Basketball Recruiting Update

Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball66

It sounds like super-stud post man, JJ Hickson will be in Raleigh this weekend for a visit for the Boston College football game. After the loss of Cedric Simmons (and the expected loss of Andrew Brackman), Hickson would be a HUGE boon to NC State’s future.

In fact, Sidney Lowe and the Wolfpack remain among the top two or three choices for three of the consensus Top 35 high school players in the country – JJ Hickson, Chris Wright and Tracy Smith (who has scheduled a visit to co-leader Oklahoma State in late October). If the Wolfpack could complement Johnny Thomas’ commitment with a dream scenario of the three aforementioned recruits, Coach Lowe could safely choose NOT to expend the program’s 13th scholarship, giving him at least two (always potential for more to open) for the talented 2008 class in which he would have much more opportunity to position himself for “his” players.

Projected 2007-2008 NC State basketball Roster

Senior Class
(1) Gavin Grant (G/F)

Junior Class
(2) Courtney Fells (G)
(3) Ben McCauley (F/C)

Sophomore Class
(4) Brandon Costner (hopefully gets redshirt) (F)
(5) Trevor Ferguson (G)
(6) Dennis Horner (F)
(7) Fernold Degand (G)
(8) Bartosz Lewandowski (C)

Freshman Class
(9) Johnny Thomas
(10) N/A
(11) N/A
(12) N/A
(13) N/A

If you want to see some recent entries, information and conversations regarding NC State Basketball then simply click here. Additionally, David Glenn has posted a very nice update on Big Four recruiting on his blog.

Just a few months into coach Sidney Lowe’s tenure at N.C. State, a few things already are clear. Leading the good news is the fact that Lowe, a 46-year-old former Wolfpack guard (think 1983 NCAA championship), has the charisma, naturally bubbly personality and top-notch public-relations skills his predecessor Herb Sendek lacked. Lowe loves to talk, smiles a lot, and generally relates well to 17-year-olds, their parents, their coaches, the media and fans.

More good news: The new staff is aiming high with the Class of 2007 and has the Wolfpack in the running for three top-50 prospects: D.C. point guard Chris Wright (visit; top three), North Carolina forward Tracy Smith (top two) and Georgia big man J.J. Hickson (top five).

The bad news — potentially — is that the Pack is trailing for Wright and Hickson, it’s merely a co-favorite (with Oklahoma State) for Smith, and it’s unclear if there are enough viable backup plans. State does have a commitment from top-150 North Carolina forward Johnny Thomas, a very strong and athletic 6-6, 215-pounder who wants to play on the wing in college but offers skills that make him look more like an undersized power forward right now. Another player who will become eligible for the Pack in 2007-08 is Iowa State point guard transfer Farnold Degand, who’s already on campus but must sit out the upcoming season.

With at least four more scholarships available for the high school senior class, State will continue to look for help at every position in an attempt to upgrade its suddenly talent-thin roster. Months after watching Sendek’s last recruiting class fall apart, Lowe received the news in September that rising junior forward Andrew Brackman (a projected 2006-07 starter) likely will give up basketball and focus exclusively on baseball, where the 6-10, right-handed flame-thrower projects as a possible first-round pick next year.

In addition to Wright, Smith and Hickson, the Wolfpack continues to watch New York wing guard Rashad Green (now at a Maine prep school), Georgia forward Chris Barnes, North Carolina forward Kenny Belton, Kentucky forward Jeff Brooks, D.C. forward Jamar Samuels and Hargrave Military Academy forward Mike Scott. The unheralded Green, brother of North Carolina swingman Danny Green, attempted to commit to the Pack this summer, but the NCSU coaches had not yet extended a firm scholarship offer.

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Basketball Recruiting General NCS Basketball

66 Responses to Basketball Recruiting Update

  1. packpigskinfan23 09/20/2006 at 1:55 PM #

    nycfan- I think doubts of Atsur’s ability to run a fast-tempo game can be argues against in his ability to scramble for a loose ball. He is one of the best I have seen at hitting the hardwood and coming up with a Wolfpack possesion. With the added play time for Grant and Fells this season I think the uptempo game style is not out of question at all. MY only doubts are with McCauley and Costner.

  2. MatSci94 09/20/2006 at 1:57 PM #

    redfred2

    ““Heart, passion, and rowdy fans still count for something in college ball.â€?”

    “We’ve had one of those ingredients all along,”

    I wasn’t saying that the crowd was missing, but I can’t imagine how much better it will be with the other two 🙂

    I hope I get a chance to be at the opening game to hear the introductions…

  3. tcthdi-tgsf-twhwtnc 09/20/2006 at 2:04 PM #

    Lowe deserves a lot of credit but don’t forget the staff he put together. He showed a lot when he put together Towe and Strickland and brought back Harris. Sure there is much to prove but I have yet to notice a misstep.

