The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING NC State Has Been Aggressive In Offering Juniors BY JACEY ZEMBAL doesn't mean the action will start to slow down. Head coach Mark Gottfried and his N staff have at least one scholarship remain- ing for the senior class and have been ag- gressive in offering and recruiting juniors. In November, NC State signed combo guard Rodney Purvis of Raleigh Upper Room Christian Academy, small forward T.J. Warren of Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Academy and point guard Tyler Lewis of Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy. Warren was born and raised in Durham, N.C., before moving to Raleigh, while Lewis is from Statesville, N.C. Rivals.com ranks the group No. 4 in the country, with Purvis checking at No. 6 in the country, Warren at No. 23 and Lewis at No. 55. The class could grow in the spring. The Wolfpack has at least one scholar- ship available and had hoped senior power forward Amile Jefferson of Wynnewood (Pa.) Friends Central High would sign dur- ing the November period (Nov. 9-16), but the Philadelphia product elected to wait for the April period. The No. 36-ranked Jefferson is considering NC State, Ken- tucky, Villanova, Connecticut, Ohio State, Stanford and Temple, among others. Senior center Boris Bojanovsky of the Canarias Basketball Academy in Spain is another intriguing option. He has been listed as tall as 7-3 and is from Bratislava, Slovakia. The tall, thin center attends the same school which produced NC State freshman power forward Thomas De Thaey. NC State, Miami and Virginia Tech have offered Bojanovsky, and that list will likely skyrocket after his school goes on its USA tour (Jan. 28-Feb. 7) with games in New York and Rhode Island. Senior wing Andrew White of Crozet (Va.) Miller School gave Kansas a verbal commitment on Dec. 2 over NC State, Richmond, Virginia Tech, Georgetown, Cincinnati and Texas. The Wolfpack entered January with po- tentially five scholarships for the class of 2013, but that number could easily change in either direction depending on what hap- pens during the spring. The following is a look at 15 juniors (in alphabetical order by position) who claim offers from NC State, including eight that have already unofficially visited: 66 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Hampton (Va.) High point guard Anthony Bar- ber, Rivals.com's No. 22 player in the class of 2013, has offers from NC State, Providence, Virginia and Virginia Tech. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM n Point Guards Anthony Barber, Hampton (Va.) High: Rivals.com's No. 22-ranked overall player in the country is a blur with the ball in his hands. The 6-2, 165-pounder has picked up offers from NC State, Providence, Virginia and Virginia Tech, and has expressed interest in staying close to his hometown. The Wolfpack coaches quickly offered him last spring, and he went on to enjoy a big summer with the Boo Williams traveling team. Tyler Ennis, Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict's: The Wolfpack offered the smooth 6-2, 180-pound floor general Nov. 18. The native of Brampton, Ont., played with NCSU freshman small forward Tyler Harris last year at St. Benedict's. Ennis, who Rivals.com ranks No. 34 in the nation, has become a national target with at least 18 offers. His father, Tony McIntyre, is the co-founder of the CIA Bounce traveling team program, and his brother, Dylan Ennis, is a freshman guard at Rice. Kasey Hill, Montverde (Fla.) Academy: Hill blew up in July with the Florida Rams Black squad, which won the adidas Invitational in Indianapolis. The title game was on CBS College Sports, and Hill was able to show the nation his impressive driving ability and floor game. The 6-1, 160-pounder shot up the rankings to No. 27 in the country by Rivals.com, and eventually narrowed his list to a workable seven colleges that have offered — NC State, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Missouri and South Florida. Josh Newkirk, Raleigh Word of God: Newkirk has been a regular at NC State basketball and football games the last two years. The 6-0, 165-pounder played his first two years of prep basketball at Southeast Raleigh High, and then transferred and reclassified last year at Word C State is coming off a banner fall in its class of 2012 recruiting, but that of God. He played alongside Warren with the Holy Rams. The No. 74-ranked prospect in the country is an athletic finisher in the lane and plays with flair. NC State, Okla- homa State, Tennessee, Indiana, Arizona and Appalachian State have offered. n Shooting Guards Allerik Freeman, Charlotte (N.C.) Olympic High: Freeman has collected more college offers than any in-state prospect in the class of 2013. The well-built 6-4, 210-pounder started his prep career at Charlotte United Faith before transferring to Olympic High his sophomore year. The No. 24-ranked prospect in the na- tion is strong going to the basket, handles the ball well for a shooting guard and has a nice pull-up jump shot. NC State, UCLA, Kansas, Kansas State, Syracuse, Villa- nova, Arizona, Georgetown and North Carolina are the schools he is favoring, with all but the Tar Heels offering. Anton Gill, Raleigh Ravenscroft: Gill is the son of former Raleigh Millbrook High and East Carolina standout Anton Gill Sr. The 6-2, 165-pound lefty, who was offered by NC State last spring, is known for his mid-range jumper and ability to make clutch shots. He plays for Garner Road, which is the same traveling team organization that produced Warren. Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 43 overall player in the nation. Josh Hart, Washington (D.C.) Sidwell Friends: The 6-3, 190-pound is a sharpshooter who also has surprising bounce for his size. Rivals.com ranks Hart as the No. 79 overall player in the country, and he's com- ing off a strong offseason with Team Takeover 16s. Hart Josh Hart, a 6-3, 190-pound sharpshooter from Washington (D.C.) Sidwell Friends, is rated as the No. 79 overall player in the junior class by Rivals.com. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL