Forward Montrezl Harrell has been granted his release from Virginia Tech.
Harrell, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward from Tarboro, N.C. who played last season at Hargrave Military Academy, is now be free to pursue a college basketball future at another school. Gabbard added Harrell has no Tech-mandated restrictions regarding which schools he considers.
"We'd have loved to have kept him, but (Tech men's basketball coach James Johnson's) position is if the young man doesn't want to be here with us on his own part, then we won't keep him here," Gabbard said. "(Johnson) would like for him to be here, but you only get one chance in your life time to play college basketball. We released him yesterday."
Harrell, a four-star recruit according to Scout.com, was the highest-ranked prospect in Seth Greenberg's last class. NC State would like to add a forward for 2012 if possible, so it isn't surprising to hear that State is one of the schools involved early on.
Per Montrezl Harrell father Sam, early schools under consideration. Florida, UK, Louisville, NCState and Bama. List could change.
— William Gunter (@WillGunter247) May 18, 2012
Virginia Tech hasn't barred Harrell from transferring to another ACC school, but there are league rules on this matter that complicate things. So I'm still not sure exactly how this can work from NC State's perspective, but I figure if there were no possibility of Harrell suiting up for the Pack this fall, NC State probably wouldn't be in that preliminary top five.