The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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SEPTEMBER 2017 ■ 17 TRACKING THE PACK Ever since a mid-summer coaching change at Ohio State, guard Braxton Beverly's life has, by his own admission, "been a little crazy." The Hazard, Ky., native sought and was granted a release from OSU June 30, and was searching for a new home with just more than a month before many colleges began fall semester. Beverly really did not have time to take any visits and had to rely on his research. Clemson, Georgia Tech, Maryland and VCU reached out, but one school had an edge due to a prior relationship: NC State. The Pack's new head coach Kevin Keatts' last assis- tant coaching hire was A.W. Hamilton, Beverly's coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., the past two years. "The relationship that we developed at Hargrave is unbelievable," Beverly said. "It's still there. … Once I did hear from them, it was almost like a dream come true to be able to play in the same system again." That was among the deciding factors that helped Ke- atts add Beverly to the program, which was announced July 28. "I just feel like this was the right place for me, the coaching staff, the people on the team and the school," Beverly said. "Once I sat down and really thought about it, that's when it hit me that we thought NC State would be the best place for me." The 6-0, 180-pound Beverly is known for his shooting prowess. He once made 14 three-pointers in a game en route to 70 points for Hargrave. Beverly, though, felt that Keatts saw more in him than a three-point shooter. "He liked how well I ran the team at Hargrave the two years I was there," he said. "I love to get my teammates involved and make my teammates better. I'll get mine when it's necessary. "He loved that I am a passing point guard that can score when needed." Over his two seasons at Hargrave, Beverly averaged 20.3 and 7.1 assists per game and helped lead the team to a 90-3 record and a prep national title in 2016. Beverly has team-first goals for himself next sea- son: win an ACC championship and make a run in the NCAA Tournament. He's also happy that his immediate future has been mostly settled after some uncertainty. "It was unexpected what happened at Ohio State, but once it happened I had to do what's best for me and my future," Beverly said. "It's been a little crazy research- ing all these schools and getting a feel for what's best for me. "It's definitely been keeping me and my family busy." Beverly was able to accompany the team on its trip to Italy in August, but his status for the 2017-18 season re- mains in question. Because Beverly attended summer school classes at Ohio State, he could be subject to NCAA transfer rules that will force him to sit out a season. Keatts said that NC State compliance is handling the matter, and that NC State was aware of the possibility while it was recruiting Beverly. — Matt Carter Braxton Beverly — a 6-0, 180-pound three-point marksman from Hazard, Ky. — was set to attend Ohio State this fall before a coaching change led to him ending up with the Wolfpack. PHOTO BY JON LOPEZ/NIKE Basketball Brings In A Late Addition To Its 2017-18 Roster