ACC Basketball

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.

One of the ACC's best players is headed to the next level after Louisville forward Jordan Nwora declared for the 2020 NBA draft on Monday.

Nwora arrived at Louisville as a 4-star prospect and the No. 1 player from the state of New York in the class of 2017, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He came off the bench as a minor part of the rotation in his freshman season but flashed his potential as a matchup problem who can attack the basket and hit from the outside by making 43.9 percent of his triples.

While Louisville missed the NCAA men's tournament in his first year, Nwora's impressive jump as a sophomore helped it return to the Big Dance.

Nwora averaged 17.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while still hitting 37.4 percent from three-point range despite higher usage. He won 2019 ACC Most Improved Player and was given All-ACC third-team recognition.

The Cardinals lost in the first round during his second season but had championship expectations in 2019-20 in large part because of his presence.

He was named the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year and responded by averaging 18.0 points and 7.7 rebounds a night while hitting 40.2 percent of his three-pointers.

In February, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Nwora as a first-round pick at No. 29 overall to the Los Angeles Lakers. While there was concern about poor shooting efforts in high-profile matchups against Duke and Kentucky, the fact that his case was "built around a sound mix of 6'7" size and shot-making" made him an intriguing prospect.

While he was unable to build on his resume in the NCAA tournament since it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, he was still recognized as a First Team All-ACC performer.

He will now turn his attention to the big games at the NBA level after announcing his decision to turn pro.

Patrick Tape is going to Duke after all.

The Columbia transfer had originally committed to the Blue Devils on March 24, only to back out of that commitment eight days later, according to Evan Daniels of 247Sports. But after weighing his options, Tape decided to head to Durham, North Carolina, after all.

"I actually spoke with the Duke coaches again and they've agreed to let me join the team again," Tape said, per Daniels.

Syracuse, USC, Ohio State and Georgetown all made a push for Tape's services, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, though the Blue Devils won out after his initial change of heart.

"I thought I rushed into it at first, but I realized that it was the best fit for me," he told Borzello.

Tape, a graduate transfer, sat out the last season after tearing a ligament in his toe over the summer and reinjuring it before the season began. Rather than playing an abbreviated season, he sat out and preserved his final season of eligibility.

Because he's a graduate transfer, he can play immediately for Duke, competing for time in a frontcourt that will also include a trio of freshman in Jaemyn Brakefield, Henry Coleman and Mark Williams.

In the 2018-19 campaign, Tape averaged 11.3 points and 5.9 rebounds for Columbia.

The Louisville Cardinals are adding a significant piece to their backcourt.

Radford graduate transfer Carlik Jones chose the ACC program as his next destination Sunday:

Jeff Goodman of Stadium called it a "HUGE PICKUP" for head coach Chris Mack, as Jones averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals a night during the 2019-20 campaign.

Jones is a high-volume scorer who averaged double figures in each of his three seasons with Radford. He can break down defenders off the bounce but is also a dangerous three-point shooter who drilled 40.9 percent of his triples last season.

He led his team to a victory over the Big Ten's Northwestern Wildcats in November with 20 points and seven assists and also turned heads during the 2018-19 season with 20 points and eight assists against Maryland and 18 points and five assists against Clemson.

The guard, who is the reigning Big South Player of the Year, talked about how important coaching and the tradition of winning were as he chose his next destination without the ability to travel to campuses with restrictions in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The list I have now are winning programs," Jones said, per Brian Snow of 247Sports. "Also, it is coaches who I have gained trust with, especially the head coach. Knowing that I was likely not going to be able to visit schools, I focused on the programs where the head coaches were doing the most work and calling the most often in order to build trust and a relationship."

This is an important addition for the Cardinals for more than just Jones' talent.

Lucas Aulbach of the Louisville Courier Journal noted Mack's program "needed a guard," as David Johnson and Josh Nickelberry are the only two from last season's roster who are coming back.

Jones is someone who can take over the role of lead backcourt scorer or facilitator and should be a major part of the Cardinals rotation during the 2020-21 campaign.

North Carolina forward Garrison Brooks has decided to pass on declaring for the NBA draft and instead return for his senior season with the Tar Heels, per Jonathan M. Alexander of The News & Observer.

The 6'9" native of Alabama averaged 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and two assists last season while playing 32 games.

Brooks' return is a massive boost for a North Carolina team that's already looking like an early title contender in 2021. 

Head coach Roy Williams has amassed another group of top recruits, with 247Sports.com ranking UNC's incoming freshman group the No. 3 class in the country. UNC currently boasts three 5-star recruits including centers Day'Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler as well as point guard Caleb Love. 

If that weren't enough, there's still a possibility guard Cole Anthony returns for his sophomore year rather than join the ranks of college basketball's one-and-dones. In mid-March, Anthony announced he was delaying his decision to turn pro or not as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the country.

A return season for Cole would shock even Williams, who said he has no "doubt" the guard will declare for the draft. 

North Carolina is coming off one of Williams' worst seasons since taking over the Tar Heels. UNC went 14-19 (6-14, ACC), finishing second-to-last in its conference ahead of only Wake Forest. Brooks now has a chance at redemption as his program looks to bounce back and challenge for an NCAA title again.

Carl Tacy, former basketball coach at Wake Forest and Marshall, died Thursday at the age of 87. 

Per the Associated Press, Tacy's son, Carl Jr., confirmed his father's death after the senior Tacy was diagnosed with leukemia in December. 

Carl Jr. noted his father had been transferred to hospice care in Yadkinville, North Carolina, last week. 

Tacy began his coaching career at Marshall in 1971-72. He led the Thundering Herd to a 23-4 record and the second NCAA tournament appearance in school history. 

