We just offered Tyler Harris according to PP. His offer list is so freakin long we probably won't hear anything 'til the winter or spring 2011.

5/27/2010 9:31:01 AM

More potential targets:

http://packinsider.com/2010/05/wolfpack-targets-ready-to-take-the-stage-at-gibbons-part-2/

5/27/2010 3:33:50 PM

Great rundown of NCSU targets

"Wolfpack targets in action at Bob Gibbons TOC"

http://ncstate.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1088745

5/28/2010 10:49:03 AM

uchebo reclassifying to 2011

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/nc-state-recruit-to-move-up-to-class-of-2011

5/28/2010 6:01:50 PM

That's awesome!

5/28/2010 6:03:54 PM

Projected 2011-2012 Roster:

Seniors
Johnny Thomas
CJ Williams

Juniors
Scott Wood
Richard Howell
DeShawn Painter
Jordan Vandenberg

Sophomores
Ryan Harrow
Lorenzo Brown
CJ Leslie

Freshmen:
Joesph Uchebo (Verbal, 2011 status not official)


<Empty> (combo guard?)
<Empty> 
<Empty> 

By Position
1 - Harrow
2 - Brown, Williams
3 - Wood, Leslie, Thomas
4 - Howell, Uchebo?
5 - Painter, Vandenberg

We'll need at least one good post player in this class and Uchebo would fit that slot. A good post player is every bit as important as a good guard in this class.

5/28/2010 6:13:21 PM

That's big for us that Uchebo is now 2011. Provides us a very good option (even though he'd be a freshman) in the post when Tracy leaves.

5/28/2010 7:02:23 PM

Reclassifying lessens the chance of him de-committing and going somewhere else when his recruitment picks up as well.

5/28/2010 7:40:17 PM

He wouldn't decommit anyway. He has ties to the area since it's the only place in America he has family

5/28/2010 8:01:31 PM

great news. we really needed some impact guys in 11 and it shouldn't hurt him since he's surprisingly well developed for a guy who hasn't played long

5/28/2010 8:07:33 PM

I know it doesnt really matter all that much, but what is Uchebo's ranking/stars so far from the different websites?

5/28/2010 9:37:46 PM

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=joseph+uchebo

[Edited on May 28, 2010 at 11:21 PM. Reason : ]

5/28/2010 11:13:07 PM

Joseph Uchebo @ dt's carolina challenge, Mar '10
(#90)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEWoM6QWgE

5/29/2010 12:03:16 AM

^ was that plumlee he was outplaying. this kid has a niceee game

5/29/2010 1:29:26 AM

thats the first video of uchebo i have seen

I think Sid found another one early.

5/29/2010 1:33:11 AM

^ there was one of him last year, i thought, where he was basically just unstoppable due to the height of the competition, but he's going against real blue-chippers in this tourney. so far he looks great. That one spin-move, fall-away he did, probably slightly out of control, but it looked like a major move, pretty smooth

5/29/2010 3:17:31 AM

The thing I like about Uchebo is he'll have a nice outside shot by the time he gets here.

5/29/2010 8:03:30 AM

man, Sid is one hell of an early evaluator of talent. This kid could be huge for us. He seems to have above average skills on defense, passing and posting up/shooting around the basket. This is all based on one video too - which could be a good thing or a bad thing since its just a small sample of what he can do, while being against the same opposition who could been a bunch of scrubs (even though ^^ says otherwise).

One thing I did notice though, was that he seems to have Richard Howell syndrome, where he would prefer laying the ball up to throwing it down. I want to see some powerdunks by a bigman when he is all alone under the basket. But I guess thats a small gripe, as long as he can score near the basket

5/29/2010 9:29:49 AM

^ agreed with some one who will jam it home. i too will settle for 2 when he is under the rim though.

5/29/2010 9:54:18 AM

^ agreed with some one who will jam it home. i too will settle for 2 when he is under the rim though.

5/29/2010 9:56:54 AM

i can't get me enuff of some of this...

good googly moogly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYYuMnJnQSQ&NR=1&feature=fvwp

LoBrown FTW!

5/29/2010 12:12:37 PM

Quote :

"Sophomores Ryan Harrow Lorenzo Brown CJ Leslie"

CJL will prob be a one-and-done. Dontcha think?

5/29/2010 1:11:32 PM

I think we're all rooting for a lockout, that's still a possibility right?

5/29/2010 1:51:01 PM

^ the NBA could fold tomorrow and I wouldn't care. It would probably "dampen" some of the enthusiasm for which sport elite athletes tend to gravitate too but...oh well.

5/29/2010 9:38:13 PM

Quote :

"CJL will prob be a one-and-done. Dontcha think?"

Gravis thinks he could be here two years regardless of lockout, I think there's a good chance of a lockout and until someone makes an announcement that will they will leave I'm not saying they're gone on any charts I make. There's a decent shot he'll still be here

5/29/2010 10:30:38 PM

lol Gravis

5/30/2010 12:46:41 AM

lol if you want the man knows things

5/30/2010 1:35:00 AM

Gravis is the go-to guy on the basketball forum.

[Edited on May 30, 2010 at 1:49 AM. Reason : But I wouldn't be surprised if CJL is one abd done.]

5/30/2010 1:48:48 AM

Gravis may know things, but he doesn't know the future. saying how long leslie will stay is not inside information, it's speculation.

5/30/2010 10:14:00 AM

Gravis may know things, but he doesn't know the future. saying how long leslie will stay is not inside information, it's speculation.

5/30/2010 10:14:00 AM

Gravis does know the future.

5/30/2010 11:33:49 AM

I once saw Gravis at the Golden Coral buffet and got his autograph.

5/30/2010 11:36:57 AM

From today's N&O:

Quote :

" Quinn Cook, a high school junior from the Washington, D.C., area and one of the top basketball prospects in the country, calls North Carolina his "dream school." He also considers Duke guard Nolan Smith his "brother." Those reviews don't suggest a future at N.C. State for Cook, but the Wolfpack is squarely in the mix for the services of the heady point guard from DeMatha High. How? Wolfpack coach Sidney Lowe and assistant coach Pete Strickland, who both went to the same high school as Cook, began wooing him early in the recruiting process. It's the same operating procedure of early recognition and early scholarship offers that helped the Pack land one of the top recruiting classes in 2010. "They definitely were one of the first [schools] to really show an interest," said Cook, who's rated No. 20 in the 2011 class by Scout.com. "That's going to be part of the consideration when I make my final decision." The first-in-line approach netted State C.J. Leslie, Ryan Harrow and Lorenzo Brown, a trio of five-star recruits scheduled to play this coming season. As a class, it ranked fifth nationally according to Scout.com. That same strategy also helped land power forward Joseph Uchebo, a diamond-in-the-rough commitment for the class of 2011. The early legwork didn't pay off with high-profile targets such as John Wall, Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins, but the quality of those players -- each is expected to be a top-10 pick in next month's NBA Draft -- indicates that Lowe has an eye for talent, recognizing top prospects before many of his coaching peers. "Getting [to see] Ryan as a freshman, seeing Lorenzo as a freshman, seeing C.J. with his early commitment, that meant a lot," Lowe said. With a 20-44 ACC record, and four seasons without an NCAA tournament appearance, Lowe needs a recruiting angle. The Wolfpack coach, who is restricted from talking about specific recruits, hopes the strength of the Leslie-Harrow-Brown class will lead to future success with top recruits, enabling him to cut into Duke and UNC's hegemony in the ACC. "It just took longer than all of us, not just our fans but me as well, but hopefully we're going to reap the benefits now of being able to be on these guys," Lowe said earlier this spring. "And now going forward, we have other guys we've been on since they were freshmen, and we'll be in the hunt on those guys as well." The Wolfpack has four scholarships available for the class of 2011 of rising high school seniors, with only one commitment (Uchebo). Cook (Hyattsville, Md.), small forward Tyler Harris (Dix Hills, N.Y.) and guard Deuce Bello (High Point) -- all top 100 recruits -- have received offers from the Wolfpack, according to Rivals.com, with shooting guard Derrick Henry and point guard Jerome Seagears also on the radar. The real impact of State's blockbuster class of 2010 on the recruiting trail won't be known until the 2012 class, said Dave Telep, the national recruiting director for Scout.com. "There's definitely a buzz about the 2010 group," Telep said. "I think kids are taking the approach that expectations have been raised, and all eyes are on the Pack and how they do this season." Uchebo is the latest example of a recruit where early efforts made a difference for the Pack. A raw 6-foot-9 power forward from Oak Ridge Academy, via Nigeria, he already has made his commitment and plans to move up a grade to enroll with the class of 2011. Uchebo left Nigeria in December 2008 and played his first season at Durham's Mount Zion Academy. He transferred to Oak Ridge, in northwestern Guilford County, last summer and committed to State in November. Playing with the ultra-talented CP3 All-Stars team in this weekend's Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions, Uchebo isn't the focal point of his club team, but his talent is conspicuous. Friday night at the Smith Center, against an overmatched team from Georgia, Uchebo displayed a strong post game, particularly on the glass, and the rare ability by a big man to pass. There's still considerable polish to be added to his game, notably at the free-throw line, but any gamble the Wolfpack took by offering Uchebo early seems to be worth the risk. "He's not your typical big man," Oak Ridge coach Stan Kowalewski said. "He has excellent hand-eye coordination. Given how long he has been playing this sport, he's only beginning to tap his potential." Uchebo averaged 10 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks last season for Oak Ridge, despite a series of nagging injuries to his ankle, heel and groin, Kowalewski said. With bright eyes, and a bigger smile, Uchebo struggled more with media interviews on Friday - English is his third language - than the game itself. Uchebo grew up playing soccer in Nigeria and attributes his passing touch to that sport. "I can do that in soccer, too," Uchebo said. He will have to take a math course this summer to meet the NCAA Clearinghouse requirements and prepare for the SAT, Kowalewski said, but Uchebo said he's eager to get to N.C. State a year early. "I think I can help them in the post," said Uchebo, who turns 18 on June 10. With senior forward Tracy Smith gone after next season, the Pack will need interior help. Looking ahead to the 2012 recruiting class, State already is pursuing Charles Mitchell, a 6-8 wide body from the same high school (Wheeler, Marietta, Ga.) as Pack forward Richard Howell. The Pack offered Mitchell a scholarship as a freshman. He is not expected to make a decision until next summer, and his list has expanded to include West Virginia, Clemson, Auburn, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. But, as Mitchell said, "you always remember the people who were there first." And that's exactly what Lowe is counting on."

