This weekend will be a busy one for The Wolfpacker staff. Ryan Tice will anchor the coverage at Saturday's Kay Yow Spring Game at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Meanwhile, Matt Carter will be at Russell Wilson's old stomping grounds, Collegiate School in Richmond, Va., to watch the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour stop there.
As we have previously noted, State is putting a big emphasis on recruiting the state of Virginia in this cycle, and we anticipate there being close to 20 potential NCSU targets at this event Saturday. Carter and Tice will then be in Charlotte on Sunday to check out the Under Armour Camp at Mallard Creek High to see the best players from the Carolinas perform.
Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer High defensive tackle Kobe Smith, a three-star Wolfpack pledge, will be in Charlotte along with fellow NCSU commits Harrison Gee, guard/center from Burlington (N.C.) Williams High, and Dylan Parham, quarterback from Southeast Raleigh High. In Richmond, three-star safety and NCSU recruit Tim Glass from Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy is expected to perform.
Meanwhile, Jacey Zembal will be spending the bulk of the weekend in Hampton, Va., for the opening of the Nike EYBL summer AAU circuit.
***
On the football recruiting trail, most eyes right now are on three-star tight end Garrett Walston from Wilmington (N.C.) New Hanover High. Walston visited UNC on Thursday, which we understand marks Walston's third trip to Chapel Hill since January.
Walston visited NC State last week, and there is a chance he could be at NC State on Saturday for the spring game. Like UNC, Walston has been to NCSU repeated times.
The general vibe is that Walston will decide by the first of May. NCSU feels good about its chances, but we get the sense so does UNC. Walston is the son of a UNC grad and has other Chapel Hill influences in his family, and he also admits to growing up a Tar Heel fan.
However, Walston nearly committed to NCSU already, has a strong relationship with running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings and is friends with both NC State redshirt freshman defensive tackle Coult Culler and former Wolfpack tight end George Bryan. NC State was also Walston's first offer.
Walston is expected to be in Charlotte Sunday for the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour, and we hope to get a sense of where things stand in the home stretch of his recruitment.
***
One other recruit we are watching, Havelock (N.C.) High five-star linebacker Keion Joyner. The No. 17 player in the country may be a visitor tomorrow for the spring game, we are told.
***
As for the spring game, we have not heard a ton coming out of spring this year, partly due to the focus being on basketball. Some tidbits we have gathered:
- Of the six early enrollees, it appears that defensive end Darian Roseboro, nickel Freddie Phillips and linebacker Riley Nicholson are in good position to get on the field this fall, the latter two perhaps more so on special teams.
Roseboro is helped this spring by injuries to fifth-year senior Mike Rose and redshirt freshman Deonte Holden, which gave Roseboro plenty of reps in practice. Phillips' above-average athleticism with his size and ball skills was what attracted NCSU, and for him it is about nailing down the nuances of playing the position.
Nicholson struck us as a natural at linebacker in the first practice going through drills. He will however be pushed this fall by soon-to-healthy redshirt junior M.J. Salahuddin.
Running back Reggie Gallaspy has also impressed and is in the mix for early playing time, but of course he will have some added competition coming in the summer.
- Offensively we continue to hear that receiver is the main area of concern. Injuries to sophomore Stephen Louis and juniors Bra'Lon Cherry and Johnathan Alston probably did not help, although Cherry is expected to play Saturday.
Nevertheless, we do get the vibe that has been the area on offense that will remain a sizeable question mark entering the fall. A return to health and the addition of several freshmen, including Nyheim Hines who could play both receiver and running back, may help. Hines, incidentally, we are told will wear No. 7 at NCSU.
Junior running back Matt Dayes also told us this week that he has gotten some reps at receiver.
- Defensively, the line remains the big question mark. Like receiver, injuries have been tough there. Also like receiver, most of them should be full strength come the fall although we have heard conflicting reports on junior tackle Monty Nelson.
The good news is sophomore Bradley Chubb has gotten strong reviews since his move to defensive end. Overall though it is an extremely young unit, with just two players on the unit either a junior or senior (Rose and Nelson).
***
NC State coaches will be hitting the road to watch players at various shoe-sponsored events tonight-through-Sunday afternoon.
There will be some "baby-sitting" going on, but definitely a lot of talent evaluating. There is a core group of players that NC State has been recruiting since July evaluation period (or longer), but the Wolfpack will be picking things up in 2017 and a little bit in 2018. It wouldn't be surprising if another 4-5 offers go out in the class of 2016 based on this weekend and then April 24-26.
