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7-footer commits early to Pack
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close xJoseph Uchebo, a 7-foot, 240-pound center originally from Nigeria, has made an early commitment to N.C. State.
Uchebo is a sophomore at Oak Ridge (N.C.) Military Academy and played last season at Mount Zion Academy in Durham.
Oak Ridge coach Stan Kowalewski said Uchebo runs the floor well, has good passing ability and vision, and can score from 18 feet.
"He's very aggressive going after the basketball coming off the rim," Kowalewski said, "but he's not just a back-to-the-basket big man."
Uchebo has committed so early that it's difficult for analysts to predict how good he might become. Scout.com national recruiting analyst Dave Telep has seen him play just one time.
Telep was impressed with Uchebo's intensity and said that it appears he will be a high-level prospect at this point, but he said he felt uncomfortable commenting more on a player he hasn't seen multiple times.
Kowalewski said Uchebo likes N.C. State because he has family in the Triangle and felt comfortable with Sidney Lowe and the Wolfpack coaches. According to Kowalewski, Uchebo believes that committing early will reduce the pressure of recruiting and help him focus on school.
"He's a great kid, a very good player, very skilled," Kowalewski said. "I think he can play in the ACC right away once he gets there.
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Today's game: N.C. State vs. Akron
When: 3:30 p.m. Where: Daytona Beach, Fla. Radio: WRAL-101.5
Observations
The Wolfpack (1-0) plays three games in four days at the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla. The third-year tournament is named for the longtime Stetson coach. State plays Austin Peay at 8:15 p.m. Saturday and Auburn at 8:15 p.m. Sunday. None of the games will be televised.
Akron won the Mid-American Conference and made the NCAA Tournament last season, but the Zips opened the season with an 80-77 loss to Austin Peay. The Zips' bench outscored the starters 45-32 in the home loss. Junior guard Steve McNees' 14 points lead the team in scoring.
N.C. State forward Tracy Smith led the Wolfpack with 18 points and 11 rebounds, in 25 minutes, in their 69-53 season-opening win over Georgia State. Smith played only 12 minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul at the 7:40 mark. Senior forward Dennis Horner (15 points) and sophomore guard Julius Mays (16) picked up the scoring slack.
Two statistics from State's opener that stand out: 3-of-16 shooting from 3-point range and 35 free-throw attempts. The Wolfpack needs to shoot better from outside, particularly with so much focus on Smith in the post. The 26 free throws that State converted were 14 more than Georgia State attempted. That's not going to happen every game.
J.P. Giglio
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