NC State Basketball

Despite the chance of going in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft, Terquavion Smith will return to North Carolina State for his sophomore season, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

"I've decided to play next season for NC State, the first team to offer me a scholarship," Smith told Givony. "I owe so much to Todd Ramasar, the agent who walked me through this process; Ross McMains, the incredible coach who prepared me so well for all I've just gone through, and the Life Sports Agency team. This past month has been eye opening on so many ways. Todd, Ross, and their team helped put me on the NBA map."

Smith had a strong freshman season for the Wolfpack, averaging 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three. 

NC State struggled, though, going just 11-21 on the year.

There were some questions about whether Smith might return to school for a second season, but a strong showing at the NBA combine seemed to tilt the scales toward the draft.

"I was definitely happy with the way I played," he told reporters. "I showed a lot more than I showed in college. The teams that did see me, I showed them a great performance." 

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed Smith as the No. 19 player in the class in his latest big board. 

Smith will instead spend another year in college, looking to further improve his stock and potentially become a lottery pick next season.

The decision also provides a huge boost for the Wolfpack as they bring back one of the most talented players in the ACC for 2022-23.

Skilled playmaker Robert Dillingham committed to North Carolina State on Wednesday.

The 6'2" point guard is the No. 8 overall player and ranks first at his position in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2023.

It's fairly common for prep athletes to transfer schools in order to further their development in a given sport. However, Dillingham raised eyebrows when he chose to enroll at Donda Academy, a new private school in Simi Valley, California, backed by Ye.

Despite Donda being such a fresh venture, it added two top prospects in the 2023 class (5-star JJ Taylor and 4-star Jalen Hooks) and Jahki Howard from the 2024 class besides Dillingham.

The school wasted little time in making a splash, and maintaining that momentum hinged partly on setting their players up for success. In that respect, Dillingham is likely to provide a positive testimonial.

247Sports' Jerry Meyer looked at his game in November and compared him to Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland: 

Possesses a special feel space and time on the court. Combines this awareness with an elite burst of quickness to gain separation. Highly confident sharp shooter from deep. Has a deft hop back jumper going to his right. Pulls up with effectiveness in the midrange going either direction. Loves to shoot a runner going left when can't get to the rim. Slick ball handler and crafty finisher. Has it on a string and can find teammates while penetrating.

Dillingham is dynamite with the ball in his hands. He doesn't need much space to beat his man off the dribble and dart into the paint, and he can stop on a dime and pull up when his defender cheats a bit to cut off the drive.

That highlight came from the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship, where the United States earned a gold medal in August. He averaged 15.7 points and 6.2 assists over 20.3 minutes in the six games of the tournament. He also shot 45.0 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The North Carolina native still has some room to grow with his jumper, but the same can be said for many of his fellow 2023 recruits. The pieces are obviously there for him to be a force on offense.

Because of his 165-pound frame, defense is likely to be an issue now and in the future. There's only so much he can do when matched up with bigger guards or he's switched onto even bigger forwards.

But any coach will be willing to take the trade-off as long as Dillingham delivers as a scorer and facilitator.

His commitment could be a tone-setter for fifth-year NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. The Wolfpack are off to a strong 5-1 start in 2021-22 but have reached the NCAA tournament only once since 2015.

Dillingham's 0.9966 247Sports composite rating is the second-highest for the school going back to 2000. Former first-round NBA draft pick Dennis Smith Jr. (0.9975) was the only player rated higher.

Even assuming Dillingham sticks around for one year, his arrival could signal an upswing in Keatts' fortunes on the recruiting trail.

Ernest Ross, a 4-star power forward from Alachua, Florida, committed to NC State on Sunday, according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports.com.  

"At the end of the day it boiled down to him having a great relationship with coach [Kevin] Keatts and his staff," Game Elite coach Russ Powell told Daniels. "They did a great job of him making him feel as home as possible. They made his family feel the most comfortable."

"He's a great talent," Powell added.