Wake Forest was able to hire Tacy away starting with the 1972-73 season. The West Virginia native was tasked with turning around a program that missed the NCAA tournament in 10 straight seasons prior to his arrival. 

In 13 seasons with the Demon Deacons, Tacy posted a 222-149 record with four tournament appearances. He led them to the Elite Eight in 1977 and 1984.

Wake Forest inducted Tacy into its Hall of Fame in 1985. He ranks third all-time in school history with 222 victories.

Columbia transfer Patrick Tape has reportedly reopened his recruitment less than two weeks after making a verbal commitment to Duke. 

Evan Daniels of 247Sports reported the update Thursday and noted the 6'10", 232-pound forward, who's eligible to play during the 2020-21 college basketball season, also received interest from Georgetown, Maryland, Ohio State and Syracuse before his initial choice of the Blue Devils.

Tape averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent from the field across 27 appearances (21 starts) for the Lions during the 2018-19 campaign. He sat out this past season after suffering a toe injury.

The Charlotte native said having a chance to play close to his hometown and for Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski were the key factors in his decision.

"[It was] really just being close to home and having my family come see me, the excellent tradition they have there and the opportunity to play for the best coach of all time," Tape told ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

USC was another school in the running for the graduate transfer, per Borzello.

Tape said he had a couple goals in mind after deciding to leave Columbia.

"[When I left], my goals were to play at a high level, make the NCAA tournament, hopefully play pro and get into urban planning," he told reporters. "I thought I would get high-major interest, but Duke is a different level."

It's unclear whether Duke will remain under consideration.

Tape's decision comes after the NCAA announced Wednesday the "recruiting dead period" has been extended through at least May 31 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

North Carolina head coach Roy Williams isn't expecting star Cole Anthony back for the 2020-21 season. 

In an interview with 247Sports' Evan Daniels, Williams said he believes Anthony will declare for the 2020 NBA draft and pointed to his massive roster turnover from last year:

"Yes, I don't think there is any doubt in my mind that Cole will be leaving, but I do it every year. Last year we had Coby [White], Nassir [Little], Cam [Johnson] were all in the first round, and then Luke [Maye] and Kenny [Williams] played in the G League, so we had five guys, two of them were freshmen. We sent out the undergraduate evaluation form on four people and of those four only one left so I do that all the time."

Anthony said Tuesday he's delaying his decision while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. 

The New York native might feel he has unfinished business in Chapel Hill. He was limited to 22 games as a freshman, and the Tar Heels' 14 victories were the fewest ever for Williams.

But Anthony is widely regarded as a lottery pick in the 2020 draft, assuming he enters the draft pool. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 34.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Anthony seventh in his most recent big board and projected him as the No. 6 pick to the New York Knicks in his mock draft.

Since Williams is accustomed to losing his best players while they have eligibility remaining, he has been hard at work on the recruiting trail. North Carolina's 2020 class is third nationally in 247Sports' composite team rankings.

Caleb Love, the No. 2 point guard in the country, is poised to assume Anthony's role as the primary playmaker.

Patrick Tape was an unranked prospect from Charlotte, North Carolina when he committed to Columbia out of high school. After proving himself in the Ivy League, he's heading back to his home state to finish his college career with Duke: 

The senior forward announced his decision to transfer on Tuesday night, netting coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils a 6'10" big man who averaged 11.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and shot 66.7 percent from the field during the 2018-19 season. 

The move makes sense for multiple reasons. Namely the fact that Duke is looking to reload while Columbia remains at the bottom of the Ivy League. The Lions went just 6-24 last season, picking up one conference win along the way, while Tape sat out the year.

Despite that, the forward has played exceptionally well against some of the tougher competition on Columbia's schedule in the past. As a junior, Tape posted 18 points and four rebounds against Northwestern, 15 points and four rebounds against Rutgers, 17 points and three rebounds against Boston College and 22 points and 12 rebounds against Harvard. 

It was quite a step up from a sophomore season in which he averaged just 4.4 points in 17.2 minutes per game. 

Now he'll join an incoming class at Duke that's already ranked No. 2 in the nation behind Kentucky, according to 247 Sports. The Blue Devils had previously picked up commitments from three five-stars in forward Jalen Johnson and guards Jeremy Roach and DJ Steward—along with three four-stars in big men Mark Williams, Jaemyn Brakefield and Henry Coleman. 

Aside from seniors Javin DeLaurier and Jack White, Duke is preparing to lose freshmen Wendell Moore Jr., Vernon Carey Jr. and Cassius Stanley to the NBA this offseason, along with others who may declare without an agent.

Adding Tape to the mix will give Coach K another embarrassment of riches that's sure to be the envy of most ACC teams yet again. 

Florida State sophomore Devin Vassell has declared for the 2020 NBA draft with two more years of eligibility remaining.

He announced his decision on his Instagram page Monday.

He will have the opportunity to return to school if he withdraws by June 15.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman listed the guard as the No. 14 overall player in his postseason big board.

Vassell is coming off a breakout 2019-20 campaign where he became one of the most important players on a deep Florida State squad that exceeded most expectations while winning the ACC title.

The 6'6" wing averaged 12.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range.

It's all part of a meteoric rise for a player who was a 3-star recruit out of high school and considered the No. 200 player in the 2018 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. Vassell also had a limited role as a freshman, averaging just 4.5 points in 10.7 minutes per game for the Seminoles.

There was more playing time available in his second season, and he was a difference-maker on both ends of the court.

His skill set is also exactly what NBA teams are looking for as key parts of their rotation at the next level.

Vassell is a strong defender who can match up with bigger guards on the perimeter while affecting the game with his ability to get steals and blocks. He can also get red hot offensively, including his 7-of-7 effort from three-point range in a win over Virginia Tech this year.

This could help him go off the board early in the upcoming draft.