The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE Williams traveling team this spring and summer. Friends: The 6-3, 190-pounder, who is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 83 overall player in the nation, has become stron- ger over the last year and is poised for a productive offseason with the Team Take- over traveling team. Hart has already un- officially visited NC State twice — for the Georgia Tech at NCSU football game Oct. 1 and the Wolfpack home basketball Josh Hart, Washington (D.C.) Sidwell on offers from the latter two colleges. The 6-8, 280-pounder is a gifted passer with great hands, but will need to improve his conditioning. He's playing with the Team United traveling team. Rivals.com ranks Meeks as the No. 58 prospect in the nation. Josh Newkirk, Raleigh Word of God: Newkirk grew up as an NC State fan and has been attending Wolfpack football and basketball games on a regular basis. NC State offered the 6-0, 165-pounder in mid- June last year. The No. 113 prospect in the together for years on the Team Takeover squad. The duo both took in the NC State campus following the 2011 Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, and came for the Georgia Tech at NC State football game Oct. 1. Robinson is an athletic slasher who is trying to improve his jump shot. The 6-4, 185-pounder is ranked No. 88 overall in the nation by Rivals.com, and has picked up offers from NC State (offered in August), Marquette, Virginia Tech, Miami, Pitts- burgh, Seton Hall, Rutgers, South Florida, VCU, Massachusetts and Drexel. Indiana and Texas are also strongly in the mix. Jimmie Taylor, Greensboro (Ala.) High: Taylor has improved his offensive game and mid-range jumper, which has aided his climb in the Rivals.com rankings to No. 30 in the country. The 6-9, 200-pounder has picked up offers from NC State, Alabama, Auburn, Georgetown, Georgia, Miami, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Vander- bilt. Gottfried coached his cousin, Erwin Dudley, at Alabama. Taylor will be featur- ing his shot-blocking presence with the Alabama Challenge traveling team. Kennedy Meeks, who measures 6-8, 280 pounds, is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 58 prospect in the nation in the class of 2013. game against Virginia Jan. 28. He claims offers from at least 12 schools, including NC State (which offered last August). Damian Jones, Baton Rouge (La.) Scot- landville Magnet High: The 6-9, 220-pound physical and athletic interior player entered the spring unranked and unknown outside of his region. Jones plays with Randle on the Team Texas Titans and has rectified the unknown part of his situation. NC State coaches will have an easy time evaluating him thanks to recruiting Randle, and Jones could emerge in time as a top Wolfpack target. LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Alabama and Florida were some of the schools listed for Jones. High: Meeks announced April 27 he wanted to make his college decision by the end of May. If he keeps to that deadline, NC State, Georgetown, Louisville, North Carolina and Syracuse could be key players in his recruitment. However, he is still waiting Kennedy Meeks, West Charlotte (N.C.) 32 ■ THE WOLFPACKER PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL country, according to Rivals.com, is an ath- letic finisher in the lane, but will need to improve his jump shot. The D-One Sports traveling team standout has a top four of NC State, Georgia Tech, Xavier and Tennessee. Prep: The combo guard, who is the son of former Florida State standout Tha- ron Mayes, is one of the best long-range shooters in the class of 2013 and evokes comparisons to fellow Toronto product Cory Joseph of the San Antonio Spurs. The 6-2, 175-pound Canadian picked up an NC State offer last April, but has seen his recruitment explode over the last year. He got to unofficially visit the Wolfpack two years ago while attending Creedmoor (N.C.) Christian Faith Center Academy, but moved to Huntington Prep last year. Rivals. com ranks him as the No. 66 overall player nationally. Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Huntington (W.Va.) Stanford Robinson, Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI: Robinson and Hart have been linked trose Christian High: The physical Kansas City, Mo., native transferred to Montrose Christian this past year and joined the Team Takeover traveling team with Hart, Robin- son and junior center Beejay Anya, another player NC State is trying to recruit. The 6-5, 210-pound Wainright is a great glue guy thanks to his passing, leadership and competitive desire. Rivals.com ranks the small forward No. 32 in the country, and he has offers from coast to coast, includ- ing Duke, Syracuse, UCLA, Texas, Mis- souri, Baylor, West Virginia, Oklahoma, St. Johns, Virginia Tech, Florida, DePaul and Arkansas. Ishmail Wainright, Rockville (Md.) Mon- Vermont Academy: The 6-10, 270-pounder is one of the best low-post scoring cen- ters in the class of 2013, and Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 27 overall player in the country. Gottfried and assistant coach Rob Moxley watched Woodson play at the Battle for the Arch tourney in St. Louis in late April. The Round Rock, Texas, native claims offers from Louisville, Oklahoma, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Michigan State, TCU and Illinois (prior staff), and interest from NC State, Michigan, Michi- gan State, Miami, Texas Tech, Providence, UConn, Alabama and Pittsburgh. ■ Dominic Woodson, Saxtons River (Vt.) plus videos of Wolfpack commitments and targets, visit TheWolfpacker.com. For regular reports on NC State basketball recruiting,