To give an example, NC State watched Abdul-Malik Abu play with Expressions Elite at this time two years ago in April 2013. He played well in a California event for Nike, and then was impressive in Hampton, Va., and was offered a few days later. The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League kicks off this weekend in Hampton, and usually the star power wears the swoosh, but looking at the 2016 rankings, only six top 20 players are expected to be in attendance:
2. Harry Giles, CP3, power forward
3. Jayson Tatum, St. Louis Eagles, small forward
7. Malik Monk, Arkansas Wings, shooting guard
11. De'Aaron Fox, Houston Hoops, point guard
12. V.J. King, Team Takeover, small forward
20. Omari Spellman, PSA Cardinals, power forward (Villanova commit)
NC State had offered Giles, Tatum, Fox and King, and the Wolfpack are hanging in with the latter two.
Key targets that NC State will follow around in Hampton will likely include junior small forward Miles Bridges of Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, who plays for The Family, and he's ranked No. 28 in the class of 2016, and perhaps junior center Tony Bradley of Bartow (Fla.) High, who is ranked No. 36 and is with Each 1 Teach 1.
Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic sophomore small forward D.J. Harvey, who will play with Team Takeover, could be the biggest target in the class of 2017 at the Nike EYBL. He is currently ranked No. 13 overall by Rivals.com.
Sophomore center Zach Brown is another potential target, who got offered in early December. He's a 7-1, 256-pound center from Miami Senior High, and plays for Nike South Beach.
NC State assistant coaches Orlando Early and Rob Moxley will be in Dallas for an adidas-sponsored event, and head coach Mark Gottfried will also likely be spending the majority of his time there. Moxley will also be in New Orleans for a handful of players in an Under Armour event.
The baby-sitting will occur in Dallas with Team Loaded NC's Dennis Smith Jr., a junior point guard from Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian, and Pinetown (N.C.) Northside junior center Edrice Adebayo. Smith is ranked No. 4 in the class of 2016 and Adebayo is at No. 8, and both have NC State offers. There is little doubt an NC State coach will watch their every game in April and July.
Simply put, landing that duo will put NC State in rarefied recruiting air. Looking at the tea leaves in 2016, NC State is joining Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina, as programs that are looking to land a combination of great players. Giles and Tatum are both listing Kentucky, Duke and UNC, while Smith also has Duke and UNC on him, and Adebayo's list also includes Kentucky and North Carolina. One or two schools are about to clean up it appears.
Other juniors of note at adidas include Alpharetta (Ga.) St. Francis School junior point guard Kobi Simmons of the Atlanta Celtics, and junior shooting guard Rawle Alkins of Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ the King, who is with the New York Rens. Rivals.com ranks Simmons No. 13 and Alkins is No. 27, and NCSU has offered both. The latter has unofficially visited NC State, so give him the edge on being a true mutual recruiting target.
The top young target at the adidas event in Dallas is Saginaw (Mich.) Arthur Hill sophomore small forward Brian Bowen, who has switched from The Family to Michigan Mustangs. He played with former NC State target Eric Davis in high school, and is the nephew of Philadelphia 76ers small forward Jason Richardson. NC State offered him last year.
The X-factor in Dallas remains junior small forward Maverick Rowan of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons, who is expected to play with Ohio Basketball Club. The 6-5, 180-pound Rowan is ranked No. 43 overall in the class of 2016, and is pondering a move to 2015. Some sources indicate that Rowan will have to transfer to another high school to make the move to 2015. NC State fans should probably hope he remains in 2016 because the popular leader in 2015 remains Louisville.
The Under Armour event features junior shooting guard Markelle Fultz of DeMatha Catholic, who picked up an NC State offer this winter, and junior small forward DeAndre Hunter of Wynnewood (Pa.) Friends Central. Fultz is ranked No. 25 overall in class of 2016, and Hunter is No. 133.
Rivals.com No. 1 ranked junior Josh Jackson of Detroit, who attends Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, will also be at the Under Armour event, and he does list NC State among his top nine.
What happens this month will lead to either elation or heartbreak that annually occurs in August, when players make their lists more realistic and starting scheduling official visits.
***
We have some exciting news to present for the future of the site. Rivals.com is ready to launch a new message board. We had a chance to preview these boards back in January and can say that they are a noted improvement in functionality and design.
The hope had been to release the new message boards before signing day, but Rivals was also committed to not releasing the new boards until certain performance standards were confidently met in test runs. Starting next Wednesday, the Rivals main board will be the first to transition over.
If all goes well and as planned, on Monday, April 20, the team sites will then transition over to the new formats. We had a chance to test out the new boards, as mentioned previously, and we can say that it is not an overwhelming change that will require extensive times of adjusting. However, we expect it will be a smoother and much more appreciated message board.
