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State in Final 5 for 6’7 transfer, All-AAC forward & Richard Howell clone, Jayden Gardner

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Now, this is what we were expecting. Tuesday saw State mov into the Final 5 schools for transfer Jayden Gardner.

 

Kevin Keatts and his staff were one of the first to reach out to Jayden Gardner, a 6’7 beast of a forward from ECU. They held a virtual call last week and were hoping to reel in Gardner, who averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds for the Pirates on his way to an All-AAC selection.

Gardner was recruited some by NC State as a high school senior before committing to ECU, but the Wake Forest, NC native now as the chance to come home.

We say this is what we expected because as we mentioned multiple times after the NIT loss, Kevin Keatts needs to bring in another seasoned big man and he needs someone who is versatile and physical. Gardner fits the bill, but Keatts isn’t alone in wanting this kid. Virginia is involved, as is Arkansas, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Florida.

Gardner is a load, coming in at 235lbs, and he’s not afraid to throw his weight around. But don’t get it twisted, this kid is very quick, has great footwork, can finish around the rim, and has a nice little jumper on him. He’s not a high-flyer, but he has a lot of Richard Howell to his game. Undersized, but with elite strength and just in the business of playing bully-ball in the paint. He is an inch sorter and 15 lbs lighter, but he also is quicker off the bounce and has a better perimeter game than Howell did. Don’t trust us? Need to be reminded of what Howell’s game looked like? Here…

This is a guy that fits NC State’s needs right now. With Funderburk leaving, NC State has a huge hole at the 4 and Jayden Gardner would absolutely fill that need. He can be assured major minutes from the start and would immediately sure up their frontcourt. This would also give Ernest Ross (4 star forward) a chance to get acclimated to the ACC.

While he normally would be a senior next season, he will be joining his new team as a junior with 2 years of eligibility left (thanks to COVID rules).

We’ll have more on this as it breaks…

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travelwolf
travelwolf
2 years ago

I just have two words for him if he comes here… that will make him A LOT better… “Manny Bates”. Most of those shots would be blocked in practice. He does have good handles and a decent shot. Could really improve here.

Rev
Rev
2 years ago

“Richard Howell clone” pretty big words. However, would love to have him to help Manny up front.

Papajohn
Papajohn
2 years ago

please!

Basketball Recruiting

2025 4-Star SF Jackson Keith was at the NC State vs. UNC Game

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Earlier today, I mentioned Wolfpack prospects 4-Star 2025 Power Forward Sadiq White Jr., 4-Star 2025 Point Guard Jordan Lowery, and 2026 Point Guard Kobe Edwards would be visiting for the NC State vs. UNC game.

4-Star 2025 Small Forward Jackson Keith (6’5″/175) was also in attendance.


Keith is a consensus 4-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, with Rivals ranking him as the #53 overall player in the class. The Southern High (Durham, NC) standout is ranked as the #2 player in the state of North Carolina in the 2025 class by ESPN.

Keith holds offers from NC State, Wake Forest, Mississippi St., Illinois, SMU, Virginia Tech, LSU and others.

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Basketball Recruiting

NC State Recruits that Will Be in Attendance for the UNC Game Tonight

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NC State (11-3) will host #7 UNC (11-3) tonight in PNC Arena, and they also will be hosting a couple of recruiting prospects.

4-Star 2025 Power Forward Sadiq White Jr. and 4-Star 2025 Point Guard Jordan Lowery both confirmed with me that they will be in attendance.



White, who plays for Myers Park (Charlotte) is the consensus #1 player in the state of North Carolina in the 2025 recruiting class, and he’s 4 spots away from being a 5-star prospect according to ON3. Lowery plays for Winston-Salem Christian School, and is ranked as the #7 overall player in the state of North Carolina in the 2025 recruiting class according to 247Sports.

White holds offers from NC State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, LSU, FSU, Illinois, Virginia Tech, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Georgetown, Ohio State and others. Lowery holds offers from NC State, TCU, Virginia Tech, SMU, Oklahoma St., Kansas St. St. Louis and others.

2026 Point Guard Kobe Edwards also told me he will be in attendance.


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Basketball Recruiting

NC State is 1 of the Schools 4-Star PG Kayden Mingo is Hearing from the Most

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4-Star 2025 Point Guard Kayden Mingo (6’1″/160) stated that NC State is one of the schools most frequently reaching out to him, along with Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Cal and Old Dominion.

Despite the Wolfpack’s interest in Mingo, they haven’t offered him yet. Mingo currently holds offers from Cal, Penn State, Saint Louis, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Rivals and ESPN both rank Mingo as a 4-Star prospect, with Rivals ranking him as the #70 overall player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class.

Mingo plays for Long Island Lutheran in New York, which is one of the top teams in the country. He is currently the Nike EYBL Scholastic’s leading scorer (20ppg).

 

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Basketball Recruiting

Highlights of NC State 2024 Signee Paul McNeil from the John Wall Holiday Invitational

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NC State 2024 signee Paul McNeil Jr. showcased his talent at the 2023 John Wall Holiday Invitational at the end of the year. Below are highlights from his first two games.

In Richmond’s 77-62 win over Jordan in their first game of the invitational, McNeil had 27 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals.

In Game 2, McNeil had 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists in Richmond’s 53-56 loss to Northwood.

In Game 3, McNeil had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in Richmond’s 68-84 loss to Cannon. I couldn’t find any highlights from this particular game.

Through 11 games this season, McNeil is averaging 29.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. He is shooting 52% from the field and 35% from three.

 

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