http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/30/507221/early-effort-is-paying-off.html

5/30/2010 3:09:48 PM

WOLFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!

5/30/2010 3:15:17 PM

WOLP!

5/30/2010 3:20:04 PM

FACK!

5/30/2010 3:43:29 PM

Quote :

"Gravis may know things, but he doesn't know the future. saying how long leslie will stay is not inside information, it's speculation."

He is knowledgeable enough about basketball that his opinion, while not fact, is worth paying attention to

5/30/2010 10:27:30 PM

well, regardless of speculation or someone's opinion, I'm going ahead and assuming that CJL won't be here for 2011-12. I of course would be thrilled if he stayed another year, but I'm not counting on it.

That being said, I say we have 4 scholarships available for 2011 - Uchebo taking the first, we have 3 more to give out.

5/31/2010 10:47:46 AM

There's a good chance that we have 5 schollys available to the class, I think we take max 4, but wouldn't be surprised if it's more like 3

5/31/2010 11:21:57 AM

7^ good article from the N&O.

It's good that we have been patient with Lowe for the last 4 years. The fruits of the labor put forth by him and his staff are finally starting to pay off. They arrived in 2006 and went to work immediately recruiting the high school freshmen, knowing all along that that's really when they needed to start if they wanted to have a chance. Four years later, here we are with a 'blockbuster' recruiting class.

We see it again here with Quinn Cook, mentioning that our staff was one of the first that started on him early. That alone has enough influence on him to at least give us a chance in the end. Hopefully Lowe and Strickland's ties to DeMatha can give us an edge in recruiting. Now that the staff has been established for 4+ years and has been working on Cook's peers in the 2011 class and younger, our chances only get better for future talent.

