It’s summer time and NC State basketball recruiting is a hot topic for many Pack fans. The 2015 class could still add two more pieces in Maverick Rowan plus Georgios Papagiannis alongside lonely commit Shaun Kirk. Currently there are eight scholarship players on the roster as depth is a lingering concern for some Wolfpack fans heading into next season at the moment.
Maverick Rowan will reclassify to The 2015 class as he could help in a scoring role for The Pack next season. Reports have been out early this week that Rowan is down to four schools but those schools haven’t been publicly released as his top six from before is: Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, St. John’s, UCLA and Wisconsin. Louisville has been the presumed favorite but St. John’s is making a late push as he is currently visiting The Red Storm. Rowan’s dad played with St. John’s coach, Chris Mullin as they could be a dark horse for his commitment. The key for NC State is to get him back on campus as I think The Pack is still in it with him. Look for Rowan to make a decision later during the summer.
Georgios Papagiannis standing a little over 7 feet could be a big time addition to NC State’s front court next season. With Kyle Washington transferring, Papagiannis could provide instant depth and a solid rim protector. He is from Greece plus currently playing for Greece’s U19 team. He had 10 points, 5 rebounds alongside 4 blocks in a loss against USA’s U-19 team today. Coach Gottfried flew over to visit him in Greece after the season and if he comes to America, NC State is sitting in a good position to land him. He could potentially visit The Pack in July alongside another school so look for a decision from him around late July if he decides to play college basketball.
As for The 2016 class there are specific names to be aware of. Christian Matthews is a 6’6″ wing from Fort Washington, Maryland and currently has NC State as his leader. Off a recent unofficial visit to Raleigh, Matthews could be closing in on a decision as NC State is in the driver seat for his commitment. His game is similar to TJ Warren’s as he should be ranked in the top 150 once the rankings are finalized.
Edrice “Bam Bam” Adebayo from Washington, North Carolina is the main target for NC State’s front court in the 2016 class. Adebayo is still in the middle of recruitment as I wouldn’t expect a decision from him until next spring but NC State is assumed to be leading in his recruitment. Bam Bam is a consensual top 10 player in the country as his athleticism is off the charts. His recent performance at The NBA Top 100 camp was spectacular but North Carolina, Louisville plus Virginia are also trying to land his commitment. NC State was his first offer which could help land a commitment plus the fact he has mentioned playing alongside a solid point guard. Adebayo mentioned NC State’s own, Cat Barber as a point guard he would prefer to play with. If The Pack land Adebayo, he would become an instant game changer for NC State basketball in the future.
Dennis Smith Jr. is the other main target for NC State in the class of 2016. Smith Jr. is the top rated point guard in the country and is from Fayetteville, North Carolina. He grew up an NC State fan plus is good friends with Bam Bam as the two have expressed playing together at the collegiate level. NC State is also considered the presume leader for Smith Jr. as he just finished a two day visit in Raleigh. Smith Jr. could drag out his announcement until the spring period but mentioned it would be ideal for him to make a commitment in the fall signing period. Smith Jr. has the impact to be ACC freshman of the year in the future since he is that talented. The Pack will continue to recruit him hard as every school in the country is fighting for his commitment. Torin Dorn and Smith Jr. would be a scary back court for NC State in the future if Smith runs with The Pack.
Other 2016 basketball targets will become more clear in the fall once prospects start taking official visits. Right now Edrice Adebayo and Dennis Smith Jr. are the two names to focus on as they also played on the same AAU with NC State player, Shaun Kirk. The coaching staff has done a phenomenal job recruiting them so far as hopefully NC State can land both of their signatures. The class of 2016 has the potential to be a significant class for NC State basketball.