  4. Woof Wolf 09/20/2006 at 2:09 PM #

    Wow, it’s great to talk about an undefeated coach that we all love.

    How long will the honeymoon last?

  5. redfred2 09/20/2006 at 2:09 PM #

    MatSci94

    I typed a bad post up above there. My first ever.

    But actually, I think all three have been right there, sitting in the stands all along, cheering for their team through thick and thin. I have been anyway.

    If I go any further with an explanation I’ll open up the ‘big debate’ again. I’ll just stop right there.

  6. redfred2 09/20/2006 at 2:12 PM #

    “Wow, it’s great to talk about an undefeated coach that we all love.

    How long will the honeymoon last?”

    Hopefully, one part of your question will last forever.

  7. ShootingGuard 09/20/2006 at 2:31 PM #

    Mr O,

    I hate to break it to you, but JJ Hickson had ZERO interest in playing in the confined Princeton offense and, as such, there was ZERO possibility of him going to State under the old regime. Hickson likes Larry Harris a lot and showed him a lot of respect on the recruiting trail—and Harris, above all, should be credited with getting State into Hickson’s top 3-5 upon returning to State with a running offense to offer Hickson now.

    As for Wright, he was VERBALLY committed to State and may have kept that commitment with Herb, but there was a lot of rumbling on the AAU circuit that, thanks to State’s annual season meltdown, Wright might waver in his commitment (ala Aaron Holmes) and that Georgetown continued recruiting him (perfectly legal) as a result, well before Herb actually left.

    You are free to believe whatever you like from YOUR sources…

    Also, you are right that it remains to be seen what Lowe will or won’t do, and, if Lowe whiffs on the 2007 recruits, there are no consolation prizes…but it is more than a little disinguous to say that and then turn around and give the former regime credit for recruits that “might” have committed…But, hey, if you want to buy into the theory that, after 10 years, Herb Sendek was suddenly going to bring in a Fab 5 class, so be it…

  8. Jeremy Hyatt 09/20/2006 at 2:43 PM #

    Wow, it’s great to talk about an undefeated coach that we all love.

    How long will the honeymoon last?

    ^^ who knows, but i see a negative remark when i see it. obviously we like his personality and in many ways his vigor for our school reflects ours. that and the staff he put together, and the news he is in the hunt for top recruits– it is a good start, regardless of whether you try to play it up for more than it is or play it down as nothing. most of us are excited again about just the _potential_ we see, and that is enough reason to be positive about our new coach and the effort made to envigorate the program.

  9. Woof Wolf 09/20/2006 at 2:49 PM #

    “We’ve had one of those ingredients all along, the other two were not in evidence ever, at any point.”

    RF2: Most of us knew what you meant from the start. Maybe you need to type slower so everyone can understand.

  10. redfred2 09/20/2006 at 3:09 PM #

    Hell Woof Wolf, if I only knew how to read and type to begin with, otherwise, any slower and I’d still be whining about losing Werner and Davis.

  11. Astral Rain 09/20/2006 at 3:12 PM #

    Umm… it all sounds great to me right now, too. But isn’t this sort of what is killing Amato right now? He got too big for his britches, missed on some major recruits (especially on the O-line) and now he can hardly buy a win with the guys he wound up with.

    Sometimes you take that risk. Personally, if Amato was 1-2 due to that, I’d have no big problem with it. The fact that he’s 1-2 while making a mockery of NCSU, and with a team that lacks discipline AGAIN, is the problem.

    As for Lowe, we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Hoping for the best- but I started following in the mid-90’s, when things were at their worst, so I’ll probably always be a nervous fan- I often feel like I know how Cavs/Clippers fans in the NBA feel just from following State at times…
    Hopefully Lowe will get us as emerging as those two franchises are right now.

  12. Woof Wolf 09/20/2006 at 3:35 PM #

    As …4ever said earlier, some of us who remember the “good old days” are just hoping to live long enough to see our football program improve to the point where we are ranked in the top 25 in the preseason polls and most of all get back to where we belong in basketball.

  13. redfred2 09/20/2006 at 3:48 PM #

    ^All things considered, what does Lowe have to loose at this point?

    The guy hasn’t even coached an NC State game, and young kids, who unlike many of us older Wolfpack fans, are totally unaware and don’t know what he’ll bring to the table, but are looking in with definite interest, I wish to add that they’re wise to do so, nothing but GOOD can be summized from any of that.

    Say you became a fan in the mid 90’s, YUK. What for?

    Now you have a real reason to hang on Astral, things are on the mends around here right now. Basketball will be a whole new source of fun and pride for a younger generation Wolfpack fans shortly.

