Nation’s Top Point Guard Picks Pack!!

As was discussed on our message forums in real time, Fayetteville native, Dennis Smith, Jr has committed to run with the Pack and become the lead commitment in what may end up being one of the two or three best recruiting classes in NC State basketball history!

From ESPN.

Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 4 player in the ESPN 100 and No. 1 point guard in the 2016 class, has told ESPN he will attend NC State.

Five-star point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 1 point guard in the 2016 class, will be a good fit in an NC State offense that favors freedom and movement.
Smith chose the Wolfpack over Kentucky, North Carolina, Louisville, Duke and Wake Forest.

“Growing up an NC State fan, I knew they would be one of my top schools,” Smith said. “Coach [Mark] Gottfried made me a priority, showing up, sitting in front to all my games in the live periods. That loyalty meant a lot to me. After giving the decision a lot of thought, we all felt State was the best situation for me.”

The 6-2, 190-pound Smith is recovering from a torn left ACL suffered while driving to the basket in the semifinals of the Adidas Nations event on Aug. 2. Smith underwent surgery Aug. 7, and his timetable for recovery is expected to be 6-9 months.

[snip]

Smith is NC State’s highest-rated recruit since ESPN began ranking prospects in 2007, but the Wolfpack are also involved with another North Carolina-based prospect, Edrice “Bam” Adebayo (No. 8), and might not be done luring elite-level recruits to Raleigh. Gottfried and assistant coach Orlando Early traveled by helicopter to meet with Adebayo’s mother in Pineville, North Carolina on Wednesday — the first day of the fall recruiting period — and then flew to Fayetteville to meet with Smith at his school, only to finish the day with Adebayo at his school, High Point Christian.

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Home Forums Nation’s Top Point Guard Picks Pack!!

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 27 total)
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  • #88512
    StateFans
    Keymaster

    As was discussed on our message forums in real time, Fayetteville native, Dennis Smith, Jr has committed to run with the Pack and become the lead comm
    [See the full post at: Nation’s Top Point Guard Picks Pack!!]

    #88520
    tjfoose1
    Participant

    Welcome to the Pack, Mr Smith. Kudos to the coaches. Now finish and bring it home, it’s not over till the John Hancock.

    But this is horrible news for the doom and gloom, chicken little, #FireGott crowd.

    #88525
    choppack1
    Participant

    Should be the start of a transformative recruiting class.

    And give gott tons of credit – he is making the most of a huge opportunity. They have done a great job laying the groundwork to have this great class.

    And hopefully this year will not just be special because of recruiting.

    #88528
    ryebread
    Participant

    This is fantastic news. The staff has done a great job with recruiting.

    #88532
    PackofMac
    Participant

    Anyone know or like our chances with Bam Adebeyo other than scout247’s predictions??? Getting his commitment would strongly suggest the major recruiting trail leaves duke and bypasses conservative hill straight to Raleigh.

    #88533
    redisgood
    Participant

    Anyone know or like our chances with Bam Adebeyo other than scout247’s predictions??? Getting his commitment would strongly suggest the major recruiting trail leaves duke and bypasses conservative hill straight to Raleigh.

    I don’t want to jinx it, but it is as close to a lock as you can get. Hopefully he announces soon.

    #88534
    Romulus
    Participant

    Mr. Smith goes to Raleigh. Can’t wait to see Dennis play for the Red and White!

    #88535
    Since74
    Participant

    Dancing around the kitchen singing a Harry Belefonte sounding
    “Gott Gott on de helicopter, Gott Gott on de chopper chopper”.

    Awesome news. Welcome Mr. Smith. Bring the Bam.

    #88537
    Tau837
    Participant

    Where is packalum44 and the rest of the Gott bashers? Nowhere to be found.

    This is great news.

    #88538
    MrPlywood
    Participant

    Nation’s Top Point Guard Picks Pack!

    Yes he did.

    “State is an underdog in the ACC and at times in the state of North Carolina — I want to try and help them win a championship, and I believe we can do it.”

    Love it.

    #88544
    Rick
    Keymaster

    Great news. Ban is next. I think we need over more big man in this class.

    #88545
    packalum44
    Participant

    Sorry for not posting sooner Tau837. I live in NYC work late hours on Wall Street and still find time for a social life on Thursday evenings. Just seeing the news and I’m thrilled if you must know, since you and others allude interest.

    It would be a fool’s errand for me to defend my past analysis of Got against anyone who believes recruiting success vindicates their past opinions on his coaching ability. Really the only thing you can ding me on is my prediction that his recruiting success would wither, in which case, since his paradigm relies on the (poor man’s) Calipari method, would spell another painful few years…deja vu in the life of a Wolfpack fan. I would still trade G for a better coach such as Archie in an instance though I have no motivation to rehash painful basketball memories…it is football season for Pete’s sake.

    These types of recruiting splashes have to be common for Gott if we expect him to break the Elite 8 and, dare we dream, Final 4 drought. Let’s hope he has another top 5 class and it translates into an Elite 8 or more. Until then…cheers.

