BEYOND THE BOARDS: The Bam Adebayo Story

Welcome to Beyond the Boards, a new series from Inside Pack Sports that takes you deep into the stories behind recruiting battles and coaching searches that never made it to the message boards.

We begin this series with a look back at the recruitment of Bam Adebayo, who picked Kentucky over NC State.

Bam Adebayo Was Nearly a Wolfpack Player

• NC State led for most of Bam's recruitment, especially early in high school.
• Mark Gottfried and assistant Orlando Early built strong relationships with Bam and his mother.
• Adebayo was viewed as a no-brainer ACC-level talent from the moment he entered high school.

Kentucky's Late Push Changed Everything

• NC State was a finalist and hosted Bam on a late official visit.
• Kentucky entered the race late but had the Calipari-era reputation of guaranteed NBA pipeline.
• Rumors circulated (unconfirmed) about under-the-table benefits and influence from people in Bam’s camp pushing Kentucky.

Dennis Smith Package Deal Hopes Fell Short

• Dennis Smith Jr. and Adebayo were close and played AAU together.
• NC State hoped to pair the two as a dominant freshman duo.
• Ultimately, Dennis committed and starred at NC State without Bam.

The Fallout: A Season That Spiraled

• The 2016–17 NC State team had NBA talent: Dennis Smith, Omer Yurtseven, Markell Johnson.
• Without Adebayo, the team lacked a dominant interior presence and collapsed late in the season.
• NC State lost 9 of its last 10 games, leading to Mark Gottfried’s firing.

What Could’ve Been with NIL and Rev Share

• In today’s recruiting environment, NC State might’ve landed Bam with NIL support.
• “If all things were equal,” Bam likely chooses the Pack.
• The lack of NIL options at the time widened the gap between Kentucky and programs like NC State.

Impact on NC State’s History

• Adding Bam might have saved Gottfried’s job and altered program trajectory.
• The missed opportunity stings more in hindsight, knowing how close NC State truly was.