The Wolfpacker

May 2013 Wolfpacker

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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2013 basketball recruiting issue making good decisions and just making sure he plays in a manner where every play matters out here." Harrington could envision Barber and Lewis playing together at times due to their complementary styles. "Barber is more of a natural two than he is a point guard," Harrington said. "He has to play point guard because of his size. He isn't a game manager. Therefore, it wouldn't be a mental adjustment to him to defer to more of a general like Lewis is. If he were allowed to handle the ball a lot and make plays for himself, that would be a role that would come to him very naturally." Prep Stars ranked Barber No. 14 overall in the country, and Anya checked in at No. 41. Harrington was able to watch Barber in Chicago at the McDonald's All-American Game and practices. "Even with all the elite guys at McDonald's, I thought he was clearly the quickest guy there," Harrington said. "He was quicker than [Florida-bound] Kasey Hill. Inch for inch, Andrew Wiggins is the best athlete in the class. Barber to me has the quickest burst from a standing position. There is almost no way he won't be effective for that reason alone. "He'll get to the rim and draw fouls, and is already a pretty good jump shooter from 10 to 15 feet. He's just not a three-point shooter." Bret Swanson of JucoJunction.com, which is part of the Rivals.com network, has been watching Lee play the last two years at New Mexico JC. He expects the 22-year-old to successfully make the challenging transition to the ACC. "Des has the ability to score the ball in transition or in the half court," Swanson said. "He is able to make plays with the ball in his hands, or can catch and shoot off of screens or penetrate-and-pitch situations. Offensively he is able to shoot from three or get into the lane, and he has a natural ability to draw contact at the rim. "He will need to improve on his midrange game since he has been able to get the ball all the way to the rim in junior college and finish in the paint. Obviously in the ACC that will not be as easy." Swanson said Lee's knowledge of good shot selection and defensive fundamentals will aid in his ability to compete for a starting spot next year. He also is an adept free throw shooter. "He will be able to take care of the basketball, but will need to show patience at times and not press offensively," Swanson said. "The transition for him will be easier than most JC guys because he is older and is physically ready to compete, and he has played in a very competitive junior college league. "Defensively, he is solid and has the ability to get out in passing lanes for steals." Washington and Anya are expected to complement each other in the post, and both signed during the early period last November with Barber. Rivals.com ranks the 6-9, 285-pound Anya No. 58 overall in the nation, and tabbed him as the No. 5 rebounder. He played for acclaimed Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic and was part of the alwaysloaded Team Takeover program. Anya, whose full name is Chukwunonso BeeJay Nduka-Anya, went 105-32 in his four years at DeMatha Catholic. "He has got talent, and can be an impact rebounder and shot blocker," Bossi said. "It just is a matter of how hard he works. The better rebounder he is, the more offense he'll get on put-backs." "I think they'll bring a range of skills and talent to a roster that needs a full restocking. They are going to retain their athleticism with this kind of class. They'll have solid interior play with a frontcourt that will be three- and- four-year guys." ■ Prep Stars recruiting analyst Rob Harrington on NC State's 2013 class Anya also played for the gold medalwinning USA team at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship June 29-July 8 in Kaunas, Lithuania. Anya played in eight games off the bench, averaging 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per game, plus added seven blocks and six steals. Anya's ability to make an immediate impact on the defensive end and in rebounding will be welcome at NC State. He picked NCSU over Indiana. "He has played at a high level program," Bossi said. "He has also played USA Basketball. Hopefully, he has picked up a few things along the way from being around that type of winning that will help him when he gets to college." ■ NC State's Class Of 2013 Name (National Rank) BeeJay Anya (58) Anthony Barber (27) Lennard Freeman (—) Desmond Lee (—) Kyle Washington (93) Pos. C PG PF SG C Ht. 6-9 6-2 6-9 6-3 6-9 Wt. 285 165 245 185 218 The 6-9, 218-pound Washington is versatile enough to play both post positions for the Wolfpack. The Champlin, Minn., native spent his reclassified senior year at Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Academy, which Warren attended in 2011-12. "His mobility is far more advanced than Anya at this stage," Harrington said. "His versatility will help him play more minutes than people might expect." Rivals.com ranks Washington as the No. 14 center and No. 93 overall prospect in the country. His ability to flash three-point range and also toss in a half hook shot in the post makes his future in Raleigh intriguing. Washington selected NC State over Ohio State, Washington and Iowa State. "Kyle needs to be more consistent," Bossi said. "He has shown flashes. He'll need to get stronger because he's pretty lean. More than anything, he'll have to want to come down and play physical every play. He'll need to go in there and be rough and tumble. If he does that, he'll be more valuable." Freeman was the last of the commits, coming April 29, following his fourth visit, to Pittsburgh. He officially toured NC State the weekend of April 12, and picked the Wolfpack over the Panthers, Villanova, Se- Hometown (Previous School) Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha H.S.) Hampton,Va. (Hampton H.S.) Washington, D.C. (Oak Hill Academy [Va.] Norfolk,Va. (New Mexico J.C.) Champlin, Minn. (Brewster Academy [N.H.]) ton Hall, UAB and DePaul. He also unofficially visited NC State Feb. 19 for the Wolfpack's game with Florida State. Freeman attended St. John's College in Washington, D.C., and played with Anya on Team Takeover 17s before the 17-year-old made the move to Oak Hill Academy. He originally pondered the idea of doing a postgraduate year and move to the class of 2014, but reconsidered in early April. Gottfried watched Freeman play with Oak Hill Academy and closed hard to get his future power forward. "Lennard Freeman is a late pickup who, I'm sure, NC State coaches are hoping can give them some spot minutes early in his career," Bossi said. "A three-star power forward, Freeman is a slightly undersized four-man who is pretty athletic, has good length and plays with a pretty good motor. He isn't particularly well known as a scorer, but watching him over the past few years, he has looked pretty willing to do the dirty work, help out on the glass and play physical defense." ■ May 2013  ■  19 18-19.BKB Recruiting Overview.indd 19 4/30/13 3:08 PM

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