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Basketball Recruiting

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

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1 year ago

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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
1 year 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.

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Rev
Rev
1 year ago

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

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Papajohn
Papajohn
1 year ago

please!

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Basketball Recruiting

4-Star Combo Guard Silas Demary Jr. Planning Official Visit to NC State

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7 hours ago

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August 19, 2022

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2023 4-Star Combo Guard Silas Demary Jr. (6’4″/180) is planning on taking an official visit to NC State according to Joe Tipton of ON3.

NC State offered Demary back on July 19th. The #3 prospect out of the state of North Carolina (ON3) has already taken an Official Visit to Tennessee, and will be taking one to Southern California on September 3rd.

ON3 ranks Demary as the #61 overall player in the 2023 class nationally, while 247Sports ranks him 112th.

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Basketball Recruiting

NC State Showing Interest in 2023 4-Star PG Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

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2 days ago

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August 18, 2022

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2023 Point Guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (6’1″/170) shared with Stock Risers that NC State is one of the schools in hot pursuit of his talents.

Expect the offers to start coming in for Gibbs-Lawhorn, who originally committed to Purdue on December 16th of last year, but decommitted recently on August 3rd. Memphis came knocking on the door the next day, extending an offer on August 4th, and he will be taking an Official Visit there on September 23rd.

The Monteverde Academy (Monteverde, FL) standout is a consensus 4-star recruit, with 247Sports ranking him as the #47 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class.

Gibbs-Lawhorn is originally from Lafayette, Indiana.

 

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Basketball Recruiting

Raleigh native, 2023 4-star guard, Silas Demary Jr is considering NC State

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1 week ago

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August 12, 2022

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Kevin Keatts loves big combo guards. Kevin Keatts also loves scooping up local talent. That’s why it’s important to keep your eye on 6’4, 4-star guard Silas Demary Jr.

The Raleigh native currently plays for Liberty Heights in Charlotte after being a key piece to Millbrook High School’s (Raleigh) state championship. The move to Charlotte was to increase exposure and get on a team that plays a national schedule. It’s also worth noting that he was originally a 2022 prospect, but moved back a year because of COVID.

He’s a quick, physical guard who can handle the rock and score it on all 3 levels. NC State has upped their recruitment on Demary Jr. recently and he’s been vocal about NC State being in the mix.

Currently holding offers from Tennesee, Georgia Tech, and NC State among others, Demary Jr. is seeing his stock rise not just because of his play on the court, but thanks to his work off the court. You can see from the tape that he’s a high IQ player, but he’s also transferring that to the classrom where he holds a 4.0 GPA.

Keep your eye on this kid. He’s putting out a list of top schools here soon and all signs are pointing to NC State being listed.

More to come.

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Basketball Recruiting

4-star guard, brother of NBA lottery pick Jalen Green, taking an official to NC State

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1 week ago

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August 11, 2022

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2023 4-star, AJ Johnson, will be visiting NC State on September 24th, according to 247s Travis Banham.

Johnson is a 6’5 guard hailing from Woodland Hills, CA. He’s got a long wiry frame, a nice shot, good handles and a ton of athleticism.

Johnson is also the younger brother of Houston Rockets star Jalen Green, who was the 2nd overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. Green averaged 17 points in his rookie season.

Johnson is getting a ton of interest, but the only official visist he has set up are to NC State, Texas, USC, and LSU. It’s worth noting that Louisville, Gonzaga, and Kansas may be looking to get on that visit list as well.

Johnson started to get national attention when he went head to head with Bronnie James (Lebron’s son) and scored 15 pts.

This is worth keeing your eye on. It will be hard for NC State to out-recruit Gonzaga or Kansas if they get into the mix, however if the list stays as it is now, NC State has a shot here.

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