Inside the Offseason: No Stone Left Unturned in July

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!