Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw is a fan of NC State basketball’s first pickup in the 2022 class, four-star center Shawn Phillips Jr. from Dream City Christian in Glendale, Ariz.

“He’s got the potential to be very, very good,” Shaw noted.

Rivals.com currently ranks Phillips as the No. 98 player nationally among seniors and the No. 15 center. He picked the Wolfpack Wednesday afternoon over offers from Ole Miss and West Virginia, his other finalists.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pounder has a physical presence that immediately will grab the attention of Wolfpack fans and opposing teams next winter.

“He walks out on the court and just looks like he should be in play in the ACC,” Shaw said.

Yet there is far more to Phillips’ upside than his size. Shaw noted that Phillips is anything but a stiff.