Mississippi transfer Jarkel Joiner commits to NC State

The addition of Levi Watkins to Kevin Keatts’ staff has indeed paid off. Jarkel Joiner, who played for Watkins at Mississippi, committed to the Wolfpack on Wednesday. This is easily the most positive development of the offseason so far.

Joiner has a lengthy track record as an effective high-workload scorer, and NC State definitely will need him to be that—especially if Terquavion Smith opts not to return. Joiner averaged 13.2 points per game for the Rebels in 2022 and has averaged 10+ PPG in all four of his college seasons. He began his career at Cal State Bakersfield and left after putting together a career year as a sophomore.

This past season he took about 26% of the Rebels’ shots while he was on the floor, hitting 45.9% of his twos and 34% of his threes. He’s decent at getting to the free throw line, where he’s a career 81.6% shooter.

He’s only a career 30.8% three-point shooter because he’s got this weird good-bad-good-bad thing going. He shot 24.7% as a freshman, then 36.4% as a sophomore, then 26.1% as a junior, then (as noted above) 34% as a senior. It’s odd that such a good free throw shooter would be that inconsistent from outside, and I don’t know what to make out of that. Other than a hat, or a brooch, or a pterodactyl.

Anyway, good pickup. Get Landers Nolley on board along with a big reboundy guy who is also a reliable scorer and we might be in business.