    #88547
    modobrew
    Participant

    packalum44 – I suggest you check out this page (http://packinsider.com/2015/09/11/mark-gottfried-is-restoring-the-pack/)

    Hard to argue with facts. I was skeptical about the Gott hire at first, but it’s hard to look at those facts and still say he hasn’t done a spectacular job with NCSU Basketball. He’s definitely rejuvenated basketball in Raleigh. It’s been a long time since I was this excited about STATE basketball and it appears it’s only going to get better. Next step, add Bam!

    #88548
    tractor57
    Participant

    Hard to say anything other than Gott has been the best coach in Raleigh since V. Granted in some cases that is rather faint praise but to call him a “poor man’s Archie” might be going a bit too far. I have no criticism of Archie but I’m not sure he would do any better in Raleigh. Also I’m not sure V (or even Sloan or Case) would be so successful today as the landscape has changed much.

    #88552
    PapaJohn
    Participant

    tractor57 – agree
    Gott may not be the bench coach that Valvano was, but he seems to coach with ‘looser reigns’ the way the better players want to play these days. I’m sure it is a tough line to walk between giving them freedom, and training them to have enough discipline to do the basic fundamentals (defense, rebounding, etc.)

    He’s got a good team of coaches.

    Think about the players DSJ should be playing with next year. The twins, the three bigs should all be there, Rowan, Kirk – could be a great team.

    These are exciting times for Wolfpack basketball.

    #88553
    Khan
    Participant

    Very good news indeed. Hopefully, this helps to steadily accelerate recruiting successes going forward.

    #88554
    Pack85EE
    Participant

    My view has always been you rise in steps. Gott’s success is now opening doors for more higher level players to see the Pack as an option. He may have down classes but I expect the overall recruiting classes to continue to rise. This past year was tough but he sure salvaged it by brining in a few athletes. This next class may become a juggernaut. 2017 looks promising. So as in football, I think the next couple of classes will “raise the bar”.
    GO PACK!!!

    #88556
    freshmanin83
    Participant
    #88558
    packof81
    Participant

    This is very encouraging. Five Star.

    #88560
    ruffles31
    Keymaster

    Great news! Welcome to the Pack! Bring all of your friends with you!

    #88561
    ryebread
    Participant

    Also I’m not sure V (or even Sloan or Case) would be so successful today as the landscape has changed much.

    I can’t agree with this. V would have absolutely killed it if at NC State during the last 15 years.

    What made UNC and their media lackeys hate him so much were the very things that were so far ahead of his time:
    – TV personality
    – National TV presence
    – Tied in with SonnyV and Nike
    – Fantastic interview and a sound byte a minute
    – No publicity is bad publicity
    – Good recruiter that could quickly retool a roster
    – Fantastic in game coach
    – Peaked in the postseason
    They’d have made him wildly successful today.

    NC State would have had the type of run that Duke and UNC have had. Now, maybe because there were three horses as opposed to two, there wouldn’t be as many absolute titles, but I think we’d have at least had what Maryland and Wake had over those awful years.

    I will agree that Gott is the best coach since V. He’s brought excitement and actual tangible results back to the program.

    Talent and stacked classes are what we need to push us over the top. What NC State fans have failed to realize over the years is that it doesn’t take one top 5 type class to win a title. Kentucky, Duke, UNC, Kansas and to a lesser extent Louisville, Arizona, Michigan and UCLA are pulling in top 10 classes every year. Yes, they have attrition (but we do too). What they’re left with though is deep talent at every class, not one class trying to pull up the other 2-3 classes.

    This staff is starting to stack classes and that’s the key. Sorry, but no in game coaching is going to make up for a severe talent gap. Even the most recent examples that people like to point to of coaching making up a delta (Butler under Brad Stevens and Bo Ryan at Wisconsin), they still had some really good players.

    #88562
    ancsu87
    Participant

    + 1000 …. Rye just summarized why the UNC machine went after V with such effort.

    It is truly a tragedy we did not get to see him coach for a whole extended career like Coack K. Would have loved the epic Duke / State battles. Plus not sure K would have been as successful with V at State

    #88563
    MrPlywood
    Participant

    This staff is starting to stack classes and that’s the key.

    I agree. DSJ and hopefully Bam could be the tipping point we’ve been waiting for.

    #88566
    PapaJohn
    Participant

    And it can’t be overstated how important the position DSJ plays is. He’s a great player, but also plays the position that can make other players great as well. And is stepping into our biggest recruiting need.

    All in all, a phenomenal pick up. Congratulations Gott!

    #88569
    tractor57
    Participant

    Rye I think you make a valid point. We do differ a bit in our opinions but I do not discount yours. The issue moving forward will be the one V faced – focus or the glamour life. Different time, different place so I don’t see the money issues V faced. V was an amazing recruiter, planner, motivator and game coach. Gott has some of these qualities but hard to compare across eras.

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