The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/790572
80 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL T he next NC State men's basketball coach will need to hit the ground run- ning in recruiting. Some candidates, such as Virginia Com- monwealth head coach Will Wade or UNC Wilmington head coach Kevin Keatts, would know the top prospects in the state of North Carolina. Other candidates from outside the region will likely have a learning curve. The class of 2018 in the state is not par- ticularly strong nationally, but does feature six players in the Rivals150, five of which are uncommitted. Three are among the top 35 in the country led by High Point (N.C.) Wes- leyan forward Jaylen Hoard, who is ranked No. 30. Right behind him are Concord (N.C.) Cannon School forward Jairus Hamilton at No. 31 and Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day point guard Devon Dotson at No. 34. The other uncommitted and ranked re- cruits are Aaron Wiggins, who plays with Hoard at Wesleyan and is No. 105, and small forward Hunter Tyson of Monroe (N.C.) Piedmont High at No. 144. Juniors John Newman, a small forward at Greens- boro (N.C.) Day, and Elijah McCadden, a shooting guard Wilson (N.C.) Greenfield School, will use this spring and summer to bolster their recruiting options and try to enter the Rivals150. Outgoing NC State head coach Mark Gottfried offered Hamilton and Dotson, with the latter unofficially visiting the Wolfpack as recently as last August. The in-state class of 2019 is both strong nationally and regionally, featuring three players in Rivals.com's top 75. Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian sophomore small forward Joey Baker is the highest ranked player at No. 30. His prep teammate, shooting guard Josh Nickelberry, is ranked No. 58 in the country. Concord Cox Mill wing Wendell Moore Jr. picked up offers before he even played a high school game — including from NC State — and has progressed nicely to be ranked No. 52. When Rivals.com expands the 2019 class to a top 150, sophomores such as shoot- ing guard Jamal King of Goldsboro (N.C.) Wayne Country Day and small forward Jus- tin McKoy of Cary (N.C.) Panther Creek will be in contention for spots. The latter attended numerous Wolfpack games this past season. The in-state class of 2020 is still in its infancy, but freshman guards Carson Mc- Corkle of Raleigh Broughton, Jaden Springer of Mint Hill (N.C.) Rocky River and Silas Mason of Greensboro (N.C.) Smith are ones to watch. NC State, Iowa and Georgia Tech have all offered McCorkle. Eight Underclassmen From North Carolina To Watch Joey Baker, sophomore small forward, Fayetteville Trinity Christian The 6-7, 190-pound Baker hails from the same high school program as current NCSU freshman point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Baker emerged his freshman year to help lead Trinity to the North Carolina Indepen- dent Athletic Association 1A state title. He's received a No. 30 national ranking by Rivals.com, and the Wolfpack offered after watching him last July at the presti- gious Under Armour Camp in Charlotte. Baker is athletic, has a good frame and can stick the outside jumper, though he needs im- prove his shooting. Baker, who plays for for- mer UNC guard Raymond Felton's sponsored Team Felton 17s, has 13 scholarship offers. Devon Dotson, junior point guard, Charlotte Providence Day Dotson was offered by the outgoing NC State staff in February 2016, just be- fore leading Providence Day to a NCISAA 3A state title. The 6-1, 170-pounder has steadily moved up the Rivals.com rankings to No. 34. He is a pass-first floor general, has quick hands on defense and is a reliable long-range shooter. Dotson, who grew up in the Chicago area before making the move to North Carolina, has collected 23 offers, including seven from ACC schools. He is slated to play with Team Charlotte this summer, which is coached by former UNC point guard and NBA player Jeff McInnis. Jairus Hamilton, junior small forward, Concord Cannon School The physical Hamilton could play either small forward or as a small-ball power forward in college. He could be a matchup nightmare at 6-7 and 221 pounds, espe- cially if his streaky outside jumper is on. Hamilton is gifted at facing up a player and driving hard to the basket. NC State originally offered him June 16, 2016, but he has yet to unofficially visit the Wolfpack. The Charlotte native was origi- nally in the class of 2017, but reclassified to 2018 while at Cannon School. ■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING Underclassmen To Watch In The State Of North Carolina Rivals.com rates Joey Baker — a 6-7, 190-pound small forward at Fayetteville (N.C.) Trinity Christian — as the No. 30 overall prospect in the class of 2019. PHOTO BY KELLY KLINE/UNDER ARMOUR