Ross is considered the No. 43 prospect in the Class of 2021, the No. 11 power forward and the No. 3 recruit from the state of Florida, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Josh Gerson of the recruiting site offered the following scouting report on the young player:

"High level athlete with good size and length. Pretty physically immature; has plenty of room to grow into body. As athletic as he is, should only improve there with added strength. Physical tools should make him an extremely versatile defender. Very raw on offense; doesn't have go-to move in halfcourt. Best in transition due to athleticism. Will need to improve facing and posting up. Has chance to be very good rebounder. Development of skill will determine everything; has NBA size, length and athleticism but will need to bridge gap between skill and physical tools. Wide variety of possible outcomes for now."

LSU and Texas A&M were the other two finalists in his recruiting.

Landing Ross is a solid move for NC State. Coming into Sunday, the Wolfpack ranked No. 9 in the Class of 2021 rankings, per 247Sports. He joins 4-star small forward Josh Hall and 4-star point guard Cam Hayes as headliners of the incoming group. 

Ross told Jacey Zembal of The Wolfpacker that NC State continued its recruiting pitch even with the COVID-19 pandemic changing the nature of recruiting this spring.

"They still were on top of it even with the coronavirus, and that was a great thing," he said. "As soon as it's over, I'll be looking forward to seeing North Carolina State. I have already had my mind made up. They have been showing the love and that's basically it."

Small forward Josh Hall is likely attending NC State next year, as has been the plan all along. He's just taking a small detour on his way.

The 6'9", 190-pound 4-star recruit has announced his intention to declare for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility. In a tweet posted Monday night, Hall thanked NC State coach Kevin Keatts and said he wants to gain experience at the "highest level" and compete against the best.

Players are allowed to declare for the NBA if they are at least 19 years old, but to maintain NCAA eligibility, they must withdraw from the pool by June 15—10 days before the 2020 draft is scheduled to take place.

This has become a rather routine option for undergrad athletes who are looking for feedback from professional clubs and their scouts as players. Athletes can then take that information as they decide whether to stay in the draft or return to college for another year. Rarely do high school prospects declare for the NBA before spending a year in college because of the age restriction.

More recently, top recruits like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton have decided to forgo a college career in favor of playing professionally overseas.

Hall is listed as the No. 2 high school player in North Carolina behind 5-star Michigan recruit Isaiah Todd. His commitment helped the Wolfpack put together the third-ranked class in the ACC and the eighth-best class in the country.

Aside from the small forward, Keatts earned commitments from 4-star guard Cam Hayes and 3-star forward Nick Farrar. Hall is unquestionably the top prize for NC State this summer, and while it remains likely he still arrives on campus in the fall, it's no longer a certainty.

Making things more difficult for Hall is the fact that the NBA may not host its annual player combine in Chicago this summer because of the coronavirus pandemic. As team facilities remain closed and scouts are left reviewing game film, there may not be an opportunity for players to directly speak to coaching staffs outside of a web meeting.

The league has not made a determination on what the offseason will look like and remains committed to resuming the season in some form this summer.

As for Hall, he can still speak with NBA personnel and receive feedback on his game.

Recruit rankings via 247Sports.

Josh Hall, a 4-star forward, announced his commitment to the NC State Wolfpack on Monday evening.

Hall attends Moravian Prep in Hickory, North Carolina. The Wolfpack have four hard commits in their 2020 class, including Hall and teammate Shakeel Moore, a 3-star guard who committed to NC State on Nov. 16. 

Hall chose the Wolfpack from among 30 offers. He had visited Louisville on Sept. 1 and DePaul on Oct. 27.

Hall's official visit to NC State came in mid-October:

According to Jonas Pope IV of the News & Observer, "Hall is the Wolfpack's highest-ranked in-state commit since guard Lavar Batts in 2017." Batts was ranked first overall in North Carolina, per 247Sports, and was one of head coach Kevin Keatts' first recruits.

