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NC State Basketball

Inside the Offseason: No Stone Left Unturned in July

Published

10 years ago

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Blistering heat and humidity is a staple in North Carolina this time of the year and July also marks the start of the summer recruiting swing. There are a multitude of camps, AAU tournaments, and opportunities to see the best of the best in action. Coaches must use careful planning and the resources at hand in order to make impressions on the kids they want to be a part of the Pack family.

All the coaches meet weekly to map out who will be where in order to put themselves in the best position possible to gain a commitment in the ultra competitive recruiting environment. This mean putting your assistant coaches in the places where they have the best reputation and having Gottfried show up at the right time to make a statement!

Assistant Coaches Orlando Early and Rob Moxley are key cogs in NC State’s recruiting efforts. Both work tirelessly in the summer and during the season in order to remain in contact with the top high school talents in the country. Coach Moxley has strong ties to the DC area from the time he was an assistant under Gary Williams, he also has a strong hold of North Carolina from his time at UNC Charlotte. Orlando Early has an excellent ability to work contacts and use his personality to appeal not only to players but their families as well.

It’s no coincidence that during Gottfried’s rein we have had nationally recognized recruiting classes. None of this could be accomplished without a commitment from our Athletic Director Debbie Yow as well as a support from our boosters. Yow has put an emphasis on upgrading facilities in order to draw the best talent to NC State. In my opinion Gottfried and his staff does an outstanding job at selling NC State as an academic institution and as a basketball program with a proud history of excellence.

The added resources of having the ability to charter planes in the offseason is a must if NC State wants to wage war with other top college basketball programs. The reason private charters are so important is simple….Time! NCAA regulations are strict and limit the amount of time coaches can recruit. Certain days and tournament are off limits. The best way to maximize your time is to have a plane at your disposal to take you wherever you need to go. This way Coach Gottfried and his assistants can see multiple target recruits no matter where their tournaments are.

Gottfried and his assistants are committed to recruiting and they spend countless hours on the trail. Not only have they brought in top high school talent, but also they have shown the versatility and creativity to bring the best available talent to campus. Transfers and JUCO talent have been a key element in their recruiting strategy. Ralston Turner, Trevor Lacey, Terry Henderson, Dez Lee, and Alex Johnson have all come to campus through alternative methods. Each of these players has had a big impact on our program or is expected to have one in the near future.

There is no doubt that with the support Gottfried and his staff is receiving from Yow and the boosters that we will continue to see even greater success on the recruiting trail. If you need more evidence take a look at the prospects that are considering State in the 2015 class. Upon last look there are a total of 8 inside ESPN Top 100 that list interest in NC State. I can assure you that our staff has a plan in place to land a couple of these prospects. It’s only a matter of time!

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NC State Basketball

ON3’s Jamie Shaw Puts in a Prediction Georgetown SF Transfer Dontrez Styles will Land at NC State

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4 hours ago

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April 15, 2024

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ON3’s Jamie Shaw put in an RPM earlier today for Georgetown Small Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles to land at NC State. All-time, Shaw’s prediction accuracy is 87%.

I spoke with a source, and it seems like this prediction has some merit.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #66 overall prospect in the Portal.

Styles was the 2nd leading scorer for Georgetown this season, averaging 12.8 points per game, while grabbing 5.8 boards. He shot 36.8% from three.

Originally, Sytles was a consensus 4-Star prospect in UNC’s 2021 recruiting class. 247Sports ranked him as the #62 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina, playing for Kinston High School.

After two seasons with the Tar Heels, Styles entered the Portal, and took an Official Visit to NC State and Georgetown, and ultimately chose the Hoyas.

With his final year of eligibility, maybe he’ll make the right choice this time.

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Tennessee Guard Freddie Dilione V is Visiting NC State Tomorrow

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16 hours ago

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April 15, 2024

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Tennessee Transfer Guard Freddie Dilone V (6’5″/195) is visiting NC State tomorrow.

Dilone V just wrapped up his Redshirt Freshman season with the Volunteers, averaging 1.7 points in 5.2 minutes of play per game (18 games).

In 2022, Dilone V was a consensus 4-Star prospect, and the #33 overall prospect nationally according to Rivals. ON3 and 247Sports both ranked Dilone V as the #1 player in the state of North Carolina, playing right down the road at Word of God Academy in Raleigh.

Currently, 247Sports ranks Dilone V as the #71 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #10 Combo Guard. He played his first three seasons of high school ball down in Fayetteville at Trinity Christian.

Dilone V has 3 more years of eligibility.

 

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PI EXCLUSIVE: 2024 4-Star Signee Paul McNeil Breaks Down His Thoughts On NC State’s Miraculous Run

Published

19 hours ago

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April 15, 2024

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The run the NC State Men’s Basketball team went on in March had the whole country watching, but what was it like to watch through the eyes of an incoming Freshman who will be joining the team next year? 4-Star 2024 Shooting Guard Paul McNeil shared his thoughts with me on the Wolfpack’s unforgettable run.

What was it like for you to watch NC State as the #10 seed in the ACC Tournament win 5 games in 5 days to win the Title?

What we did this year shows seeding doesn’t matter. What our guys did was just another level, and when you get between those lines, it’s a different type of static. I believe it took a lot of discipline and focus to win five games in five days. I also feel like the fan base played a huge part to the team by bringing extra energy and not making them feel alone.

What do you think happened to turn this team around?

You have to give God all the glory because without Him guiding us, we wouldn’t have made it how we made it. Also, it’s about the jersey you put on and the pride of it all. It’s like there’s no way we go out this way and they clicked at the right time. The team was just rolling and I also think the mentality of all the players changed.

As a player signed with NC State, how proud were you to see NC State go on this run, from the ACC Championship, to the Final Four?

I’m very proud of the guys. They deserved to win it all, but it just didn’t happen that way. I’ve been saying they were the best team in the ACC and I always knew we had the right pieces to be the best.

What does it mean for you to see Coach Keatts get the recognition he’s getting?

Oh man, he deserves it, especially coming from where he comes from and all the things he dealt with. With all the media attention, he still stayed focused and locked in towards the team. Coach Keatts is very blessed and very humble.

How do you think this run will help the future of NC State basketball?

It will put more eyes on us and teams know now to not overlook us and underestimate us ever again. It was never a Cinderella story — it was never ‘oh they just got lucky.’ This run will definitely help us a lot and I’m forever grateful for what the boys did.

_______

McNeil (6’7″/185) led Richmond to the semifinals of the NCHSAA 4A State Playoffs this season, before losing to #1 Hanover 55-53.

As a Senior at Richmond (Rockingham, NC), McNeil averaged 31.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.6 assists per game.

ON3 ranks McNeil as the #49 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class, the #15 Small Forward, and the #6 player on the state of NC.

McNeil is a part of a 2-man 2024 Freshman Class that includes 4-Star Guard Trey Parker.

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NC State Has Shown Interest in Oregon Transfer Forward Grace VanSlooten

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2 days ago

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April 14, 2024

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NC State has shown interest in Oregon Transfer Forward Grace VanSlooten (6’3″).

VanSlooten is one of the top players in the Transfer Portal, averaging 15.0 points and 7.1 rebounds as a Sophomore this past season for the Ducks, earning All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention. In her first year, she was a member of the Pac 12 All-Freshman Team, averaging 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds.

NC State is returning all three starters in their backcourt, but are losing both starters in their frontcourt in River Baldwin and Mimi Collins.

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