The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/368728
78 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State offered at least 26 players in the class of 2015, including 12 post players, but has seemingly narrowed its recruiting search to seven senior prospects going into September. The Wolfpack has concentrated on the trio of Kinston (N.C.) High senior small forward Brandon Ingram, Saginaw (Mich.) Arthur Hill senior combo guard Eric Davis and Los Angeles senior cen‑ ter Chance Comanche, who is transfer‑ ring to Beverly Hills (Calif.) High for his last year of high school. NC State has recruited Ingram for almost three years, and Davis and Comanche for nearly two. Comanche has the honor of being the first player to set up his official visit, mak‑ ing a return trip to Raleigh Sept. 26‑28, which coincides with the Pack's football game with defending national champion Florida State. Comanche and his mother unofficially visited Dec. 7‑8 of last year and watched the Wolfpack hoops team defeat Long Beach State 76‑66. NC State is also in the mix for four other players listed in Rivals.com's top 36. No. 2‑ranked combo guard Malik Newman of Jackson (Miss.) Calloway, No. 6‑ranked center Diamond Stone of Milwaukee (Wis.) Dominican, No. 20‑ranked cen‑ ter Caleb Swanigan of Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead and No. 36‑ranked shooting guard Jalen Coleman of Indianapolis, who attends La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere High, are other Wolfpack targets in the class of 2015. Three Stand Test Of Time Ingram, who is the younger brother of former Texas‑Arlington shooting guard Bo Ingram, is the latest star out of Kinston. The lanky and skilled 6‑8, 180‑pounder has steadily climbed the Ri‑ vals.com rankings, and is currently No. 25 overall. Ingram averaged 19.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in helping Kinston High win its third straight North Carolina 2A state championship. "Ingram is a tall jump shooter that be‑ cause of his size, people think should play more on the inside, but I think he is a pure perimeter player," Rivals.com na‑ tional recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said. "He handles the ball pretty well and his strength on the court is between 12 and 20 feet in a halfcourt setting. He'll do his damage around the rim in transition." Nearly every powerhouse in the coun‑ try offered Ingram, who is considering NC State, Duke, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Florida, Clemson, VCU and UCLA. Ingram officially visited North Carolina Jan. 24‑26 and Duke Aug. 7‑9, and he has visits set up for Kansas Oct. 10 and Ken‑ tucky Oct. 17. He has unofficially visited NC State numerous times over the years, but has yet to pick a date for an official visit. Ingram's jump shot is his calling card offensively, and his long wingspan bothers forwards on the defensive end. "He clearly is a guy that will be differ‑ ent two years down the road because we don't know what is going to happen to his strength after he gets to a college weight room," Bossi said. "Can he add weight or not? If he gets stronger, he'll get more confident in his ability to drive and play through contact." West Coast recruiting analyst Frank Burlison saw the prototype "thin" wing develop at Compton (Calif.) Dominguez — future NBA player Tayshaun Prince (6‑9, 215 pounds). He doesn't think In‑ gram has reached the level of Prince yet, but sees the long‑range potential. Burlison pointed out that when Ingram learns to post up more and use his great length, he'll take his game to another level. "You'd like to see him at 6‑9 play more in the post than he does, but he can shoot it, drive it and he's fluid," Burlison said. "He looks young, so maybe he ends up being 6‑10 or 6‑11. He is pretty good, and he probably sees himself as a three man. When he posts up more as a larger weapon, he'll be very, very difficult to guard." Comanche averaged 19.5 points and 13.0 rebounds per game for Los Ange‑ les View Park High last year. The 6‑10, 200‑pounder is rated as the No. 21 over‑ all player in the nation by Rivals.com, and he's earned at least 16 offers. Co‑ manche has narrowed his list down to NC State, UConn, Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA. Burlison has been watching Comanche since the spring of his eighth‑grade year at prep games, traveling team tournaments and individual camps. "Chance was already 6‑5 in the eighth grade, and you could tell he was going to be a very good prospect," Burlison said. "He grew rapidly and is now close to 6‑10. He has become a more aggressive person‑ ality, but he still isn't the most assertive personality in the class. ■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING NC State Is Trying To Close On A Group Of Elite Recruits Rivals.com lists Kinston (N.C.) High small for- ward Brandon Ingram as a five-star prospect and the No. 25 overall player in the class of 2015. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL Beverly Hills (Calif.) High center Chance Co- manche — the No. 21 overall player in the class of 2015 according to Rivals.com — has narrowed his list down to NC State, UConn, Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM