1. NC State signee Zymicah Wilkins plays better when he is pissed off.
Wilkins and Arden (N.C.) Christ School were playing Knightdale (N.C.) HIgh at the John Wall Holiday Invitational at Raleigh Broughton High, with NCSU coach Kevin Keatts, assistant coach Levi Watkins and assistant coach Brett Nelson in attendance. Knightdale guard Isaiah Green wen to the rim, got the dunk on Wilkins and then let him know about it.
I saw a side of Wilkins I hadn’t seen the last three-plus years — he was inspired and animated. The before and after with Wilkins and the dunk was stunning. Wilkins also showed that he can give it out with the trash talking after his own good plays, letting Green and the Knightdale coaches know it.
Wilkins finished with 21 points, 21 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in the win. Christ School went on to defeat Raleigh Grace Christian and senior wing Michael Phillips in the title game of their bracket. I got to watch the first of the tile game, but then NC State’s bowl game took place at same time. Wilkins picked up two fouls in the first half, so he had to play less minutes than he normally does and had a workmanlike 16 points.
Wilkins was one of the “must-get” guys for NC State and he should be a valued rotational big men next year. With Ismael Diouf and Dennis Parker back, the Wolfpack will likely try and target at least one but maybe two big men in the transfer portal this spring.
2. Richmond (Va.) John Marshall junior power forward Latrell Allmond against Wilkins was the matching up everyone hoped to see, but their schools were placed in dfferent brackets.
Allmond and John Marshall High topped senior small forward Nate Ament and Warrenton (Va.) Highland School in a defensive-minded battle. Allmond was named MVP and he got to show what it’s like with the program now built around him.
If Allmond’s name feels like he’s been around a long, long time, well, he has. I stumbled into making a trip to see Southern Pines (N.C.) O’Neal Schoool and Allmond play at Burlington (N.C.) Christian with worries about the roads being icy Jan. 28, 2022.
There wasn’t much known about Allmond, but he had a little video on YouTube and was intriguing and he was repeating the eighth grade.
Allmond had 16 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and made both three-pointers in a 54-44 win, and thus “the book” began. He later moved to Richmond, which is where Team Loaded VA is based, his traveling team organization.
NC State ended up offering Allmond the following June and the coaches got to see him play with Dennis Parker at John Marshall High.
NC State made sure to watch Allmond when they could at Broughton High. He’s going to have a national recruitment, but NC State should be positioned well. What’s interesting is that Allmond thinks colleges will let him be a wing. He’s a power forward for sure, and some schools might go with a smaller lineup and play him at center. The 6-8, 230-pounder is in better shape this season, is confident in his jumper and can pass the ball out of the block. He’s a sneak good shot-blocker. One of the games I filmed, he went for 24 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Southern Durham High. He had 15 points and eight boards in the title game against Highland.
It’s easy to envision seeing Allmond and Wilkins being good together on the same team.
Wilkins and Arden (N.C.) Christ School were playing Knightdale (N.C.) HIgh at the John Wall Holiday Invitational at Raleigh Broughton High, with NCSU coach Kevin Keatts, assistant coach Levi Watkins and assistant coach Brett Nelson in attendance. Knightdale guard Isaiah Green wen to the rim, got the dunk on Wilkins and then let him know about it.
I saw a side of Wilkins I hadn’t seen the last three-plus years — he was inspired and animated. The before and after with Wilkins and the dunk was stunning. Wilkins also showed that he can give it out with the trash talking after his own good plays, letting Green and the Knightdale coaches know it.
Wilkins finished with 21 points, 21 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in the win. Christ School went on to defeat Raleigh Grace Christian and senior wing Michael Phillips in the title game of their bracket. I got to watch the first of the tile game, but then NC State’s bowl game took place at same time. Wilkins picked up two fouls in the first half, so he had to play less minutes than he normally does and had a workmanlike 16 points.
Wilkins was one of the “must-get” guys for NC State and he should be a valued rotational big men next year. With Ismael Diouf and Dennis Parker back, the Wolfpack will likely try and target at least one but maybe two big men in the transfer portal this spring.
2. Richmond (Va.) John Marshall junior power forward Latrell Allmond against Wilkins was the matching up everyone hoped to see, but their schools were placed in dfferent brackets.
Allmond and John Marshall High topped senior small forward Nate Ament and Warrenton (Va.) Highland School in a defensive-minded battle. Allmond was named MVP and he got to show what it’s like with the program now built around him.
If Allmond’s name feels like he’s been around a long, long time, well, he has. I stumbled into making a trip to see Southern Pines (N.C.) O’Neal Schoool and Allmond play at Burlington (N.C.) Christian with worries about the roads being icy Jan. 28, 2022.
There wasn’t much known about Allmond, but he had a little video on YouTube and was intriguing and he was repeating the eighth grade.
Allmond had 16 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and made both three-pointers in a 54-44 win, and thus “the book” began. He later moved to Richmond, which is where Team Loaded VA is based, his traveling team organization.
NC State ended up offering Allmond the following June and the coaches got to see him play with Dennis Parker at John Marshall High.
NC State made sure to watch Allmond when they could at Broughton High. He’s going to have a national recruitment, but NC State should be positioned well. What’s interesting is that Allmond thinks colleges will let him be a wing. He’s a power forward for sure, and some schools might go with a smaller lineup and play him at center. The 6-8, 230-pounder is in better shape this season, is confident in his jumper and can pass the ball out of the block. He’s a sneak good shot-blocker. One of the games I filmed, he went for 24 points and 19 rebounds in a win over Southern Durham High. He had 15 points and eight boards in the title game against Highland.
It’s easy to envision seeing Allmond and Wilkins being good together on the same team.
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