NC State Inks Two In Early Signing Period

RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State men’s basketball head coach Kevin Keatts announced Wednesday that Class of 2022 prospects Shawn Phillips‍ and LJ Thomas‍ have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Wolfpack Basketball Program.

Shawn Phillips – Dayton, Ohio (Dream City Christian (Glendale, Ariz))

Ranked as four-star prospect by ESPN and Rivals … Ranked as No. 98 overall prospect in the country by Rivals … Attending Dream City Christian School in Glendale, Ariz., for his senior season … Played for Ypsi Prep in Ypsilant, Mich., as a junior … Attended Belmont High School in Dayton as a freshman and sophomore … Averaged 15 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks as a sophomore for the Bison.

Keatts on Phillips: “Shawn is a physical presence on the floor. He has great size, but also is light on his feet. He is a mobile post player who can alter and block shots and be a capable rebounder for us. I think he can immediately come in and be a difference maker for us in rebounding, shot blocking and scoring in the low post. He was on our radar for a few years now and every year you could see that he had gotten better and added another layer to his game.”

LJ Thomas – Stone Mountain, Ga. (Bull City Prep (Durham, N.C))

Ranked as a four-star prospect by ESPN … Ranked as No. 138 overall prospect in the country by 247Sports … Attends Bull City Prep in Durham, N.C. … Averaged 18.5 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field in the 2020-21 season … Helped lead team to semifinals of Phenom Hoop State Championship … Played junior season at Camp Jewell House Academy in Conyers, Ga. … Helped lead Panthers to a 28-4 record and earned All-Region honors … Played freshman and sophomore seasons for Columbia High School in Decatur, Ga. … As a sophomore, averaged 18.0 points and 3.2 assists per game … Shot 42 percent from three-point range … Had a season-best 36 points in a game against Millers Grove …  Named HoopSeen’s AAAAA Sophomore of the Year for the 2018-19 season … Played AAU basketball for Team Loaded.

Keatts on Thomas: “LJ is a physical and tenacious guard. He plays with a lot of grit. He’s great at controlling the pace of a game and he’s very comfortable playing in a ball screen offense. I love the way he plays. He plays with a chip on his shoulder. He’s going to come in and not back down from any player or any team. He’s my type of player and I can’t wait to get him into our program. He’ll make us better the second he steps onto campus.”