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What does 4-star commit Jericole Hellems bring to the table?

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6 years ago

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Kevin Keatts hasn’t coached a single game at NC State yet, but he’s already snagged three 4-star recruits this offseason. Yesterday he landed the latest in 2018 4-star Jericole Hellems.

Hellems is a kid that was sort of under the radar until he blew up at Peach Jam this year. Since then, it’s been a pretty tough battle for his services. That battle was won yesterday when he committed to NC State.

Now it’s time for the question that every Wolfpack fan is asking. What does Hellems bring to the table?

We’ve watched all the video that the internet has to offer on Hellems, read all the scouting reports and quotes from coaches, and what you see is a kid that checks all the boxes. He’s not flashy. He’s not the highest jumper, best dunker, fastest end-to-end, best shooter in his class. In fact, he doesn’t grade out as elite with any of his tools. But while he doesn’t do anything great, but he does everything very good. In fact, I think what you are starting to see is that Keatts could care less about elite tools. He’s looking for kids that have high-quality tools coupled with elite intangibles.

If there was a way to grade out ‘intangibles’ then Hellems would be off the charts. This is a kid who is just starting to come into his own, but not because he shot up in height. He’s coming into his own because as you watch him, you can tell year by year that he has worked relentlessly on his game. He hasn’t been handed anything. He wasn’t some prized recruit as a freshman. He hasn’t been heavily recruited his entire HS career. In fact, just the opposite. He’s been questioned. Is he a good enough shooter to play at the next level? Will his athleticism play at a high-major? At 6’6, what position does he even play?

While everyone was busy asking questions Hellems transformed himself into a do-it-all wing.

Jumpshot: He refined his jumper, which now is one of his best assets. He has tight form, elbow-in with a clean release. You can tell it’s a jumper that has been honed with hours and hours of gym work.

Post (back to the basket): He has also worked on footwork and back to the basket moves in the post. He’s no-nonsense with his back to the basket and although he’s only 6’6, he’s smart about when he will back down a defender. Guard him with a smaller player and he handles him quickly in the post. He catches, makes contact and attacks the rim. But make no mistake, Hellems isn’t a back to the basket player by any means. He simply has the ability to do so in his tool belt. Usually, you’ll see him back down a guy his size, about 10 ft from the rim, to set him up for a mid-range jumper or step back.

Mid-range / off the dribble: His midrange, off-the-dribble game is deadly. He has a repertoire of moves off the dribble that make him very tough to guard for any size defender. He has a high percentage step-back jumper which he goes to quite a bit. He sets that up by initiating contact on the drive. He has a solid little floater that he uses a lot on baseline drives, and of course, if you give him any path the basket, he can really throw down.

Defense: Watch Hellems for a few minutes and immediately you see something different. The kid has a desire to play defense. Locking his man down is just as rewarding to him as putting up points. He’s a high motor kid and runs the floor well. But he is a swiss-army knife defender. He can guard a big, body him in the post and aggravate him with his quickness. Or he can guard a 2-guard and aggravate him with size. He sits down in a stance and plays good team defense. He anticipates and reads situations, allowing him to be successful in jumping the passing lanes and racking up steals. He also seems to get a lot of sneaky blocks in transition.

Work ethic: If you know one thing by now, its that Keatts likes this type of player. A guy who makes a play and doesn’t stare into the camera. Doesn’t do any hand gestures or posing. He likes a kid who makes a play, puts his head down and goes back to work. That exactly what you have in Jericole Hellems. He’s confident, but he knows he makes his money by grinding.

All of these pieces, when put together, give you a total-package wing whose versatility makes him highly sought after. He can guard 4 positions on the court. He is physical and relentless on both ends. He is a no-nonsense 4-year kid who is going to show up to work every day with a chip on his shoulder, out to prove people wrong.

Jericole Hellems is the quintessential Keatts player, but he’s also exactly the type of player that NC State should have always been building their team around. A blue-collar grind-it-out, earn-your-keep, just-win type of player. We think he’s going to be a guy that fans really enjoy watching grow and someone who is going to earn your respect day in and day out.

Check out some more video of Hellems. Here he is showcasing how he uses his jumper in all sorts of ways.

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

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5 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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17 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

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20 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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