NC State recruit and Raleigh native, Rodney Purvis put on a show in Charlotte last night in the “Jordan Brand Classic” game televised on ESPN. Purvis scored 22 points while grabbing at least 3 steals and took home MVP honors while exhibiting tenaciousness and athleticism that will be a huge addition to the Wolfpack program.
You can click here for highlights from ESPN’s coverage.
You can click here for a link the N&O’s article and scroll below for a video highlight of Purvis’ dunk over a Duke recruit, Rasheed Sulaimon.
The following is a tweet from Dick Vitale during the game last night:
Rodney Purvis will be vital as a Diaper Dandy & could be a key reason y NC ST will have a gr8 chance to pass UNC & Duke. #MARKGOTTFRIED
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When Alex Oriakhi originally announced his intentions to leave UConn last month, there appeared to be mutual interest between the former UConn center and NC State. There also appeared to be a potentially strong fit between the parties to pair the defensive standout with a Wolfpack roster that should have plenty of scoring power.
As the month progressed, the Wolfpack appeared to back away from Oriakhi, which I read as positive signals related to other roster developments such as CJ Leslie’s potential return and the recruitment of Andrew Young and Amile Jefferson.
My biggest interest in Oriaki’s recruitment shifted from NC State, to a concern that UNC-CH or Duke may land the lanky 6’9 big man and bolster their thin front line depth next year. Luckily, we won’t have to worry about that as Oriakhi is going to play for Frank Haith at Missouri. (Link)
Former Connecticut standout Alex Oriakhi told CBSSports.com on Friday that he has decided to transfer to Missouri.
“Obviously it’s a simple fact that they don’t have any big men, and I can play with a pass-first point guard,” Oriakhi said. “I just felt comfortable.”
Oriakhi started on UConn’s 2011 national championship team but had his minutes and field goal attempts cut this past season because of the presence of one-and-done prospect Andre Drummond. Oriakhi’s relationship with Mizzou point guard Phil Pressey was among the factors in his decision. The 6-foot-9 forward will be able to play for the Tigers immediately because UConn is banned from the 2013 NCAA tournament. He’ll have one year of eligibility.