Batts transferred to UNC Asheville in June 2018, but Keatts will hope for more success with Hall and the 2020 recruiting class:

247Sports director of basketball scouting Jerry Meyer evaluated Hall in Oct. 2018: 

"Very fluid athlete. Not explosive and lacks strength, though. Finesse player who must get tougher. Great shooter with deep range. Stretch four-man or combo forward who handles well in open court. Great finisher with variety of shots off one foot going to the basket. Defense and rebounding need improving. Tough to project since he has a very high ceiling but also a low floor."

Hall reclassified from 2019 to 2020 and told USA Today's Jason Jordan in June that he did so to "improve on little parts of my game."

The decision has paid off. According to MaxPreps, Hall ranks third in North Carolina with 24.5 points per game through four contests this season.

New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. reportedly told NC State officials that he and his family never received payments from Adidas in exchange for playing for the team during the 2016-17 season, according to Mark Schlabach of ESPN. 

Per that report, Smith said he "didn't know former Adidas consultant T.J. Gassnola, whom the NCAA has accused of providing $40,000 from Adidas to former Wolfpack assistant Orlando Early to give to Smith's family in October 2015."

NC State was hit with two Level I violations in July, which included determining that Smith had been ineligible for the 2016-17 season. 

Gassnola testified in the federal government's corruption and bribery case—brought against several college basketball coaches, agents and various employees for apparel companies such as Adidas—that he made two payments to people "close to Smith."

Per Schlabach's report:

"Gassnola said the first payment, of an unspecified amount, came during Smith's junior year of high school after Andy Miller, who ran the ASM Sports agency, informed Gassnola that Smith wanted to leave the Adidas grassroots circuit. The second payment came in the fall of 2015, after [Wolfpack assistant Orlando] Early reached out to Gassnola to say there were issues surrounding Smith, who had committed earlier in the fall."

The attorneys for Early told federal prosecutors that former NC State coach Mark Gottfried had twice handed him envelopes, ostensibly filled with money, to give to Smith's trainer, Shawn Farmer.

But Smith told several high-ranking NC State administrators, including NC State deputy athletic director Chris Boyer, that he "if he had accepted money he would not have been driving his grandmother's car" and added that he "knew how to help himself financially," saying he would receive free shoes and clothes from Adidas since they sponsored his grassroots team, and that he would in turn sell that gear for money.

He also said he attended NC State because he grandmother was a fan of the school and only took one official visit, which was to NC State, during his recruitment.

The North Carolina State Wolfpack basketball program reportedly received a notice of allegations from the NCAA regarding its recruitment of Dennis Smith Jr. 

Joe Giglio of the News & Observer reported the news, noting the ACC school received the documents Tuesday.

Among the allegations are two Level I violations, which are the harshest the NCAA hands out, and two Level II violations. Giglio explained the Level II violations stem from giving Smith complimentary tickets to games and a parking pass for a football game, while the Level I violations are related to his recruitment. 

According to Giglio, former head coach Mark Gottfried—who is currently the head coach at Cal State Northridge—received a "failure to monitor" charge as one of the Level I allegations. That charge is related to the other Level I allegation, which involved assistant coach Orlando Early reportedly securing a $40,000 payment for Smith's family during his recruitment.

Pat Forde, Pete Thamel and Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports said "the first formal salvo has been fired by the NCAA in response to the federal corruption investigation that rocked college basketball. And the target is North Carolina State."

Citing a top NCAA official, Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported i June that at least six Division I men's basketball programs were set to receive notice of allegations for Level I violations. Among those six were two high-profile programs that would receive their notices by early July.

The Yahoo report suggested the notice "could jeopardize" Gottfried's status with Cal State Northridge because of the allegation he failed to monitor Early.

It also hearkened back to the 2018 trial of Adidas executive Jim Gatto, consultant Merl Code Jr. and potential agent-to-be Christian Dawkins, which revealed Early allegedly received the $40,000 from Adidas bag man T.J. Gassnola. Middleman Shawn Farmer then allegedly got the money to Smith's family.

Gassnola testified for the federal government during its investigation into college basketball after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

North Carolina State, Gottfried and Early all have 90 days to respond to the NCAA's notice.

