The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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JULY 2016 ■ 141 N C S t a t e s i g n e e O m e r Yurtseven shouldn't be phased by what he faces next year in college basketball, consider- ing whom he has already been matched up against. Yurtseven has played versus three-time All-NBA defensive team member Serge Ibaka, a 6-10, 245-pound power forward then playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. That matchup took place last Oct. 9 in an NBA pre- season game. The 17-year-old Yurtseven from Istanbul, Turkey, first played against the Brooklyn Nets Oct. 5 and then the Thunder. The 7-0, 240-pound Yurtseven had eight points (on 3-of-4 shoot- ing), seven rebounds and a block in 15 minutes of action for his club team, Fenerbahce Ulker, during a 101-96 win over the Nets. He followed up with four points and five rebounds in 12 minutes in a 111-81 loss to Ibaka and the Thunder. "Both were extremely tough games," Yurtseven said. "I was re- ally excited, but I had a hard time, especially guarding Serge Ibaka. It was amazing to play against them, and it made me respect them and what they do much more. "I can't describe how fun it was." Yurtseven appeared in eight games and averaged 1.6 points per contest overall for Fenerbahce Ulker. Yurtseven's past success on the big stage should aid his fresh- man year at NC State. The Wolfpack also added power forward Darius Hicks from Quitman, Miss., who signed May 13, power forward Ted Kapita of the Congo, who signed on June 24, and reclassed point guard Markell Johnson, who signed scholarship papers June 20. Yurtseven's addition gives the Wolfpack a pair of projected first- round picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. DraftExpress.com has redshirt freshman point guard Dennis Smith slotted sixth in the draft and Yurtseven is at No. 16. Only NC State, Duke and Kentucky have multiple top 16 picks for next year. The Rivals.com five-star prospect's arrival gives NC State four projected starters who were top-45 recruits, including Smith, sophomore small forward Maverick Rowan and junior power for- ward Abdul-Malik Abu. The Wolfpack began recruiting Yurtseven in earnest in mid-Feb- ruary, and head coach Mark Gottfried and assistant coach Orlando Early took a trip to Istanbul to meet with him in March. Yurtseven officially visited NC State on May 5-6, and he also checked out Syracuse and Utah. He picked NC State on May 16. "I think NC State is the perfect fit for me, both education and otherwise," Yurtseven said. "The campus is really nice." He was able to play some pickup basketball with a few of the returning Wolfpack players, including Smith, a former five-star prospect from Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian. "Playing pickup with Dennis was fun," Yurtseven said. "I think we understand each other. I am extremely excited to be a part of the Wolfpack." The 6-7, 210-pound Hicks celebrated his joining the Wolfpack in front of friends and family members in his hometown of Quit- man, Miss. He had originally committed to Mississippi State on Nov. 21, 2014, but after the Bulldogs went through a coaching change, he went back on the mar- ket March 23, 2015. Hicks made the move to 22 Feet Academy in Greenville, S.C., where he was able to flour- ish his senior year. He averaged 14 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field. That led to Cincin- nati and Tulane bringing him in for official visits, and he planned a decision date of May 7. Then NC State joined the mix. He officially visited Ra- leigh May 6-8, and came away impressed. Hicks cited playing against good competition, joining Smith and having a good relationship with new Wolfpack assistant coach Heath Schroyer as the key reasons for ultimately picking NC State over Cincinnati. "It was a hard decision," said Hicks, 18. "The difference was my relationship with Coach Schroyer and in playing in the ACC against the best players. I feel like if you can play in the ACC, it will set me up in the future." Schroyer had gotten to know Hicks when he was the head coach at Tennessee-Martin, and he has long recruited the MBA Hoops traveling team program, which is led by coach Omhar Carter. "I had known Coach Schroyer, and I built a good relationship with head coach Mark Gottfried over time," Hicks said. "My of- ficial visit was pretty cool, just seeing everything. I saw how they would use me. It was a good atmosphere." Hicks brings a mature body to the post and is an explosive athlete around the rim. He added to his face-up game during his senior year. "I can play the four and some three, and switch it up a little bit," Hicks said. "I want to make a big impact my freshman year." Johnson was a key piece to NC State's recruiting puzzle, and could pay off dividends long term. Rivals.com ranked Johnson No. 40 over- all in the class of 2017, based on the projection that the Cleveland na- tive would head to prep school and keep progressing. Johnson instead wanted to start his college career and picked NC State over Texas A&M, Ohio State, Xavier, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and others. Early was the point man on Johnson's recruitment. The 6-8, 210-pound Kapita, was ranked No. 53 overall in the class of 2015 by Rivals.com, signed with Arkansas in November 2014 but didn't qualify academically. He attended DME Academy in Daytona Beach the past school year and verbally committed to SMU this past February. However, new assistant coach Butch Pierre followed up on Kapita, who did not sign with SMU, and sold him on joining the Wolfpack. Rivals.com recruiting analyst Eric Bossi said the signees are a great example of scrambling in the spring. "With what is available at this time of year, it's pretty impres- sive," Bossi said. "The speed of the game will be an adjustment for Yurtseven, but his talent is certainly unquestioned, and he has skill level for a big. "Then you get a four-star if he had stayed in the class of 2017, with Markell Johnson. Darius Hicks will probably be expected to be an energy guy for a few minutes off the bench. It's certainly a good scramble job." — Jacey Zembal NC State Adds Four Spring Signees Omer Yurtseven — a 7-0, 240-pound center from Istanbul, Turkey, who is currently projected to be a first-round selection in the 2017 NBA Draft — picked NC State over Syracuse and Utah May 16. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM