Why N.C. State recruit Jalen Lecque decided he didn’t need college basketball

Jalen Lecque knew he had attributes — like a 43-inch vertical leap — that the NBA values. How much they’d value him now, at 18, was more of a mystery.

Lecque was choosing between this NBA draft or playing for N.C. State next season. Because he spent a year at a New England prep school after his high school class at Christ School in Arden graduated, he was eligible to enter the draft. But was that wise?

Between how he tested at the NBA Combine last month and the feedback Lecque’s father received from NBA teams, he took the risk of not pulling his name before the NCAA deadline to retain college eligibility. Wednesday, he was one of six draft candidates who worked out for the Charlotte Hornets.

What gave him conviction he’s ready for the NBA?

“The feedback a couple teams gave my dad,” Lecque said. “So I signed with an agent right away.”

NCAA rules now allow agents to serve as advisers to college players deciding whether to stay in the draft. But that rule didn’t apply to Lecque, a 6-foot-4 combo guard, because he hadn’t yet played college basketball. So Lecque’s parents had to take charge of soliciting feedback from NBA executives.

Top leaper

His eye-popping 43-inch max vertical leap was the best measured at last month’s Combine. Those measurables and a couple of workouts with individual teams before the Combine essentially cemented his decision.

“I kind of knew that; it wasn’t a surprise to me,” Lecque said of his leaping ability. “A lot of people didn’t (participate) in the Combine, and I didn’t want to be like everybody.”

Particularly under current NBA rules, when defenders can’t impede ballhandlers with hand-checks, Lecque’s explosiveness driving to the rim gets him on teams’ radar. But at this point he is a project by NBA standards, a couple of weeks away from his 19th birthday.

If Lecque can demonstrate point guard skills, he will significantly improve his long-term NBA chances. Right now, he’s a poor outside shooter; the release point for his jump shot is off to the side of his head, which contributes to a flawed ball rotation. But those are things that can be corrected with the intense coaching he’ll get at the pro level.

The New York City native will also need to fill out from his current 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds; those are roughly the dimensions of Hornets guard Malik Monk, whose top concern this summer is gaining bulk and strength to match up with more physically developed NBA veterans.

Lecque figures to be taken in the latter half of the first round on June 20 or the first half of the second round. It’s quite possible, considering his youth and lack of experience, he’d spend much of next season assigned to the G-League.

Bridge season

Lecque chose a prep-school year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire (as did Hornets point guard Devonte Graham and Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell). Lecque felt at the time he needed a bridge year between high school and college basketball. Now, he’s making a greater jump to prep school to the pros.

“I didn’t feel like I was physically and mentally ready to go to college and dominate at that level,” Lecque said. “Brewster helped me a lot to learn to be a man.”

And now?

“I’m confident I can be on my own,” in the working world, Lecque said. “I feel like I’m mature enough to handle all that stuff.”

And how did N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts handle losing a prized recruit?

“He supported it. He’s a really good guy,” Lecque said. “ When I told him I had the opportunity for this, he said, ‘Go for it.’”

This story was originally published June 5, 2019 at 4:29 PM.