I would like recruiting if we got good recruits

5/20/2019 4:01:44 PM

Define "good"?

If we can convince Markell to come back, that is essentially landing a 5*.
Seabron is a top 100 kid, nothing wrong with that at all.
Andree was one of the top post-grad big men and a great fit for our squad.
Thomas Allen was a 4* kid out of HS that Keatts wanted then and landed now as a traditional transfer.

So we took a chance with Lecque going to college, are you mad Keatts took his commitment and LOI? It was a 50-50 chance and it was well worth taking because the kid is an explosive athlete with a lot of raw potential. If he ended up in college he would be a 2-3 year player, but he's going to get picked in the 2nd round because of his raw athleticism and upside, oh well.

We should have more scholarships and playing time to offer in the 2020 class. I want top 25 recruiting classes too, but if Markell comes back I'm much more excited about actually returning multiple guys that played a lot of good minutes for us instead of having a full roster turnover every year.

5/20/2019 8:05:28 PM

Quote :

"Now for the information everyone has been waiting on -- I have been told by multiple sources that Markell met with Kevin Keatts on Sunday privately to inform him that he will return. Johnson previously told teammates that he planned to return, but that was prior to Thomas Carr's departure. I believe the visit to Charlotte is only a chance to continue building his case for the NBA following this year and a formal announcement will be coming soon."

Take it as a grain of salt from Packpride

5/22/2019 10:20:06 AM

Quote :

"If we can convince Markell to come back, that is essentially landing a 5*"

lol that's not how it works

5/22/2019 11:00:43 AM

^But it really is. If you have a guy that is considering leaving you often have to pitch and convince them to come back.

A SR Markell Johnson is much, much more valuable to our team in terms of just this year than a true FR 5* player.

When CJ Leslie and Bradley Chubb both came back they used the same cliche, "convincing them to come back was coach's biggest recruiting success of the offseason."

5/22/2019 11:15:05 AM

Markell was never leaving

[Edited on May 22, 2019 at 11:32 AM. Reason : would be different if he was actually considering playing overseas]

5/22/2019 11:30:41 AM

Well gosh, why didn't you tell us that a few weeks ago?

5/22/2019 11:48:56 AM

didn't giglio?

5/22/2019 12:57:11 PM

Giglio posted he was still academically eligible a couple of weeks ago but it definitely wasn't right after he announced.

Seemed to be after Markell wasn't invited to the G-League combine that everyone started looking at him coming back.

5/22/2019 1:54:56 PM

Quote :

"Seemed to be after Markell wasn't [even] invited to the G-League [camp, or combine] that everyone started looking at him coming back, "

yup, which was 2 weeks ago

5/22/2019 2:48:39 PM

^Yep, and Markell announced he was testing the water 5 weeks before that.

5/22/2019 3:59:39 PM

What about Leque tho?

5/22/2019 7:31:55 PM

Lecque ain't coming.

Any tiny bit of hope for that should have been extinguished when he decided not to scrimmage on the 2nd day of the combine after getting positive feedback about his performance the first day.

5/22/2019 7:44:46 PM

Lecque getting an invite to the NBA combine basically closed that door. He was always going to shine in that type of environment with his athleticism. Probably got a 2nd round guarantee from a team.

We only have 1 scholarship available, so it's Markell or Lecque at this point, and now it's just hoping that the rumors Markell is coming back are right.

5/23/2019 10:16:47 AM

I still can't wrap my head about Lecque going straight from high school to the NBA. Yeah, he's incredibly athletic but so is Coby White, RJ Barrett, and Zion Williamson who both did one year in college and have a way more polished game. I can see if he was the number 1-10 player in the country but he's not. There's been so many one and dones that didn't go straight from high school to college and I'm not sure why he feels like he's a young Lebron.

5/23/2019 10:30:34 AM

You can't go to the NBA straight out of high school.

Lecque is eligible because he took a post-grad year at Brewster Academy.

5/23/2019 10:37:48 AM

Quote :

" I'm not sure why he feels like he's a young Lebron."

i mean...i don't think lecque views himself as a young lebron...is there a quote out there of him saying that?

if he's got teams telling him that they're gonna draft him (even if it's the 2nd round) and pay him money then i definitely understand why he wants to go pro. it's not terribly different than a guy going to europe or somewhere for a year after high school and then getting drafted. college isn't for everybody and if he doesn't wanna go to college - and has teams willing to pay him money - then i don't blame him for going. we can argue about the pros and cons of his decision (which hasn't been announced, but still...) but i don't think it's right to call it a bad decision.

Quote :

"Yeah, he's incredibly athletic but so is Coby White, RJ Barrett, and Zion Williamson who both did one year in college and have a way more polished game"

it's not fair to compare him to those players. they weren't eligible for the draft last year. if Zion or Barrett were eligible for the draft last year, they probably wouldn't have gone to college either.

