N.C. boasts strong crop of basketball talent in 2016 recruiting class

The N.C. high school boys’ basketball recruiting class of 2016 is especially strong.

Three of the top eight recruits in the ESPN Top 100 are from the Tar Heel State. Harry Giles, a 6-foot-10 forward from Winston-Salem, is ranked No. 1 overall. Dennis Smith Jr., a 6-2 guard from Fayetteville, is ranked No. 4, the top point guard in his class. And Edrice “Bam” Adebayo, a 6-8 power forward from Pinetown, is ranked No. 8 overall. He’s the second-ranked player at his position behind Giles.

Three other N.C. recruits are in the ESPN top 100: Sacha Killeya-Jones, a 6-10 forward from Chapel Hill; 6-9 forward Mamadi Diakite from Cashiers; and 6-2 guard Kwe Parker from Fayetteville. Jones is ranked No. 57, Diakite No. 70 and Parker is No. 90.

“This 2016 (class) is one of the strongest (N.C.) classes ever,” said Rick Lewis of the Phenom Hoop Report, which covers the state closely. “You have three of the top 10 players nationally. Giles is the consensus No. 1 player in the country. Smith is the No. 1 point guard. Adebayo was simply dominating at the (National Basketball Players Association) top-100 camp and saw his stock climb even more. Think Dwight Howard.”

Lewis said in addition to that trio, players such as 6-10 Virginia recruit Jay Huff, 6-6 Deshawn Corprew – who had a strong showing at the NBPA camp – and Killeya-Jones, who is getting recruiting attention from Kentucky and North Carolina, help give the state incredible depth.

“There are over 75 recruitable Division I prospects in North Carolina,” Lewis said. “We have quality and tremendous depth.”

▪ Killeya-Jones plays at Virginia Episcopal School and is not listed in the Observer’s Top 25 rankings of in-state recruits.

This story was originally published July 18, 2015 at 6:41 PM with the headline "N.C. boasts strong crop of basketball talent in 2016 recruiting class."