It's unfortunate that many casual fans don't understand that it takes new coaches several years to recruit the best talent. They see Lowe struggle during the first 4 seasons and are skeptical of his abilities and start calling for his head.

5/31/2010 12:09:44 PM

I think one of the bigger things that would help us to get someone like Cook is just to win. Right now that has to be Lowe's biggest obstacle in recruiting. We just haven't shown the results yet. If we start winning and Lowe can reestablish our program then I think instead of us just having a chance on a guy til the end, we could be a leader on the guy.

5/31/2010 12:49:56 PM

^^That's not accurate. It does NOT take new basketball coaches 4 years to get their guys in because they normally have pre-existing recruiting contacts. The reason Lowe was unusually slow in getting good classes together was because he was completely new to the college game.

I'm not expressing a value judgement -- just saying that you are way off with what you think is a normal amount of time to for a new coach to get good recruiting classes.

Anyway, recruiting is one mark of a good coach, and Lowe more or less had mitigating circumstances for his first years. The other mark is overachieving with the talent you have. Whether Lowe has done that or not is arguable.

5/31/2010 12:55:46 PM

^ agree with that statement

5/31/2010 1:17:48 PM

I acknowledge and agree with that. It's evidenced by Lowe landing Hickson, Smith, Painter, Howell, and Wood all in his first 3 years. Though Wood was underrated, the rest were highly touted recruits that other teams would have gladly accepted. Hats off to Lowe for his efforts.

And you're right - Coach Lowe is new to the college game. So he was already behind the other established coaches in recruiting from that aspect. Look at Calipari - brand new to Kentucky but brings in the nation's best class because of pre-existing relationships. The players know the established college coaches. So that affected things when we had to scramble and settle for Javi at the time - and when we brought in the mediocre 2008 class.

What I was getting at was that the staff has finally made a huge splash with their recruiting efforts. Recruiting players can be a 4 year project - from their freshmen to senior year. The current 2010 class were freshmen when Lowe started on them. So now that Lowe has established himself as a legit recruiter and assuming he started on the freshmen in '07 and '08, State should be a strong contender in the upcoming classes for the nation's best talent.

I also agree that we need to start winning and bringing the program back into the ACC and national spotlights to help with recruiting.

5/31/2010 1:29:03 PM

compare how long it took herb to get his first great class (hodge and co) compared to lowe's first great class. Do that, and its easier to see that lowe WILL bring in recruits with time (which is now indisputable)

Now you can start comparing actual performance - Herbs first year with Hodge to Lowe's first year with CJ/Harrow/Brown.

I think this comparison will be more favorable, and also accurate, than the BS mumblings about getting rid of herb when herb was doing well vs not making the NIT with Lowe ... etc etc

5/31/2010 2:57:24 PM

Wins fix everything.

If Lowe cant convert good recruits to winz we have problems.

Its that simple.

Obviously

5/31/2010 4:13:56 PM

I think we can quit comparing herb and sid about now. Its been obvious since day 1 that sid had the higher ceiling because of recruiting and herb was a quicker fix because of this niche offensive style -but had less top end potential.

But Sid's gonna have to do what herb never could do to reach his potential: keep up with UNC/Duke in recruiting year after year so we stand a chance of keeping up with them on the court as all that young talent matures.

He has one stellar class now, but can he keep it up long enough to give our basketball program momentum from consistently being ranked and winning?

5/31/2010 4:19:21 PM

Herb's time at ASU actually confirms that he was not the guy we wanted. Had a top lottery pick along with other NBA player and didn't get out of the first weekend. Recruiting dropped off in the 4th year and he ended up with Lowe in the NIT. Bad transfers plaguing the program. Herb should be ahead of Lowe by year 4 if he were legit.

5/31/2010 4:37:40 PM

Lowe's knack for showing his great recruiting skills is starting to pay off and Im glad the bulk of the Wolfpack fans have stuck with him, now if he can just get them all on the same page..the sky will be the limit for this squad!

5/31/2010 5:17:00 PM

i like the idea posed in the fowler thread some time ago: that if sid continues to recruit classes like this one and ultimately succeeds, it'll be indicative that the first four years are fowler's fault because he took so long to make a hire and put sid way behind on the recruiting trail.

5/31/2010 5:50:27 PM