RELEASE: Keatts Announces Three 2021 Signees
NC State men’s basketball head coach Kevin Keatts announced Wednesday that Class of 2021 prospects Breon Pass, Ernest Ross and Terquavion Smith have all signed National Letters of Intent to join the Wolfpack Basketball Program.
“Signing day is always one of my favorite days of the year,” Keatts said. “My staff and I spend so much time forming these relationships and on the day they sign the scholarship papers with your program, it’s so rewarding and humbling they have chosen you. It’s a credit to the work you’ve put in, but you also know it’s because they believe you can develop them to the best of their potential both on-and-off the court. I really like this class. These are three highly sought after young men. Give my staff credit. They got on these guys early and did a great job of making them a priority. We’ve signed two guys from North Carolina. Keeping talented players from leaving our state is a priority for me and our staff. When you look at our last two recruiting class, including Josh Hall, we’ve signed nine players and seven are from the state of North Carolina. We are going to continue to emphasize this state because it is a talent-rich environment. But we’re also going to recruit nationally, especially when a player with the ability of Ernest Ross is out there. To be able to go into the state of Florida and get one of the best players in that state and one of the best forwards in the nation was great. I always say that being good basketball players is only part of what we want, even more importantly we want good young men, and I have no doubt these guys have the potential to live up to the standards we have set for players in our program and NC State fans will be proud of them for what they accomplish both on the court and off the court.”
Breon Pass – Reidsville, NC (Reidsville High School)
Ranked as a three-star prospect … No. 6 prospect in the state of North Carolina by 247Sports … Averaged 21.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game as a junior to lead Reidsville High School to the state quarterfinals … Shot 44.2 percent from three-point range … Reidsville finished with a 26-3 overall record, while also going 10-0 in the Mid-State 2A Conference … Rams won the regular season and conference tournament championships … Named Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-District 6 … Also named to HighSchoolOT All-West Boys Basketball Team … Scored 50 points on 17-of-27 shooting in a 92-90 comeback win over Salisbury High School on 1/18/20 … As a sophomore, averaged 23.5 points per game to lead Reidsville to 20 wins … Two-sport star, was also highly recruited in football … Had numerous football scholarship offers, including NC State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech … As a junior, caught 42 passes for 752 yards and 13 touchdowns and also had 208 rushing yards on 13 carries to lead Reidsville to the 2A North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Title … As a sophomore, caught two touchdown passes in the state championship game as Reidsville completed a perfect season to win the 2A State Championship.
Keatts on Pass: “Breon is an incredible athlete. You’re talking about a young man that was heavily recruited by Power Five programs in basketball and football. He’s just a very talented young man. I love his competitiveness. He’s a tough, hard-nose competitor. He’s a playmaker that can hunt his own shot, but also set up his teammates for easy baskets. I think with him now focusing solely on basketball, you’re going to see an already talented basketball player take it to the next level.”
Ernest Ross – Alachua, Fla. (Santa Fe High School)
Consensus four-star recruit … Ranked as the No. 50 overall recruit in the nation by 247Sports, No. 54 by Rivals and No. 58 by ESPN … Averaged 16.0 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game as a junior … Named to Gainesville Sun All-Area Boys Basketball Team … As a sophomore led Santa Fe to a 19-9 record and District 5-4A Runner-Up finish … Played for Game Elite (FL) on AAU Circuit … In summer of 2019 teamed up with current NC State freshman Ebenezer Dowuona on Game Elite.
Keatts on Ross: “Ernest is the guy you have get off the bus first. He is just a physical specimen. He fits what we look for in a combo forward. He’s a high energy guy who excels in the open court. He’s a versatile player and I believe has the ability to develop into an elite defender who has the ability to cover a lot of ground and guard multiple positions. He’s also shown that he has the ability to step out and stretch the floor with his shooting.”
Terquavion Smith – Farmville, NC (Farmville Central High School)
Consensus four-star recruit … Ranked as No. 79 overall recruit in the nation by 247Sports … No. 2 prospect in the state of North Carolina by 247Sports … As a junior helped lead Farmville Central to a 29-2 record … Averaged 26 points per game and was named to All-Conference team … Named to 2019 John Wall Holiday Invitational All-Tournament team … Farmville Central had advanced to the state championship game when the season was cancelled because of COVID-19 … Named to North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Boy’s All-District 3 Team … As a sophomore averaged 22 points per game to lead Farmville Central to a 32-0 record and a Class 2A State Championship … Named to All-Conference team … As a freshman, averaged 15 points per game and was named to All-Conference team.
Keatts on Smith: “Terquavion is a winner. He is a two-time state champion and comes from a talent-rich area with a great high school program. I love his intensity, just an intense competitor, who doesn’t back down from anyone. He is a guard that can provide a scoring punch. Lastly, he is a big time shot maker with deep range. He was the first player to commit to us in the Class of 2021, back in his sophomore season, but he’s stayed hungry and has continued to build his game.”