5/23/2019 12:10:07 PM

Quote :

"now it's just hoping that the rumors Markell is coming back are right."

I don't know why you're so concerned that Markell won't come back. That's always been the plan, despite what the fear mongers/site owners who need clicks & subscriptions have said.

I think Lecque probably got a promise from a team (or teams) in the late first or early 2nd round (with an offer of a guaranteed contract in the 2nd round.). A team without an immediate need for a PG will most definitely take a chance on him and play him in the D/G League for a year.

5/23/2019 1:08:08 PM

Anyone got a subscription to The Athletic and wants to share the article below?

https://theathletic.com/991639/2019/05/23/n-c-state-anxiously-awaiting-markell-johnsons-nba-draft-decision/

5/23/2019 2:12:09 PM

Quote :

"I think Lecque probably got a promise from a team (or teams) in the late first or early 2nd round (with an offer of a guaranteed contract in the 2nd round.). A team without an immediate need for a PG will most definitely take a chance on him and play him in the D/G League for a year."

Yeah that seems to be the case

5/23/2019 2:37:29 PM

Quote :

" Lecque is eligible because he took a post-grad year at Brewster Academy "

Didn't know that.

Quote :

"i mean...i don't think lecque views himself as a young lebron...is there a quote out there of him saying that? "

He did not. t's an internet forum, everything shouldn't be taken face value.

I will say this, he's not even a top 25 player in this class. I know rankings are not everything but to me it makes sense to build your case with a standout year in college. I mean, that's the trend these days and I don't see a reason to deviate from it or less you're generating national buzz and headlines.

5/23/2019 2:57:40 PM

Lecque isn't a top 40 player in his class.

Most believe he is a 2-year college player. He's a raw athlete that is trying to convert to PG and could absolutely benefit from playing in college and developing his PG skills as well as his 3pt shooting.

Problem is, if he goes to college and plays for 1-2 years and his PG skills don't improve and/or he still sucks at 3pt shooting, he's no longer just an upside pick, he'll have put a lot of evidence out there that he can't/won't develop.

Might as well get paid to develop. Dude isn't an instant star and guy will 100% spend a couple of years in the G-League figuring things out. I think he's going to set an interesting precedent with the the proposed end of OAD coming up.

5/23/2019 3:02:18 PM

Quote :

" I will say this, he's not even a top 25 player in this class. I know rankings are not everything but to me it makes sense to build your case with a standout year in college. I mean, that's the trend these days and I don't see a reason to deviate from it or less you're generating national buzz and headlines."

Or go to college, get exposed...and never get drafted or be stuck there 2-4 years. Like I said, we can debate the pros and cons of Lecque going pro all day. But it’s not an objectively bad decision - it seems clear, like Justin said, that he’s gonna get drafted and teams are telling him that. And it’s hard to fault him for jumping at that chance. Nobody thinks he’s gonna be playing big minutes in the NBA next year. If he goes and gets drafted, he’ll have a chance to develop his game while possibly getting guaranteed money and having a chance to make an impact in the future.

The G League is a better developmental league than it used to be and teams are investing in players there. Teams are giving out some guaranteed money in the 2nd round too.

I’m just trying to point out why Lecque going pro might not be as terrible an idea as some people think.

5/23/2019 3:34:42 PM

@HCH

Quote :

