The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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MAY 2015 ■ 77 ■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING said. "Losing that WCAC championship will be on our mind all year." Joshua Langford Re-Emerges In April Joshua Langford returned to playing on the national scene at the adidas Gaunt‑ let event during the first evaluation period April 10‑12 in Duncanville, Texas. Rivals.com's No. 17 overall player in the class of 2016 didn't waste any time in showing off his skills. The 6‑6, 200‑pounder from Madison (Ala.) Acad‑ emy poured in 24 points to help the At‑ lanta Celtics top Team Loaded NC 85‑78 April 10. Team Loaded featured Smith (25 points) and Adebayo (eight points). Langford averaged 22.3 points per game for the 2‑2 Celtics, including a game‑high 26 points against Indiana Elite April 11. Gottfried and assistant coach Orlando Early were able to watch Langford play, and Moxley has been the point man on the year‑long recruitment. April 2014 was the last time college coaches were able to watch Langford play in an offseason na‑ tional event, after injuries affected his July evaluation period. "This was my chance to play good in front of the coaches," Langford said. "We need to play as a team to win, and we can't win playing as individuals. Sometimes, you just have to push the coaches to the back of your head. You can't think about that when you're out here running, or otherwise you'll mess up. You have to focus on play‑ ing basketball." NC State has previously landed Alabama natives Ralston Turner (Muscle Shoals) and Lacey (Huntsville), who arrived via transfer from LSU and Alabama, respec‑ tively. Gottfried was formerly the coach for the Crimson Tide, and Early was his assistant there at one point. Langford un‑ officially visited Duke on March 8, 2014, and NC State the next day, with the Wolf‑ pack topping Boston College 78‑68 at PNC Arena. Langford knows that schools will be talking to him more, though his father, Tellus Langford, usually handles a lot of the phone calls. "It's been a while since I've heard from NC State, but I've heard a lot recently from South Carolina and Georgia Tech," Lang‑ ford said."It is the same old schools, but I'm hoping for more exposure." NC State is one of at least 17 offers that Langford possesses. That number could easily grow now that he's healthy and a dominating force again. Langford helped Madison Academy win the 3A state cham‑ pionship, and he was named the Gatorade Alabama Player of the Year. Langford averaged 24.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game as a junior, and went for 19 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks to lead Madison Academy to an easy 75‑51 victory over Piedmont in the state title game Feb. 27. Alkins Is King Of The Big Apple New York City has been good for NC State over the years. Past Wolfpack players from New York include Julius Hodge, Lorenzo Charles, Moe Rivers, Tom Gugliotta and Ernie My‑ ers. Now NC State is actively recruiting Alkins, a 6‑4, 215‑pound junior shooting guard from New York. Alkins has earned at least 18 scholarship offers, with the most recent coming from new St. John's head coach Chris Mullin. The Wolfpack offered Alkins June 19 of last year, and Moxley has been recruiting him in earnest ever since. Alkins unofficially visited NC State for Throwback With The Pack last October, and Moxley was able to see him play dur‑ ing his high school season at prep power‑ house Christ the King. The Brooklyn native has noticed the NC State coaches watching him, whether at the adidas Gauntlet stop in Dallas April 10‑12, or the second one in Indianapolis April 24‑26. Alkins is averag‑ ing 24.3 points per game and shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 24.6 percent on three‑pointers in eight adidas Gauntlet contests. "I went to their Midnight Madness and it was fun," Alkins said. "I know Rob Mox‑ ley went to my games [in Indianapolis]. [Head coach] Mark Gottfried came to all the games in Dallas. NC State is in the ACC, has high‑level competition and they are a pretty good program. "I talked to them Coach Gottfried and Coach Moxley here and there, and they are really good guys," he added. "I took my unofficial there, and they really showed me around the place. NC State is an amazing campus, nice facility and great school." Alkins will likely want to take his of‑ ficial visits centered around basketball events. Some recruits enjoy being part of 60,000‑plus crowds during football week‑ ends in the fall, but he might not be one of them. "The football stuff is not really my thing," Alkins said. "People go to the foot‑ ball games just to see the atmosphere. I'm not going there for football." Alkins is a keen observer of the recruit‑ ing process and is adept with handling me‑ dia attention after being the top player in New York City. "Everyone is showing me a lot of love, which is a humbling experience," Alkins said. Alkins doesn't plan to check out any colleges until the summer, with the lone exception being St. John's. The Brooklyn native hadn't previously been in contact with the Red Storm under the prior coach‑ ing staff. "I have no favorites right now," Alkins said. "I'm just hearing everything out right now, and my recruitment is wide open. If anyone wants to contact me, I'm more than willing to hear what they have to say. "Duke has reached out after Dallas, and Kentucky, Arizona State, Texas, VCU and Auburn recently offered me." Alkins led Christ the King to its third straight New York City title and a runner‑ up finish in the New York state Federa‑ tion Class AA state tournament. Alkins had 24 points in a 79‑73 loss to Bronx (N.Y.) Wings Academy in what could be his last game for the Royals. Alkins might be forced to find a new high school next year. He played eight var‑ sity basketball games during his eighth grade year at Palm Beach Central in Wel‑ lington, Fla. That goes against New York state rules, where players can spend only four years on the varsity level, but Alkins has petitioned for a waiver. Alkins might have to play the waiting game this summer, but that won't stop him from working hard. "I want to be active on the court, and I don't want to be one‑dimensional," Alkins said. "I try to get my teammates involved, and I try to rebound. I'll do whatever it takes for my team to win." ■ For regular reports on NC State basketball recruiting plus videos of Wolfpack commitments and targets visit TheWolfpacker.com. Rivals.com lists Madison (Ala.) Academy shooting guard Joshua Langford, who aver- aged 24.8 points per game as a junior, as the No. 17 overall prospect in the nation. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM