2009 Carolina Challenge Video: The Wolfpack Recruits

This Saturday we were at Dave Telep's Carolina Challenge at Cary Academy filming and interviewing the Wolfpack recruits that were participating. Overall the event was well run and had the best talent North Carolina had to offer. We took video of CJ Leslie, Bishop Daniels, Deuce Bello, and Reco McCarter. Here is the highlight video we put together from the Challenge:



CJ Leslie 2010 Former NC State commit, CJ Leslie was up to his old tricks this Saturday, wowing the crowd with his athleticism, swagger, and versatility. Leslie was at times extremely active and aggressive, with drives to the hoop and thunderous finishes, and it was obvious that CJ was the most talented player at this event. At 6'9 and possessing the ability to dribble, shoot, or play (way) above the rim, Leslie at points seemed disinterested or annoyed at the fact that either he wasn't being challenged, or that his surrounding team members weren't playing up to par. His ability and ceiling is undeniable and he will make a big, big impact wherever he lands. CJ told us that he is wide open and lots of schools have been inquiring. He also told us that he recently visited with Coach Lowe and talked about his situation. Leslie said he felt it went good and that the Wolfpack are still a big player in his recruitment.

Bishop Daniels 2011 This is first time we had the opportunity to see Bishop play live and wow was he impressive. The kid is only a sophomore, yet watch him and you'll swear he's more experienced than that. Daniels gets to the rim with ease and has some ridiculous bounce. If he gets close to the hoop and you're anywhere near him, look out below, cause Bishop is about to give you a face lift. He is strong, smart, has a good handle, and his shot is progressing. This is an elite talent that will be blowing up in the near future. Daniels holds an offer from State and told us that NC State and Wake were coming at him the hardest. He also mentioned that he was a huge ACC fan and staying close to home is very important to him. He seemed very favorable to State in our time talking. Bishop was certainly one of the top 3 players we saw at the challenge and we're excited to see how high this kid's ceiling really is.

Reco McCarter 2010 We've seen Reco play before and Saturday was more of the same. He is long, he is quick, and he is aggressive. Reco projects as a wing in college and will need to hone his jumpshot before he becomes a lethal scorer, but McCarter slithers his way to the hoop and is very long and athletic, thus making him a very tough matchup.

Deuce Bello 2011 You wouldn't guess that Deuce is a sophomore by looking at him, and you certainly wouldn't have a clue he's a sophomore by watching him play. Bello is an absolutely athletic monster. His game is a little raw, but who's isn't at 16 years old. Bello gets to the rim, and when he does watch out, because he has some serious hops and likes to finish with authority. Bello will need to harness his jumper, but that will come in time. Deuce told us he was wide open in his recruitment and that he would be interested if NC State decided to offer. He will be playing this summer for D-1 sports.

There were a few other Wolfpack targets in the building but these were the 4 that we felt should be on everyone's radar. Chris Coleman and Luke Cothron did not attend the event, although they were scheduled to be there.

Pack Recruits Take the Stage at Dave Telep's "Carolina Challenge"

What: The Carolina Challenge
When: March 28, 2009
Where: Cary Academy, Cary NC

In it's third year of existence the Carolina Challenge is turning into an event that coaches and recruiting analysts mark on their calenders. Lately the North Carolina high school circuit has been gaining recognition as a breeding ground for big time hoops talent. Dave Telep, one of the most well known recruiting analysts in the area, has put together an event that gives these players (NC's top 100) the chance to showcase their talent in a one day, action packed array of games and skill sessions.

Here is what Telep's site had to say about the challenge:
"All eyes will be on the state of NC this March. The only statewide event of its kind in America tips off March 28 in Cary.
We had a strong event in 2007 and a banner year last season! It’s possible three Carolina Challenge alums could find their way into the McDonald’s All-American Game. We anticipate no less than two dozen members of the Class of 2009 will sign Division I scholarships by the end of the spring, including three Scout.com Top 20 prospects and the nation’s top point guard, John Wall.
In short, the Carolina Challenge is the place to kick-start your spring traveling team season or put a capper on your high school year! Our scouts are out looking for the best talent our state has to offer!"

We at Wolfpack Hoops will be in attendance and we hope you will too. Come out and support the Pack recruits. Games will begin at 9:30am. Here are the rosters; those in bold are the Wolfpack targets, and the ones you should be checking out.

Keith Bellfield 2011 Cannon School
Deuce Bello 2011 Westchester Academy
Devince Boykins 2011 East Rutherford
DeMon Brooks 2010 Hopewell
Jarrick Brown 2010 Millbrook (injured)
Reggie Bullock 2010 Kinston
John Cannon 2011 Mount Heritage
Jay Canty 2010 Ragsdale
James Carlton 2010 South Central
Emanuel Chapman 2010 Enloe
Justin Cheek 2010 Ardrey Kell
Chris Coleman 2011 Mount Zion
Luke Cothron 2010 Flora McDonald
Bishop Daniels 2011 Word of God
Luke Davis 2010 Ravenscroft
Jacoby Davis 2011 Vance
Manny Dias 2010 Veritas Sports Academy
Reggie Dillard 2012 Dudley
Jordan Downing 2010 Hopewell
Jarell Eddie 2010 Cannon School
Monroe Faulkner 2011 Person
Tevin Friday 2010 United Faith
Jonathan Frye 2010 Northern Guilford
Anthony Gill 2011 Charlotte Christian
Kadeem Green 2010 United Faith
P.J. Hairston 2011 Dudley
Julius Hamilton 2012 West Charlotte
Donta Harper 2011 South Central
Damontre Harris 2010 Trinity Christian
Jeremy Ingram 2010 East Mecklenburg
Jeremy Jeffers 2010 Greenfield Schol
Madison Jones 2012 Ravenscroft
Tony Kimbro 2011 Christ School
Sebastian Koch 2010 Christ School
Paul Larsen 2010 Lake Norman
Jacob Lawson 2011 Northern Guilford
Deng Leek 2011 Veritas Sports Academy
Leek Leek Malual 2010 Veritas Sports Academy
Travion Leonard 2011 Wakefield
C.J. Leslie 2010 Word of God
Tyler Lewis 2012 Forsyth Country Day
Stargell Love 2010 Quality Education
TaShawn Mabry 2010 Rocky Mount
George MaNgoue 2010 Forsyth Country Day
Reco McCarter 2010 Wayne Country Day
Josh Mellette 2012 Southern Lee
Tony Menton 2011 Waddell
Ian Miller 2010 United Faith
Quincy Miller 2011 Quality Education Acad.
Akil Mitchell 2010 Charlotte Christian
Jacquise Moore 2011 Concord
Weston Murphy 2010 Apex
Michael Neal 2011 Norhern Guilford
Braxton Ogbueze 2012 Vance
Reggie Perkins 2011 Western Guilford
Keynan Pittman 2011 Pender
Marshall Plumlee 2011 Christ School
Tyler Poole 2011 Hickory
Jervon Pressley 2011 Waddell
Reggie Price 2010 Lake Norman
Corey Raley-Ross 2010 Gaston Day School
Marquis Rankin 2011 Vance
Jonathan Rice 2010 Fayetteville Academy
Brian Richardson 2010 Greenfield
Jordan Robertson 2011 Greensboro Day
Jackson Simmons 2011 Smoky Moutain
Josh Smith 2012 Bessemer City
Anthony Stitt 2011 Butler
Bernard Sullivan 2011 North Mecklenburg
Melvin Tabb 2010 Enloe
J.T. Terrell 2010 Cummings
Anthony Thomas 2010 Winston-Salem Prep
Aaron Toomey 2010 Bishop McGuinness
Daryl Traynham 2010 Vance
Dezmine Wells 2011 Word of God
Terry Whisnant 2011 Cherryville
Jermaine White 2010 Butler
Anthony Williams 2011 Waccamaw Academy
Terrence Williams 2011 West Mecklenburg
Chris Wilson 2011 Terry Sanford
David Wishon 2010 Concord
Brennan Wyatt 2010 Dudley

An Interview With The Coach: Wayne Country Day's Head Coach Terry Jones

Earlier this week we got the chance to talk to the Head Basketball Coach at Wayne Country Day, Terry Jones. We were able to talk to him about his experience coaching Pack recruit Reco McCarter and we are extremely grateful for his time. It encourages me that there are coaches out there like Coach Jones. He views his role as the head coach at Wayne Country Day as an opportunity to truly pour into these young men as people, not just as athletes. He spends time investing in each individual and also takes them on team building trips to the beach, bowling, etc. I can't say enough about Coach Jones. He led Wayne Country Day to a 21-13 record this season and to the quarter-finals of the State Playoffs. Here is how the conversation went down:

WolfpackHoops: Tell us about Reco McCarter.

Coach Jones: Reco is definitely a great ball player. He has been blessed with a lot of natural gifts and abilities. This was my second full season coaching Reco and I have really had the chance to watch him develop as a player. When Reco first came here I wasn't sure what type of player he was going to be. I've watched him develop a great work ethic. This season he really fine tuned certain elements of his game. He began to work on some fundamentals and his improvement resulted in us having a better team. His jump shot really became a lot more polished as the season progressed and his ball handling ability improved a lot as well.

WolfpackHoops: Reco seems like he has raw athletic ability. His length seems like it would make him a really capable defensive player. Tell us about Reco's defensive ability.

Coach Jones: There is no doubting Reco's athletic ability. He is truly a defensive hound. For him to be able to play the way that he does offensively and guard the opposing team's best offensive player night in and night out truly puts him in a category that not many players are able to get to.

WolfpackHoops: Tell us about Reco's leadership abilities.

Coach Jones: When you have a kid of his caliber you want him to be a vocal leader. With that being said, one of the things that we teach here is that before you buy into someone's message, you have to buy into the messenger first. Reco is an unselfish young man who is developing character and integrity. Reco is definitely becoming a vocal leader and no one would disagree with him being in that position. His greatest strength is his intensity and it is contagious.

WolfpackHoops: Talk to us about Reco's recruitment.

Coach Jones: The recruiting process has definitely picked up. His opportunities are becoming greater. He’s getting recruitment on all different levels. Some players like to go to a smaller school and be a take over guy like Curry at Davidson, whereas other players like to go to the big universities where there is a big family environment. When it comes to NC State, Reco likes that it is local, and he is also a family oriented young man. He has had the opportunity to go to a couple ball games and he speaks very highly of the environment and the fans.

Word of God Gets Their Wish: WOG vs. Trinity Christian Volume IV

Word of God has been coveting a chance to rain mass amounts of revenge on Trinity Christian. Well sometimes you do get what you wish for. After the Holy Rams defeated Wayne Country Day 71-48 last night in the Elite-8 of the NCISAA state playoffs they are now going to play Trinity Christian in the Final Four. Last night WOG spread the wealth amongst their roster as 4 players inked double digits (Leslie 14, Wall 12, Daniels 2). Reco McCarter also pumped in 17 for the Chargers. This will mark the 4th time this season that Word of God and Trinity Christian have butted heads. Here is how the previous three games have broken down:

1/9/09 - Word of God 74 Trinity Christian 62 - John Wall (18 points and 10 assists), C.J. Leslie (19 points, 11 boards, 4 blocks)
2/13/09 - Trinity Christian 68 Word of God 66 - John Wall (29 points), C.J. Leslie (12 points)
2/21/09 - Trinity Christian 75 Word of God 66 - John Wall (26 points), C.J. Leslie (23 points)

Chargers Will Get Another Shot At The Holy Rams

WCD (21-12) took a little while to get started last night against Hobgood's (#11 Seed) slow style of play but it didn't take long for the Chargers to heat up. Reco McCarter's 20 points were instrumental in leading his team to a 72-46 victory. The Chargers have advanced to Thursday night's game in the Elite-8 of the NCISAA State Playoffs. This game will be no ordinary game. Charlotte is getting a special treat because Word of God (#3 Seed) and Wayne Country Day (#6 Seed) will face off at Charlotte Latin School at 5:30pm. This won't be the first time that these two teams have tangled this season. On November 28th Word of God opened their season with a matchup against Wayne Country Day. The Chargers never really showed up, allowing the Holy Rams to run away with their season opener, 75-49. C.J. Leslie started off his Junior playoff campaign with a 22 point flurry and John Wall and Reco McCarter added 17 and 16 respectively. Tomorrow's game might present a different scenario though because this Charger team is not the same one that Word of God faced earlier in the year.

Word of God Stunned...Wayne Country Day's Senior Night Hoopla Not Enough

Word of God looked past Trinity Christian last Friday night. I'm not sure if they were thinking about the post-season or about other future aspirations, but they weren't thinking about beating Trinity Christian because they lost 66-68. The typically high flying squad was forced into a 3-Point competition due to Trinity's 3-2 zone. Truth be told, John Wall's hands didn't touch the rim all night long. Don't get me wrong, Wall wasn't shut down by any means. He cleaned up 29 points (20 of them in the 2nd half) and he hit 3 out of his team's 5 three point field goals. Wall's problem Friday night was that he was missing a supporting cast. C.J. Leslie had a quiet 12 points and Bishop Daniels was almost counted absent on the roll sheet with his total of 2 points. This loss ruined WOG's perfect conference record for the season. The Holy Rams (18-7, 5-1) have to gain their composure because they are about to head into the Conference Tournament this week.

Wayne Country Day didn't have much luck on Saturday night either. It was a huge game against #1 ranked Greenfield and it was Senior Night as well. But the packed house was not enough to defeat Greenfield. The 6th ranked Chargers put up a valiant fight and even led for a majority of the game, but they could not hold the lead and they eventually lost 65-58. Reco McCarter had 16 points in the game. While WCD's 19-12 record isn't mind blowing, they do boast a 6-2 conference record which earned them a first round bye in this week's CPIC tournament.

Marion's Streak Comes to an End...WCD Crushes Kerr-Vance...Zo Flirts With a Triple-Double

Two monumental streaks came to an end for Marion last night. Their streak of 12 straight wins was snapped last night as they lost to Warsaw via a three at the buzzer. The devastating 69-66 loss also snapped a 28 game winning streak on their home court. Scott Wood couldn't get into a rhythm as he shot 30% from the field and finished the game with 21 points. Credit should be given to Warsaw (12-1) who is a quality opponent. Marion (13-2) gets a little bit of a chance to regroup because they won't play again until this Thursday @ Huntington North.

The Wayne Country Day Chargers (17-11) improved to 5-1 in conference play by crushing Kerr-Vance 50-28 on Friday night. Reco McCarter, who is nursing a hand injury, put out a balanced performance of 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. WCD faces county rival Wayne Christian tomorrow night at home.

Centennial destroyed Alpharetta 100-69 on Friday night. The Knights improved to 20-2 on the season and Lorenzo Brown had 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists. This is the consistent offensive production we have grown accustomed to seeing out of Zo.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Scott Wood has led his Marion Giants squad to an impressive 12-1 record this season. Their only loss of the season so far came at the hands of Lawrence North, who happens to be a National Top-10 powerhouse. The Giants had a busy and successful weekend as they beat Richmond 70-43 on Friday night and Northrop 48-39 last night. Scott Wood led Marion in scoring in both games as usual, scoring 28 against Richmond and 18 against Northrop. We realized something this weekend: Scott Wood is human after all. His streak of scoring 20+ points in a game was snapped last night. He had scored 20+ points in 12 straight games. But let's be real, Scott Wood might be human, but he might also be Mr. Basketball in the state of Indiana. Keep it up Scott!

John Wall also continues to make his opponents weep. He scored 38 points against Victory Christian on Friday night and led Word of God to a 76-64 victory. Word of God seems to be on a roll as they have now won 8 straight games. During this streak John Wall has averaged 27.4ppg. Also, C.J. Leslie eased his way back into playing on Friday. He played limited minutes due to his bum ankle but still scored 6 points. Bishop Daniels scored 4 points. Word of God is now 15-7 on the season.

The Centennial Knights are establishing themselves as a powerhouse in the state of Georgia. After beating Kell on Tuesday night to the tune of 79-48 they also took care of business on Friday night by beating Alpharetta 81-60. Lorenzo Brown scored 16 points against Kell and 11 points against Alpharetta. You might be puzzled by Brown's 11 points but don't be. Zo didn't play the fourth quarter and he splattered the box score in every category. He is a true teammate and true basketball player and his stats are a testimony to this. He had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks to go along with his 11 points.

Murrah's emotions continued to ride high on Friday night as they beat Madison Central 73-70. LaQuinton Ross' offensive production accounted for 60% of Murrah's total offense. Yes folks, if you did the math you realized that Ross had a career night, scoring 44 points. This marks the highest point total on the season for any of NC State's recruits, topping Ryan Harrow's 43 points earlier this season. Murrah is now 12-10 on the season and might be streaking at the right time.

LeFlore lived up to their ranking on Friday night. They are the #1 team in the state of Alabama and they beat Lee-Huntsiville who is #10 in the state, 85-74. The 24-2 Rattlers were led as usual by DeMarcus Cousins who put up 25 points and 10 rebounds. At Wolfpack Hoops we try to be the voice of optimism, but on Friday night things got ugly. With around 5 minutes to play Cousins got tangled up with another player and threw him to the ground. He received a technical foul and his coach pulled him out for the remainder of the game. Cousins and a fan from the opposing team exchanged some words and later he was physically restrained by his teammates and coach from going to the parking lot. DeMarcus plays a selfless and passionate brand of basketball, but he has to learn how to control that passion.

Reco McCarter also had a big night on Friday as Wayne Country Day pounced on Faith of Rocky Mount. His 21 points and 11 boards led them to a 76-47 victory.

Reco McCarter 08-09 Season Stats

*CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE; Stats will be updated on this post after every game.

Reco McCarter: Profile

Height: 6'7
Weight: 187
Position: SF
Class: 2010
Team: Wayne Country Day (Goldsboro, NC)
Stars: Rivals and Scout - 3 Stars
ESPN Grade: 90
Status: Prospect
Offers: NC State, Clemson, Virginia Tech

Description:

The potential for Reco McCarter is limitless and his ceiling is sky high. He is 6'7 and runs the fast break like he is a point guard. In fact the fast break is where McCarter thrives. He has great handles for someone his size and can go coast to coast in the blink of an eye. If this lefty were to be described in one word it would be the word explosive. He loves to attack the rim and is ferocious in his approach. Reco is also a skilled passer on the break and within the half-court offense. He has a well-developed spin move that seems to be his bread and butter. His quickness and length make McCarter a nightmare on defense. Lack of effort is not in his vocabulary: he plays his heart out. Truth be told, this wonderful attribute leads to his weaknesses as well. Reco plays with so much energy that he can at times be out of control and take poor shots. He also needs to work on his perimeter shot. If Reco can harness some of his energy (mentally and physically) and develop his perimeter shot, he will be a nightmare of a mismatch in college. Even though Wake Forest hasn't officially offered Reco yet, most people think that they are a major contender as well. Reco is the #22 SF in the 2010 class and the 128th player overall.

Offers on the Table

A question that gets asked all the time is: "What recruits actually hold offers from NC State?"


This is a very valid question and here is how the answer breaks down:

2009: In 2009 we already have commitments from Lorenzo Brown (GA), Richard Howell (GA), and Scott Wood (IN). We have also made offers to John Wall (PG), Derrick Favors (C), and DeMarcus Cousins (PF). All three of these players who still hold offers from the pack are consensus 5-star players that are in the Top-10 on everyone's list. In fact many lists contain all three of them in the Top-5.

2010: In 2010 we already have commitments from C.J. Leslie (SF, PF) and Ryan Harrow (PG). We also have an offer on the table for Reco McCarter (SF) who is a 3-star recruit out of North Carolina. Tashawn Mabry (SF) is a mystery, because he did hold an offer from the Pack at one point, but now the status of that offer is unknown. Tashawn is a 3-star recruit out of North Carolina.

2011: In 2011 we do not have any commitments at this point, but we have made an offer and are making a strong push for LaQuinton Ross (MS). LaQuinton is argued to be the best player in the 2011 class. We also have an offer on the table for Rodney Hood (SG) who is a 4-star recruit out of Mississippi and Word of God's Bishop Daniels (who also holds an offer from Memphis).