NC State Basketball
4-Star Isaiah Miranda Commits to NC State, & Can Play Almost Immediately
NC State just picked up a commitment from 4-Star Forward/Center Isaiah Miranda (7’1″/225), who was the highest ranked uncommitted player in the 2023 recruiting class.
What makes this commitment all the more interesting is the fact that Miranda will be arriving on campus on Monday, and will be able to start practicing with the team right away. The reason this is possible, is because Miranda already graduated high school, and has been prepping a year at Southern California Academy. He is able to play for the Wolfpack after December 15th.
Instead of finishing out a full prep year, Miranda decided to go ahead and make an impact at the collegiate level during the 2nd semester.
“I have a personal commitment to work and they have a culture of work,” Miranda said. “Coach Keatts and his staff have a great history of developing pros and I fit into their playing style because they’re fast paced, they have a lot of pick-and-roll action, and play great defense.”
“I was just ready to work,” Miranda said of why he opted to head to college now, “and really looking forward to being developed by Coach Keatts and his staff.”
“I love basketball and I’m a big energy guy,” Miranda said. “I love to get up and down the floor, catch lobs, and block shots. I love to play defense and one of the reasons I picked NC State is their commitment to defense, which creates opportunities on offense. I can stretch the floor a little bit too.” (247)
Miranda will be be eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft, as he would have been even if he finished out his prep year at Southern California Academy, being 1-year removed from high school graduation.
From what I hear, the NC State staff thinks that Miranda will be around for longer than 1 semester, hoping that he will also play next season prior to going pro.
How is this scholarship available? Well, Miranda is taking the scholarship that was available for 4-star 2022 commitment Mady Traore, who has been delayed from arriving on campus due to visa issues and passing the english competency test.
Traore would have arrived on campus around the same time Miranda will be arriving, but the emergence of Miranda’s interest in NC State shifted things. From what I’m hearing, the plan is still for Traore to join the Wolfpack, albeit in April now.
The arrival of Miranda couldn’t come at a more opportune time, with Dusan Mahorcic suffering a knee injury last night.
ON3 ranks Miranda as the #16 overall player nationally in the 2023 recruiting class.
I am still holding out for THREE PARKERS.
All the Keatts haters on Packpride will be nuclear…
Icing on this ‘good news’ cake
This is perhaps the strangest turn of events I can recall in Pack basketball. Terrible turn of events one night, and the next day we sign the highest ranked player Keatts has ever signed – and he can play , and maybe even contribute, immediately.
I agree. This is as weird as a Hunter S. Thompson acid trip. I am still hoping Mahoric returns by Feb ala Whittenburg back in the day. I am pleased that we have a great recruit (rumored to be in school so that he will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2023). I am concerned that we lost a veteran who meshed well with the other players.
I can’t think of a more unexpected thing to happen. I wonder of this would have happenned anyhow without a Dusan injury. I assume so.
We can’t expect him to be ready to contribute a lot, looks pretty raw and that jumper starts at his stomach, Archie Miller could block that.
Still, excited about his overall potential and you can’t teach 7 foot. He’ll be a big asset on the practice floor at a minimum.
Somebody said he committed a week ago, just waited to announce.
Mady Traore is why this is happening. Traore may suit up next season. Interesting, dare I say, exciting turn of events??? Only have to wait till the 15th to see him play. Crazy!
This was in the works before Dusan went down. Had Miranda fallen through Traore could have joined in late December. Now it will be April for Traore.
Ah, got it. Thanks!