Closer Look: NC State Recruiting
NC State has always been a program that has had the tools to be a big-time basketball destination. A steady football program, money from boosters, top-notch facilities, and a huge fan base. Over the past few years The Wolfpack have been lucky to land some top in-state prospects but never could quite get the job done in their eyes as being able to compete in the ACC.
With the firing of Mark Gottfried, NC State went with UNC-Wilmington head coach Kevin Keatts to try and restore order to their program. Since day one, Keatts has already made an impact on the recruiting trail.
Starting out at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, Keatts would go on to win a national championship at Louisville under Rick Pitino as an assistant coach and then on to UNC-Wilmington with multiple trip to the NCAA tournament.
He has already landed some top level North Carolina bred recruits in his short time at the helm of the Raleigh based school. Assistant coach Takayo Siddle is also a big reason behind some of these recruiting hauls sos far.
Lavar BattsFirst, Keatts landed a commitment from former VCU recruit and PrepHoopsNC’s top ranked player Lavar Batts from Jay M. Robinson High School outside of Charlotte. Batts is an ACC-level player who should come in and play right away at the point guard spot. He is long and athletic, a blur in the open floor and fits Keatts system.
Next, Keatts and Siddle managed to get a grad year out of former Dudley High School scoring guard Sam Hunt who transferred from North Carolina A&T. Hunt spent his first two collegiate years at Jacksonville. He is known to be able to fill it up with a smooth mid-range jumper and a ability to handle the ball and score with it in his hands.
Just last week, Keatts got a commitment from UNC-Wilmington standout sophomore CJ Bryce, who was a under-recruited wing out of North Mecklenburg High School outside of Charlotte. Bryce is a ACC-level guy who can come in and contribute.
As of right now, nobody is recruiting the Tar Heel state as hard as Keatts and it is starting to pay off with some kids that should have been playing at this level to begin with.