Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Raleigh basketball star commits to N.C. State

N.C. State landed one of its most noteworthy recruits in recent years when McDonald's All-American C.J. Leslie of Raleigh Word of God committed to the Wolfpack.

"I'm going to N.C. State," Leslie said. "It is a great school and we can be good there. And obviously, Coach Lowe is a great coach."

Leslie said this morning that he was undecided with Kentucky and Connecticut still in the the picture, but he decided during the day that he was sure he wanted to run with the Wolfpack.

"It was really up for grabs," he said. "It was really close with the other two schools."

Tim Stevens, (Raleigh) News & Observer

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

N.C. State, Miami add to sophomore guard's offers

Tyler Lewis was a very popular young man last Friday.

The Forsyth Country Day (Lewisville) sophomore point guard received a scholarship offer from N.C. State in the afternoon and from Miami on Friday night.

Lewis, 5-foot-11, 160-pounds, already has offers from Virginia Tech, UNC-Charlotte, East Carolina, Appalachian State, Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth, High Point, Baylor plus N.C. State and Miami. Former Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio had offered as well.

FCD coach Craig Dawson said Lewis is improving and getting stronger, but the coach believes the recruiting interest is picking up because Lewis is playing so well this spring in club tournaments and was outstanding in Dave Telep's Carolina Challenge.

"I think he is getting out there more," Dawson said.

Lewis plays club ball with Team Loaded. Lewis scored 31 points in the club team's recent victory over the highly ranked CP3 All-Stars.

Lewis averaged 20 points, 8.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals last season at Forsyth Country Day. He made 57 percent of his shots from the field.

"He has a lot of options," Dawson said. "It is good to have a plethora of offers."

-- Tim Stevens, (Raleigh) News & Observer

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Mabry decision likely this week

Tashawn Mabry, the career basketball scoring leader at Rocky Mount High, expects to make his college commitment this week.

He is expected to pick from among N.C. State, Providence, Connecticut, UNC Wilmington, Western Kentucky and Rhode Island.

Mabry said State had offered him a scholarship and had been recruiting him since his freshman year. Last Thursday he went to campus and talked with players and coaches.

"I'll make my final decision next week," he said Friday.

Mabry is a 6-foot-6 forward who led Rocky Mount to the NCHSAA 3-A championship. He was the most valuable player in the championship game, an 84-79 victory over Concord. He had 26 points and 10 rebounds in the win.

He averaged 24.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.5 blocks, 1.5 steals and 1.4 assists. He finished his career with 2,411 points, passing former Gryphons point guard Phil Ford to become the school's all-time scorer.

"I am achieving everything that I had dreamed of," Mabry said. "It is really unbelievable."

Mabry said he talked regularly with Raleigh Word of God's C.J. Leslie, a McDonald's All American who also is considering N.C. State.

"C.J. is my boy," Mabry said. "We talked about what a great class it would be if we both decided to go there with Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown, but both of us need to make the best decision for ourselves and our families."

Mabry said his decision would come down to where he thought he could get the best education and where he could develop his basketball abilities the most.

-- Tim Stevens, Raleigh News & Observer

Coach: Tar Heels' recruit Hairston improving

Veteran Greensboro Dudley basketball coach David Price said North Carolina junior recruit P.J. Hairston is improving rapidly.

"He is much stronger than he was at the start of last season," Price said. "He can get to the basket much better. We've still got to work on his ball handling and some other things, but he is working hard and getting better."

The 6-5 junior guard has exceptional range on his jumper and is ranked No. 19 by Scout.com in the Class of 2011.

-- Tim Stevens, Raleigh News & Observer

Kentucky looking solid for 2011 class

Kentucky already has the makings of an exceptional men's basketball recruiting class in 2011.

The Wildcats have commitments from Michael Gilchrist, a 6-6 forward from Elizabeth (N.J.) St. Patrick, and from Marquis Teague, a 6-1 point guard at Indianapolis Pike.

Gilchrist is the top-ranked junior in the country and Teague is ranked No. 5 by Scout.com.

North Carolina has a commitment from No. 2-ranked James McAdoo, a 6-8 forward at Norfolk (Va.) Christian, and Duke has a commitment from No. 14-ranked Michael Gbinije, a 6-6 forward at Richmond Benedictine.

None of the commitments are binding on the schools or the players. The players can sign scholarships in the fall. 

-- Tim Stevens, Raleigh News & Observer