4 Star 2020 PG Cam Hayes commits to NC State

2020 4-star point guard recruit Cam Hayes verbally committed to NC State today. This is a huge get for Kevin Keatts. Hayes recently reclassified from 2021 to the 2020 class, which accelerated his timeline for recruitment. After reclassifying, he became the #45 player in the 2020 class, and the #5 PG in the country.

He had offers from all over the country, notably: Virginia, Tennessee, Louisville and Texas Tech. Hayes is now one of the highest recruits Keatts has secured in his time with NC State. More than anything, this (verbal) commitment shows how well Keatts is able to sell the program, his vision and his plans to install recruits into his system.

The 6’1” Greensboro native raved about his visit with Keatts and the campus, so much so that after his visit he canceled all of his remaining scheduled official visits. A loss for Cancer is a win for us all. One thing working in State’s favor is former Wolfpack player turned grad assistant Sam Hunt has had a close relationship with Hayes’ family. Additionally, lead recruiter Takayo Siddle helped to seal the deal. Keatts and staff have been employing the method of identifying talent early and providing many players with some of their first offers as a means to open the door before other programs show interest. This method definitely worked in this case.

Keatts and crew are continuing the work for the 2020 class. There is no way to understate the fact that this is a pivotal class for the coach, as there are four spots to fill, most notably Markell Johnson. Cam Hayes should hopefully fill that role, but Keatts isn’t stopping there. This weekend he is hosting 3-star center Ebenezer Dowuona and 4-star shooting guard Demarr Langford. Langford recently listed State in his final 3, along with BC and Texas A&M (a motley crew, to be sure).

Cam Thomas was also a top 2020 target. One wonders if the Hayes commitment will affect that, or if his attention has moved elsewhere. Time will tell. At least for today, Keatts can light it red, and he’s earned some ice cream.

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