"The folder one coach kept while recruiting Markell Johnson out of high school rapidly expanded to a size that typically generates red flags. It included the names and contact information of those Johnson considered to be “in his circle.” The problem was, he would frequently draw new circles to the point that an assistant coach at a competing school labeled his recruiting process as “all over the place.” Johnson’s directives to recruiters often included instructions to listen a new adviser who was helping him out in the process while disregarding another. When all was said and done and Johnson finally signed with North Carolina State in the summer of 2016, one assistant at a competing school estimated 15 to 20 people had input in the decision. Johnson is about to make arguably the second big decision in his basketball career. By Wednesday, he must decide whether to stay in the NBA Draft and begin his professional pursuits or withdraw his name and return to N.C. State for his senior season. Those that know the 6-foot-1 guard believe he’s much better suited to make that decision now than he was three years ago, when he went through a head-spinning recruiting process. “As far as taking advice, that was the beauty of coaching him in high school,” says Brett Moore, who coached Johnson at East Technical High School in Cleveland. “He was coachable and would listen. It’s not like a thing where he’s NBA or bust. He knew he had enough talent to make it into the NBA. It’s not a thing where he had a time frame of when he wanted to go. But he knew that if that opportunity came, he was going to take it.” As his decision hangs in the balance, the Wolfpack and coach Kevin Keatts are in a bit of a predicament. Just six months ago, it looked as if the Pack would have one of the ACC’s best backcourts, with Johnson and 2019 commitment Jalen Lecque out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire as potential starters. Now they could lose both to the pro ranks. Lecque was a year removed from his high school graduating class, playing last season as a post-grad. There was a question on if he’d be eligible to enter the draft because of a technicality of not receiving his high school diploma before he transferred to Brewster. Possibly adding to the confusion: Lecque reclassified during his junior year to graduate with the Class of 2018. That barrier appears to be have been removed, as Lecque was one of only two domestic players who did not play in college last season and was invited to last week’s combine in Chicago. Lecque registered the highest max vertical leap (with a running start) at 43 inches, though it should be noted all invitees did not participate in the drill, most notably Duke’s Zion Williamson. Lecque showed off his athleticism during the first day of scrimmages and felt confident enough in his showing that he declined to play a second day. A league source speaking on the condition of anonymity says Lecque is leaning toward staying in the draft, although he could also withdraw by the deadline and still play for N.C. State next season. Presumably anticipating Lecque’s decision, the Pack made a strong push in recruiting point guard Jalen Cone of Winston-Salem, N.C., who made a late decision to reclassify from the Class of 2020 and graduate early. Cone, however, shunned State and hometown Wake Forest to sign with Virginia Tech and its new coach, Mike Young. That’s why Johnson’s decision is so crucial. If he also chooses to stay in the draft, the Pack will be forced to play juniors Braxton Beverly and Blake Harris big minutes at point guard. They would prefer to have Beverly play off the ball where he could be more effective as a 3-point shooter. The coaching staff believes the additional minutes he had to play at point guard this season took his legs away and partly attributed to his 3-point percentage dropping from 38.5 percent as a freshman to 34.7 percent. Harris is not much of a scorer, but in limited minutes he earned the reputation as the best on-ball defender on the team. Neither player is quite the playmaker who has the talent to carry the team like Johnson can. Johnson missed three games this season, and the Pack went 1-2 without him, including a loss to Wake Forest, which at the time was tied for last place. That ultimately could be what cost them an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. N.C. State finished 9-9 in the ACC, and both teams with 10 wins — Louisville and Syracuse — received bids. Johnson was second on the team in scoring at 12.6 per game and averaged a team-high 4.2 assists per game. He turned it up in the postseason, averaging 18.8 points and shooting 15-of-31 from 3-point range in five games combined in the ACC tournament and the NIT. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic did not have Johnson or Lecque being picked in his latest mock draft, but based on the combine he believes Lecque could land late in the second round. Johnson was not invited to the combine, but teams have brought him in for workouts, including the Hornets, Hawks and the Nets. Moore says Johnson called him just after declaring for the draft and he offered this advice: “Go when you’re hot. Don’t wait too late, but at the same time don’t go into a risky situation as far as your draft status. If you’re a definitive draft pick, then you should go. If not, if you’re looking at being a free agent, then I think he’d be better served coming back to school.” One source close to Johnson says one thing to consider in his decision-making process is that he was not recruited by Keatts. Predecessor Mark Gottfried was a bit more lenient and “let him get away with anything,” the source says. Keatts holds Johnson accountable for his actions. But what Johnson has going for him is having played with Dennis Smith Jr., for a season. He has said how going against Smith, who was the ninth overall pick in the 2017 draft and now plays for the New York Knicks, helped his development during his freshman season. Smith both gave him a glimpse of what NBA talent looks like and how far he had to go to get there. Moore believes Johnson has matured from the kid he was in high school and will make an informed decision. “If that opportunity is not this year, I think he’d definitely be content with returning to school and just continue to hone his skills so he can make it to that level,” Moore says. “Him declaring for the draft was more of a thing to see where he stood as opposed to, ‘I’m entering the draft because it’s NBA or bust.’"

5/23/2019 3:56:43 PM

Quote :

" He's a raw athlete that is trying to convert to PG and could absolutely benefit from playing in college and developing his PG skills as well as his 3pt shooting. "

Exactly, that's something I think Keatts can fix.

Quote :

" Or go to college, get exposed...and never get drafted or be stuck there 2-4 years. "

Interesting point. I would wager with his athleticism that he has a slim chance of getting exposed in college. I also didn't know that raw upside was all that it took to make an NBA rooster. I mean Vandy is 7'1 and he's no where near the NBA.

^ Cliff notes?

5/23/2019 7:39:45 PM

If Vandy was athletic af, he would be in the league. Cumbersome height isn't very sought after in the league.

5/23/2019 8:03:55 PM

I've never understood why anybody thinks only playing basketball in the g league won't develop a player at least (probably a lot more than) college ball/school/not having money

5/23/2019 10:28:52 PM

5/23/2019 10:38:32 PM

Don't G league players make practically nothing? I wonder how much it helps your personal brand to go to college and get the college fanbase from a $$$ perspective.

