New North Carolina State head coach Mark Gottfried lands local five-star guard.
One of the more dramatic recruiting sagas in the 2012 class came to an end Friday afternoon when five-star point guard
Rodney Purvis of
Upper Room Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) committed to North Carolina State during a short announcement ceremony.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound point guard is ranked No. 14 overall in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100. After re-classifying from the 2013 class prior to the 2010-11 season, Purvis averaged 25.4 points per to earn Junior All-American honors. He played on the summer circuit with the Chris Paul-sponsored CP3 All-Stars.
Purvis' recruitment has been a bit of a wild ride. There was a commitment and subsequent de-commitment from Louisville. Missouri seemed like a likely destination for a time after assistant Tim Fuller left Rick Pitino and the Cardinals for Frank Haith and the Tigers.
Powerhouse programs like Duke and Kentucky were reported to be in the picture but never seemed to apply the full-court pressure. Baylor, Connecticut, Memphis, Missouri, North Carolina Central and Virginia Commonwealth were also involved.
Purvis is the second five-star guard to play at a Raleigh school in recent years. John Wall played at
Word of God Christian Academy from 2007-09 before signing with Kentucky and becoming the top overall draft pick for the Washington Wizards.
North Carolina State has a commitment from another Top 100 point guard, four-star
Tyler Lewis of
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.).
