The AAU circuit is just getting into full swing and this weekend a couple of State recruits are taking the floor in Houston at the Nike EYBL. Dennis Smith Jr. continues to show why he is regarded as one of the best prospects in the 2016 class and the best point guard. Dennis usually doesn’t play in the Nike series as his Team Loaded is Adidas but with Adidas having no events this weekend he suited up with Team Penny.
Yesterday he went off scoring 29 points on 8-16 shooting and going 11-12 from the foul line. Then for good measure he added 4 steals, 5 rebounds, and 2 dimes. The main thing I like about Smith’s performance is how he relentlessly attacks, gets himself to the foul line, then knocks them down.
Check out this video of Smith posterizing a big man from the baseline: Remember he is 6-1!
Another target Coach Gottfried is after is DeShawn Corprew who plays for the Virginia based Boo Williams AAU team. Corprew is a 6-5 190 pound wing who is currently a 3 star recruit in the 2016 class; however, I can see him rising up the rankings after this summer. Yesterday he showed an improved jump shot and continues to play with a high motor. He finished the game with 19 points on 9-11 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Check out Corprew at the first session of Nike EYBL:
A local product of Cardinal Gibbons High School, Maverick Rowan is also playing in Houston. Rowan is a 6-6 200 pound shooting guard who is more than capable of lighting up the scoring column. Thus far in Nike EYBL he is the 11th leading scorer at 18.7 per game as he suits up for Each 1 Teach 1 out of Florida. Maverick brings great size and versatility to the guard/forward spot as he uses a variety of moves to score the basketball. One of the things that he does well is not settling for jump shots, he is decent at putting the ball on the floor and getting to the charity stripe. I think this is a must for any big time scorer! Rowan would be a welcome addition to the Pack as he can space the floor from the outside and may be one of the better outside shooters in the 2016 class.
Here are some highlights of Rowan as he scored 35 points in the City Of Palms Classic:
There is no doubt that 2016 is loaded with talent and hopefully Coach Gottfried will get his targets to commit to the Pack!
4-Star Guard/Forward Bryce Heard has verbally committed to NC State! He chose to Run with the Wolfpack over a Final 4 that also included USC, Mississippi St., and Xavier.
Heard took an Official Visit to NC State beginning on June 23rd.
247Sports, ESPN and Rivals all rank Heard as a 4-Star prospect. Rivals ranks him as the #95 overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class. 247Sports ranks him as the #16 Combo Guard in the class, and they also rank him as the #2 player in the state of Illinois.
As a Junior this past season at Homewood-Flossmoor (Chicago, Illinois), Heard averaged 19 point, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Heard is the 3rd member of NC State’s 2024 recruiting class, joining 4-Star Guard/Forward Paul McNeil and 3-Star Guard Trey Parker.
4-Star 2025 Guard Davion Hannah (6’5″/180) released his Top-9 schools yesterday, and NC State made the cut along with Alabama, Pitt, Xavier, Cincinnati, Michigan St., Louisville, Ohio St. and Wisconsin.
2025 Top 30 Davion Hannah (@Davionhannah25) has cut his list of schools to Nine!
Hannah will be taking an Official Visit to NC State on October 5th.
NC State offered Hannah on June 19th.
Hannah is right on the cusp of being a 5-star prospect. 247Sports ranks him as the #27 overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class, the #4 Combo Guard, and the #3 player in the state of Missouri.
This past season as a Junior at Nicolet High School (Glendale, Wisconsin), Hannah averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. He also just participated in the NBA Top 100 camp, and was one of the standouts.
For his Senior season, Hannah has transferred to Link Academy in Branson, Missouri.
Rivals ranks Adams as the #16 overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class. ESPN and 247Sports rank him as the #4 Shooting Guard in the class. 247Sports and ON3 rank him as the #2 player in the state of Indiana, playing for La Lumiere School in La Porte.
He has also scheduled Official Visits to Tennessee, Michigan St., Alabama, UCONN and Notre Dame.
4-Star 2025 Guard/Forward Bryce Heard (6’6″/190) has trimmed his list of schools to 4, with NC State making the cut along with USC, Mississippi St. and Xavier. He will be announcing his college decision next Wednesday, July 24th.
NEWS: 2025 4⭐️ Bryce Heard (@Bryceheard_) tells @LeagueRDY he’s officially cut his list to four schools:
— 24/7 High School Hoops (@247HSHoops) July 16, 2024
Heard took an Official Visit to NC State beginning on June 23rd.
247Sports, ESPN and Rivals all rank Heard as a 4-Star prospect. Rivals ranks him as the #95 overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class. 247Sports ranks him as the #16 Combo Guard in the class, and they also rank him as the #2 player in the state of Illinois.
As a Junior this past season at Homewood-Flossmoor (Chicago, Illinois), Heard averaged 19 point, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
From where things currently stand, NC State looks like they are in a good position to land Heard.