This post was edited on 4/10 2:54 PM by VanillaTice
As we have previously noted, State is putting a big emphasis on recruiting the state of Virginia in this cycle, and we anticipate there being close to 20 potential NCSU targets at this event Saturday. Carter and Tice will then be in Charlotte on Sunday to check out the Under Armour Camp at Mallard Creek High to see the best players from the Carolinas perform.
Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer High defensive tackle Kobe Smith, a three-star Wolfpack pledge, will be in Charlotte along with fellow NCSU commits Harrison Gee, guard/center from Burlington (N.C.) Williams High, and Dylan Parham, quarterback from Southeast Raleigh High. In Richmond, three-star safety and NCSU recruit Tim Glass from Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy is expected to perform.
Meanwhile, Jacey Zembal will be spending the bulk of the weekend in Hampton, Va., for the opening of the Nike EYBL summer AAU circuit.
***
On the football recruiting trail, most eyes right now are on three-star tight end Garrett Walston from Wilmington (N.C.) New Hanover High. Walston visited UNC on Thursday, which we understand marks Walston's third trip to Chapel Hill since January.
Walston visited NC State last week, and there is a chance he could be at NC State on Saturday for the spring game. Like UNC, Walston has been to NCSU repeated times.
The general vibe is that Walston will decide by the first of May. NCSU feels good about its chances, but we get the sense so does UNC. Walston is the son of a UNC grad and has other Chapel Hill influences in his family, and he also admits to growing up a Tar Heel fan.
However, Walston nearly committed to NCSU already, has a strong relationship with running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Des Kitchings and is friends with both NC State redshirt freshman defensive tackle Coult Culler and former Wolfpack tight end George Bryan. NC State was also Walston's first offer.
Walston is expected to be in Charlotte Sunday for the Rivals Camp Series presented by Under Armour, and we hope to get a sense of where things stand in the home stretch of his recruitment.
***
One other recruit we are watching, Havelock (N.C.) High five-star linebacker Keion Joyner. The No. 17 player in the country may be a visitor tomorrow for the spring game, we are told.
***
As for the spring game, we have not heard a ton coming out of spring this year, partly due to the focus being on basketball. Some tidbits we have gathered:
- Of the six early enrollees, it appears that defensive end Darian Roseboro, nickel Freddie Phillips and linebacker Riley Nicholson are in good position to get on the field this fall, the latter two perhaps more so on special teams.
Roseboro is helped this spring by injuries to fifth-year senior Mike Rose and redshirt freshman Deonte Holden, which gave Roseboro plenty of reps in practice. Phillips' above-average athleticism with his size and ball skills was what attracted NCSU, and for him it is about nailing down the nuances of playing the position.
Nicholson struck us as a natural at linebacker in the first practice going through drills. He will however be pushed this fall by soon-to-healthy redshirt junior M.J. Salahuddin.
Running back Reggie Gallaspy has also impressed and is in the mix for early playing time, but of course he will have some added competition coming in the summer.
- Offensively we continue to hear that receiver is the main area of concern. Injuries to sophomore Stephen Louis and juniors Bra'Lon Cherry and Johnathan Alston probably did not help, although Cherry is expected to play Saturday.
Nevertheless, we do get the vibe that has been the area on offense that will remain a sizeable question mark entering the fall. A return to health and the addition of several freshmen, including Nyheim Hines who could play both receiver and running back, may help. Hines, incidentally, we are told will wear No. 7 at NCSU.
Junior running back Matt Dayes also told us this week that he has gotten some reps at receiver.
- Defensively, the line remains the big question mark. Like receiver, injuries have been tough there. Also like receiver, most of them should be full strength come the fall although we have heard conflicting reports on junior tackle Monty Nelson.
The good news is sophomore Bradley Chubb has gotten strong reviews since his move to defensive end. Overall though it is an extremely young unit, with just two players on the unit either a junior or senior (Rose and Nelson).
***
NC State coaches will be hitting the road to watch players at various shoe-sponsored events tonight-through-Sunday afternoon.
There will be some "baby-sitting" going on, but definitely a lot of talent evaluating. There is a core group of players that NC State has been recruiting since July evaluation period (or longer), but the Wolfpack will be picking things up in 2017 and a little bit in 2018. It wouldn't be surprising if another 4-5 offers go out in the class of 2016 based on this weekend and then April 24-26.