5/24/2019 1:42:30 PM

Some players in the G League make very little. But I think there are tiered contracts and some guaranteed money with the NBA club. It’s not like they’re all making $15k or whatever.

5/24/2019 1:49:55 PM

Quote :

"I also didn't know that raw upside was all that it took to make an NBA rooster. I mean Vandy is 7'1 and he's no where near the NBA."

He had no upside. A lazy tall guy who can't rebound, isn't much of a rim protector and has no offensive skill set isn't going to make it in the NBA.

5/24/2019 4:24:40 PM

Markell officially announces return

5/24/2019 7:23:03 PM

w00t!

5/24/2019 10:36:35 PM

Woot!

Also, just saw where 5 star guard RJ Hampton is going to play professionally in Australia instead of college.

5/28/2019 9:13:24 AM

Well at least we don't have to play against him at Memphis. They already have added enough talent.

5/28/2019 9:43:34 AM

Good for him. Get that money.

5/28/2019 10:06:52 AM

Go get that 5 figures!

5/29/2019 2:57:02 PM

5 figures > 0 figures.

5/29/2019 3:24:46 PM

no way he would skip college to earn 5 figures

5/29/2019 3:24:59 PM

why?

he genuinely didn’t want to go to college. even if it’s 5 figures, that’s pretty damn good for an 18 year old just out of high school.

5/29/2019 3:48:53 PM

NBL salaries aren't extremely high. They've got a salary cap of ~$1 million. So yeah, anybody that goes there out of high school is likely to make <$100,000. Also, teams aren't going to spend a big chunk of their cap on a developmental prospect who is only going to be on the team for a single season. But even 50-60K is double what they'd get in the G-league.

The upside to going there instead of the G-league is better pay and better competition. Also, unlike Europe or China, English is the first language there, so language barrier isn't an issue. But there are only 24 spots for non-Australians in the league so it's only going to be an option for a very select few elite high schoolers.

5/29/2019 3:58:12 PM

Lecque tweeted a thanks to State fans, etc. but staying in draft, as expected.

5/29/2019 6:51:22 PM

Anyone have a Pack Pride subscription? They tweeted something about several big recruits on campus today for the first day of camp, I was wondering who

6/17/2019 11:17:36 AM

Quote :

"Monday marks the start of the team camps for Kevin Keatts and NC State as a whole, and there will be several big-time visitors to participate. As I've mentioned before, Nick Farrar Jr. will be making his way over to NC State to play and his team will be on the court today to play in front of Keatts for the first time. Along with Farrar, NC State will also host Josh Hall, Elijah Jamison and Jalen McDonald -- with all four on the same team. Jay Hickman, Jeremiah Baker and Gabe Proctor will also make up the rest of the roster, but Hall, Farrar and McDonald are the clear headliners. Hall is blowing up and already holds an offer from NC State while Farrar, McDonald and Jamison are working toward earning offers. McDonald holds offers from Ole Miss, App State, Murray State and Norfolk State, but has serious interest in NC State and has visited on multiple occasions. Nick Farrar Nick Farrar Apex, NC (Apex Friendship) PF 6-6 230 CLASS OF 20 Josh Hall Josh Hall Durham, NC (Moravian Prep) SF 6-9 190 CLASS OF 20 247Sports Composite 0.9838 NATL. 41 SF 10 NC 3 Jalen McDonald Jalen McDonald Knightdale, NC (Knightdale) SF 6-5 170 CLASS OF 21 Elijah Jamison Elijah Jamison Louisburg, NC (Louisburg) PG 6-2 160 CLASS OF 21"

6/17/2019 4:56:29 PM

Quote :

"I think Lecque probably got a promise from a team (or teams) in the late first or early 2nd round (with an offer of a guaranteed contract in the 2nd round.). A team without an immediate need for a PG will most definitely take a chance on him and play him in the D/G League for a year."

6/21/2019 12:38:17 AM

^^thank you for posting that

I think Lecque just didn’t want to play school

6/21/2019 1:41:49 AM

He signed with the suns. 4 years, 2 guaranteee.

He clearly didn’t wanna play in school...but I think it’s also clear that he knew he’d get picked up somewhere (drafted or signed) and be able to get some guaranteed money.

6/21/2019 5:42:56 AM

Yeah I was wrong about him getting drafted, not wrong about getting guaranteed money.

6/21/2019 6:26:17 AM

You gotta get tired of being wrong

6/21/2019 9:11:16 AM

I don’t think Justin was *that* far off. Obviously he wasn’t drafted. I still think it’s safe to assume Lecque must’ve gotten really strong indications that he’d get guaranteed money one way or another. And he did.

6/21/2019 9:55:07 AM