Highly touted combo guard Jalen Lecque announced in a Twitter video Saturday he will forgo a college basketball career and instead enter the 2019 NBA draft pool:

Lecque is the No. 6 combo guard and No. 33 player overall in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He had committed to the North Carolina State Wolfpack and officially signed his letter of intent last November.

Before Lecque formally pledged to NC State, ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony noted he was eligible for the 2019 draft.

He attended Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, for what was a fifth year of high school. As a result, he'll be a full year removed from his original graduating class in 2018. Throw in the fact he'll turn 19 in 2019, and he can make the jump to the NBA immediately.

Speaking with Givony, Lecque was on the fence about what he'd decide but acknowledged his NBA aspirations:

"I am interested in everything because the NBA is my goal at the end of the day. I want to be a great college player, but my end goal is to help my family. I want to be a concrete Round 1 player if I do make that decision. If I'm guaranteed a Round 1 position, then you never know. I could see myself doing it if I am in a good position at the end of the year. A college education is so important and making that jump is really hard, so I really gotta think about that, but if I'm Round 1, then that's different."

The allure of turning pro now is obvious. Even if Lecque goes undrafted or is unable to earn an NBA contract for the 2019-20 season, he can ply his trade overseas or in the NBA G League and make money.

At 6'4" and 190 pounds, Lecque has the frame to thrive at the next level. His athleticism is off the charts as well. He could've given the competition a run for its money if he had entered the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest.

Lecque's shooting is a different matter, though. In 20 games on the AAU circuit with New York Renaissance in 2018, he made 43.6 percent of his total field goals but just 15.8 percent of his three-pointers, according to D1Circuit.com.

The Athletic's Michael Scotto examined Lecque's situation in January and spoke to NBA scouts who singled out that aspect of his game:

"The consensus is clear. Lecque has elite athleticism that will translate to the league immediately, but he must develop a more consistent jump shot and his skills as a full-time point guard before he will become a rotational player in the pros. The only reason to enter the draft is if he receives a first-round guarantee from a team that will develop him patiently."

Lecque obviously believes playing in the NBA or the G League will be more beneficial for his development than spending a season at NC State.

His decision is a tough blow for the Wolfpack, who have generally struggled to attract blue-chip recruits. Head coach Kevin Keatts will have been gearing much of his plans in 2019-20 around Lecque, and now those plans are going out the window.     

NC State commit Jalen Lecque has filed paperwork in an effort to gain clarity on his eligibility for the 2019 NBA draft.

"We're waiting to hear if he's eligible or not," Jalen's father Derrick Lecque told ESPN.com's Jonathan Givony. "We're waiting for them to evaluate the transcripts."

Lecque, whom 247Sports rates as a 4-star recruit, believes he should be allowed to enter this year's draft as the result of spending five years in high school.

The Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) star did not receive a diploma from his previous school, the Christ School (Arden, North Carolina). But given he is a year removed from his original high school graduating class and will turn 19 this year, he can petition the NBA for inclusion.

The deadline to submit a petition was April 11. Now that he has taken care of that part of the process, he awaits a decision. If accepted, he then has until April 21 to sign up for early entry into the draft.

Prior to committing to NC State back in October, Lecque received offers from the likes of Kansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, Syracuse and UCLA. Throughout the recruiting process, though, the 2019 NBA draft has always been on his mind.

Back in November, Lecque told Givony he would wait until after his team's season to figure out his future:

"I am interested in everything because the NBA is my goal at the end of the day. I want to be a great college player, but my end goal is to help my family. I want to be a concrete Round 1 player if I do make that decision. If I'm guaranteed a Round 1 position, then you never know. I could see myself doing it if I am in a good position at the end of the year. A college education is so important and making that jump is really hard, so I really gotta think about that, but if I'm Round 1, then that's different."

Per Givony, Lecque averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.8 turnovers for Brewster this past season while leading his team to a 34-7 record.

Should he gain early eligibility, he will have until May 29 to decide if he will remain in the draft or withdraw his name and play college ball for the Wolfpack.