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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

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is Currently Visiting NC State

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4 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is on a visit to NC State currently, according to a source.

Indiana State Transfer Ryan Conwell was on campus last week, but he just committed to Xavier.

From what I hear, the staff preferred James over Connell anyway. A plus with James is he has 2 years of eligibility, whereas Conwell has 1.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

Rivals ranked James as the #71 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, and ESPN ranked him as the #7 prospect in the state of Florida.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years. This year, he averaged 12.6 points and 5 rebounds.

For a more extensive look at James’ game, click here.

Rivals ranks James as the #77 overall player in the Transfer Portal.

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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James is a Priority for NC State

Published

8 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) is a priority for NC State, according to a source.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

NC State already hosted Indiana State Transfer Guard Ryan Conwell last week, and while the Wolfpack coaches like both players, from what I’m hearing, James would be their preference.

NC State hasn’t had James in for a visit, but that could happen soon.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining.

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Casey Morsell is the 4th Player in NCAA History to Start 41 Games in a Season

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13 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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NC State Guard Casey Morsell started 41 games for the Wolfpack this season, becoming the 4th player in NCAA history to do so.

 

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Prior to this season, the record for most games started in a single season in NC State history was 37, with three Wolfpack players doing so: Lorenzo Brown, Richard Howell, CJ Williams.

Morsell now sits atop the list, and a fellow teammate, DJ Burns ranks second, with 40 games started this season.

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NC State Basketball

Georgetown Transfer Dontrez Styles Commits to NC State!

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24 hours ago

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April 18, 2024

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Georgetown Forward Transfer Dontrez Styles (6’6″/212) has committed to NC State!

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.

ON3 ranks Styles as the #104 overall player in the Portal.

With his final year of eligibility, Styles’ made the right choice this time.

NC State now has 2 scholarships remaining after Styles’ commitment.

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