The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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130 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ BASKETBALL RECRUITING NC State won over four-star se- nior power forward Jericole Hel- lems with persistence and trust. Rivals.com's No. 99 over- all prospect officially visited NC State Aug. 26-28, but wasn't quite sure he was going to col- lege in Raleigh. He took a second official visit, this time to South Carolina Sept. 15-17, and then spent the next five weeks con- templating his college decision. The 6-7, 200-pounder from St. Louis Chaminade High turned to a pair of famous alums from his high school for some guidance. He discussed his choices with Boston Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum, who attended Duke, and Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal, who played for Florida. The two Chaminade Prep alums gave him that extra push he needed to know that NC State was the right place for him. "Jayson thought it was a good idea to attend NC State and that I'd enjoy playing in the ACC," Hellems said. "Brad Beal said to go with your heart and enjoy it. My family is also happy with my decision." Hellems went to bed Oct. 19, knowing he was going to pick NC State, and quietly informed the Wolfpack coaches prior to his public unveiling at 6 p.m. Oct. 20. NCSU head coach Kevin Keatts proved in four quick months that he was the right mentor for Hellems. "We just had a good relationship, and I felt comfortable with the players," Hellems said. "It was the move for me. "It just gradually occurred [since August]. They just stayed on me. I just felt it was a better connection with me and Coach Keatts and [assistant] Coach [Takayo] Siddle and the other coaches." Hellems was a true July evaluation blow-up story while playing with the Brad Beal Elite traveling team. He entered the month getting recruited by mostly mid-major programs, but after an impressive week at the Nike Peach Jam, July 12-15 in North Augusta, S.C., he earned at least 14 high-major Division I offers. NC State pulled the trigger on July 19 and aggressively pursued an official visit for late August. It didn't take him long to lock on to NC State and South Carolina. "I was really fixated on those two schools," Hellems said. "I didn't want to go to any other school." Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Eric Bossi has been watching Hellems extensively over the years. One of the by- products of having a future NBA teammate is exposure and Hel- lems playing with Tatum ensured that. "I've known about him since he was a freshman because he played with Jayson Tatum," Bossi said. "When he first hit the scene as a freshman, that was kind of what the expectation was [to be a high-major prospect]. He was the next guy in line at Chaminade High School, follow- ing David Lee, Bradley Beal and then Jayson Tatum. "The expectations might not have been at the level of those guys since they were all first-round draft picks, but he was expected to be the next big-time player." Hellems showed flashes his first two years, but it wasn't un- til this past winter that Indiana's previous staff, Tulsa and some other mid-majors started recruit- ing him. He averaged 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal per game as a junior, and once scored 47 points in a game. "Last year, he started to bust out of the shadows a little bit [from Tatum and current Iowa freshman Tyler Cook], but he was hot and cold," Bossi explained. "He would have 40 one game, and then we would not know what to expect from him the next. He got that Indiana offer, and then it was mostly Missouri Valley programs." Carving out his role took time, but his life changed in quick order at Peach Jam. He averaged 22.4 points and seven rebounds per game, and shot 56.7 percent from the field and 50 percent on three-pointers (16 of 32) in seven contests. That was an incredible jump from the Nike Elite Youth Basket- ball League regular season, when he averaged 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 16 contests. "He started to hit his stride," Bossi said. "Teams went to see him in the spring, and he fell flat. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't super productive. The key for him was that he is more of a combo forward. Playing more of a face-up small-ball four really allowed him to flourish in the summer." Bossi said when Hellems is embracing being a combo forward, plays with energy and crashes the glass, good things usually happen. "It was hard to deny what he did out there at Peach Jam," Bossi said. "He was one of the 10 best players there." Fellow Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Corey Evans was impressed with how Hellems emerged as wanting to be "the guy" for Brad Beal Elite in July, and did not settle for just being a role guy. Evans pointed out that whatever team Hellems has played on, all they do is win. "I think it was more of him thinking, 'I can be a go-to scorer if I have to, and I can make shots and defend the best player on the other team,'" Evans said. "I think for the guys who are undersized [at power forward], it's about the buy in. "He has always had the buy-in to be that guy." — Jacey Zembal Hazelwood (Mo.) Chaminade forward Jericole Hellems gives the Wolf- pack a trio of four-star commits ranked among Rivals.com's top 110 players nationally in its 2018 class. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Forward Jericole Hellems Brings Athleticism To Frontcourt