had been his point man, and Justus is now evaluating him at his new job at Ohio State.
Denis is the kind of player that is solid in each category, but maybe not great at one particular thing. At about 6-5, he handles the ball well and is a OK three-point shooter. His body is starting to fill out. There were rumors he was going to make the jump to Boo Williams with Colt Langdon of Raleigh Millbrook High this week, but he stayed with CP3. Langdon has left Team United for Boo Williams, who I will see today.
Junior point guard target Jordan Lowery of Winston-Salem (N.C.) Christian has switched teams, from Team Thad of Memphis to Houston Hoops. He’s from Texas.
Lowery played maybe half the game off the bench with his new team and had three or four nice plays. He’s more smooth and efficient, than athletic. He’d be different from most of Keatts’ point guards, but has some of the old school playmaker skills that current point guard Michael O’Connell has. He’d be different than say Markell Johnson or Jarkel Joiner.
Another key player I will be watching today is Zymicah Wilkins of Arden (N.C.) Christ School, who plays for Team United. The physical junior power forward has been a long-time NC State recruiting target. He ended up missing the Josh Level Classic, so it’s been a while since I’ve talked to him about recruiting. He isn’t a big fan of the recruiting process and rarely makes unofficial visits, but he did go for a day to NC State last August. He played his first two years at Rutherfordton-Spindale Central High outside of Forest City, N.C., and won the NCISAA state title in Division 4.
LeBron James came to watch his son, and James’ son will play Carmelo Anthony’s son this weekend.
On the drive from Raleigh to Westfield, Ind., I went by St. Alban’s, W.Va., outside of Huntington, and home of new NC State assistant coach Brett Nelson. I took that as a good omen for the trip.
The first evaluation period is this weekend, so coaches could hit the road.
Keatts, Clemson’s Brad Brownell, Virginia Tech’s Mike Young and Wake Forest’s Steve Forbes, were among the coaches who watched CP3 vs. LivOn, which is a Louisiana-based squad sponsored by former NBA player Randy Livingston.
Keatts was able to watch Southern Durham (N.C.) junior wing Jackson Keith and Davidson (N.C.) Day junior combo guard Isaiah Denis as the main attractions. Both were solid in a easy victory. CP3 doesn’t have a pure point guard this year, so it’s all wings and a post player. It’s one of their weaker teams, but Keith showed his flashes of being a top 75 player and even caught a body with one of his dunks. He didn’t try many jumpers, and missed the ones he did.
Denis is intriguing but hasn’t been offered by NC State yet. He helped lead Davidson Day to a NCISAA Division II state title. Former NCSU assistant coach Joel Justus had been his point man, and Justus is now evaluating him at his new job at Ohio State.
Denis is the kind of player that is solid in each category, but maybe not great at one particular thing. At about 6-5, he handles the ball well and is a OK three-point shooter. His body is starting to fill out. There were rumors he was going to make the jump to Boo Williams with Colt Langdon of Raleigh Millbrook High this week, but he stayed with CP3. Langdon has left Team United for Boo Williams, who I will see today.
Junior point guard target Jordan Lowery of Winston-Salem (N.C.) Christian has switched teams, from Team Thad of Memphis to Houston Hoops. He’s from Texas.
Lowery played maybe half the game off the bench with his new team and had three or four nice plays. He’s more smooth and efficient, than athletic. He’d be different from most of Keatts’ point guards, but has some of the old school playmaker skills that current point guard Michael O’Connell has. He’d be different than say Markell Johnson or Jarkel Joiner.
Another key player I will be watching today is Zymicah Wilkins of Arden (N.C.) Christ School, who plays for Team United. The physical junior power forward has been a long-time NC State recruiting target. He ended up missing the Josh Level Classic, so it’s been a while since I’ve talked to him about recruiting. He isn’t a big fan of the recruiting process and rarely makes unofficial visits, but he did go for a day to NC State last August. He played his first two years at Rutherfordton-Spindale Central High outside of Forest City, N.C., and won the NCISAA state title in Division 4.
LeBron James came to watch his son, and James’ son will play Carmelo Anthony’s son this weekend.
On the drive from Raleigh to Westfield, Ind., I went by St. Alban’s, W.Va., outside of Huntington, and home of new NC State assistant coach Brett Nelson. I took that as a good omen for the trip.