  14. packbackr04 09/20/2006 at 4:14 PM #

    shootingguard^^ are you hearing anything from your sources on Hickson? What is the hold up for these guys commiting. I know Wright has an Off visit to Gtown in october and that he will probably be more deliberate in his signing a LOI than he was when he gave his verbal to Herbivore. What about Smith and Hickson though, when will we hear from them?

  15. Gene 09/20/2006 at 4:39 PM #

    Umm… it all sounds great to me right now, too. But isn’t this sort of what is killing Amato right now? He got too big for his britches, missed on some major recruits (especially on the O-line) and now he can hardly buy a win with the guys he wound up with.

    So far Lowe’s not talking about anything like Championships, yet. He’s not come out and said it like Chuck did. The expectations are there from the fans, but we have to wait and see if Lowe can deliver. But Lowe hasn’t come out and said that’s what he’ll achieve by so and so date.

    We really don’t know how good Lowe will be as a coach, but right now I’m grateful his hiring, as head coach, as stopped almost all the whining about NCSU Men’s Basketball and gotten most fans re-energized about the future.

    It’s a nice feeling to not debate fellow Wolfpack fans about keeping or firing your coach, before, after and during every basketball season.

  16. redfred2 09/20/2006 at 4:48 PM #

    ^Gene…agreed…for right now anyway.

    But if you don’t think the native sendekians aren’t poised and ready to rise up out of woodwork at the very first sign of trouble this season, you are sadly mistaken my friend.

  17. Woof Wolf 09/20/2006 at 5:13 PM #

    Jeremy:

    Didn’t see your comment earlier. I meant nothing negative, I’m as excited as everyone else. The honeymoon comment was meant for those rats who might abandon ship if it gets a little rough next year.

    I’ve been a fan since Case was winning tournaments in the mid-fifties. I was in the house when we won the Regional in 74. Missed out on the lottery for the finals. I danced in front of the TV in 83 and have suffered through the last fifteen years with the rest of you.

    I’m excited. I’m glad to have the guys back that have done it themselves and have the passion. I’m here for the long haul and kove what I’ve seen and heard so far..

  18. ShootingGuard 09/20/2006 at 5:27 PM #

    packbackr04,

    Unfortunately, Wright and Hickson are likely to to go through most, if not all, of the process (i.e. we will be waiting a while yet), albeit for different reasons…Wright, because he got burned the first time…Hickson, because he just seems to enjoy the recruiting…I am really ticked that I will not be in town this weekend as that would have been a prime opportunity to pick up a few details…I don’t have any solid information on Smith, a few second or third hand pieces (i.e rumors) and theories, but I wouldn’t want to share something unsubstantiated (i.e. not directly to me from someone directly involved or definitely in the know)…

  19. WolfPup35 09/20/2006 at 5:40 PM #

    If everything works out the way it should, this class sounds like it could be pretty……….SOLID! Watch out K! Watch out, Roy! Here Comes The WOLFPACK!!!!

  20. WolfPup35 09/20/2006 at 5:47 PM #

    I’m not saying we’ll take the ACC by storm, but if we can uptempo from the PrinSuck offense, and actually mix up the lines without screwing up the chemistry then we could definitely win some games and leave people scratching their collective domes sayin…”where the hell did THAT come from??”. Let’s let Sidney do what he did in the 80’s…hand some banners in the rafters that say “Champions” instead of “Second Round”!!!

  21. Jeremy Hyatt 09/20/2006 at 6:20 PM #

    @Woof Wolf

    I mispoke then, making assumptions about the comment, sorry about that– obviously you feel the passion pride of being a pack fan.

  22. doug74 09/20/2006 at 7:32 PM #

    I think too much is being made of the amount of talent needed to run up tempo. I would rather have a hard worker with a good motor and heart to run than talent that is uninspired. Some of the more fun State teams to watch in my lifetime have been made of late bloomers. In the same vein, I always thought Dean S. underachieved with some of his blue chip classes who weren’t having fun. Also, having to play some zone doesn’t mean guys won’t be free to push the ball.

  23. redfred2 09/20/2006 at 7:37 PM #

    Pup35

    K and Roy would love nothing better than to be running up against the same old Wolfpack again this year. But it’s not!!!

    Look out boys, won’t be today, might not be tommorrow, be we’re coming!!!

  24. vtpackfan 09/20/2006 at 7:57 PM #

    I mentioned this on other thread, but since I’m not going to be in town will anyone take a placard to game stating: JJ + All Time ACC=HICKSON. Thank you.

  25. jncope 09/20/2006 at 10:15 PM #

    I think Sidney is doing better than I expected considering the way the transition went down. I am fairly optimistic on our 2-3 year outlook. Regarding this season, I will be very happy if the guys look fired up for Carolina, even if we only win 3 or 4 conference games.

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