To give an example, NC State watched Abdul-Malik Abu play with Expressions Elite at this time two years ago in April 2013. He played well in a California event for Nike, and then was impressive in Hampton, Va., and was offered a few days later. The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League kicks off this weekend in Hampton, and usually the star power wears the swoosh, but looking at the 2016 rankings, only six top 20 players are expected to be in attendance:
2. Harry Giles, CP3, power forward
3. Jayson Tatum, St. Louis Eagles, small forward
7. Malik Monk, Arkansas Wings, shooting guard
11. De'Aaron Fox, Houston Hoops, point guard
12. V.J. King, Team Takeover, small forward
20. Omari Spellman, PSA Cardinals, power forward (Villanova commit)
NC State had offered Giles, Tatum, Fox and King, and the Wolfpack are hanging in with the latter two.
Key targets that NC State will follow around in Hampton will likely include junior small forward Miles Bridges of Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, who plays for The Family, and he's ranked No. 28 in the class of 2016, and perhaps junior center Tony Bradley of Bartow (Fla.) High, who is ranked No. 36 and is with Each 1 Teach 1.
Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic sophomore small forward D.J. Harvey, who will play with Team Takeover, could be the biggest target in the class of 2017 at the Nike EYBL. He is currently ranked No. 13 overall by Rivals.com.
Sophomore center Zach Brown is another potential target, who got offered in early December. He's a 7-1, 256-pound center from Miami Senior High, and plays for Nike South Beach.
NC State assistant coaches Orlando Early and Rob Moxley will be in Dallas for an adidas-sponsored event, and head coach Mark Gottfried will also likely be spending the majority of his time there. Moxley will also be in New Orleans for a handful of players in an Under Armour event.
The baby-sitting will occur in Dallas with Team Loaded NC's Dennis Smith Jr., a junior point guard from Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian, and Pinetown (N.C.) Northside junior center Edrice Adebayo. Smith is ranked No. 4 in the class of 2016 and Adebayo is at No. 8, and both have NC State offers. There is little doubt an NC State coach will watch their every game in April and July.
Simply put, landing that duo will put NC State in rarefied recruiting air. Looking at the tea leaves in 2016, NC State is joining Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina, as programs that are looking to land a combination of great players. Giles and Tatum are both listing Kentucky, Duke and UNC, while Smith also has Duke and UNC on him, and Adebayo's list also includes Kentucky and North Carolina. One or two schools are about to clean up it appears.
Other juniors of note at adidas include Alpharetta (Ga.) St. Francis School junior point guard Kobi Simmons of the Atlanta Celtics, and junior shooting guard Rawle Alkins of Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ the King, who is with the New York Rens. Rivals.com ranks Simmons No. 13 and Alkins is No. 27, and NCSU has offered both. The latter has unofficially visited NC State, so give him the edge on being a true mutual recruiting target.
The top young target at the adidas event in Dallas is Saginaw (Mich.) Arthur Hill sophomore small forward Brian Bowen, who has switched from The Family to Michigan Mustangs. He played with former NC State target Eric Davis in high school, and is the nephew of Philadelphia 76ers small forward Jason Richardson. NC State offered him last year.
The X-factor in Dallas remains junior small forward Maverick Rowan of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons, who is expected to play with Ohio Basketball Club. The 6-5, 180-pound Rowan is ranked No. 43 overall in the class of 2016, and is pondering a move to 2015. Some sources indicate that Rowan will have to transfer to another high school to make the move to 2015. NC State fans should probably hope he remains in 2016 because the popular leader in 2015 remains Louisville.
The Under Armour event features junior shooting guard Markelle Fultz of DeMatha Catholic, who picked up an NC State offer this winter, and junior small forward DeAndre Hunter of Wynnewood (Pa.) Friends Central. Fultz is ranked No. 25 overall in class of 2016, and Hunter is No. 133.
Rivals.com No. 1 ranked junior Josh Jackson of Detroit, who attends Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, will also be at the Under Armour event, and he does list NC State among his top nine.
What happens this month will lead to either elation or heartbreak that annually occurs in August, when players make their lists more realistic and starting scheduling official visits.
***
We have some exciting news to present for the future of the site. Rivals.com is ready to launch a new message board. We had a chance to preview these boards back in January and can say that they are a noted improvement in functionality and design.
The hope had been to release the new message boards before signing day, but Rivals was also committed to not releasing the new boards until certain performance standards were confidently met in test runs. Starting next Wednesday, the Rivals main board will be the first to transition over.
If all goes well and as planned, on Monday, April 20, the team sites will then transition over to the new formats. We had a chance to test out the new boards, as mentioned previously, and we can say that it is not an overwhelming change that will require extensive times of adjusting. However, we expect it will be a smoother and much more appreciated message board.
This post was edited on 4/10 2:54 PM by VanillaTice
