7/31/2017 basketball Edit

Braxton Beverly excited to join NC State basketball program

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

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Beverly — a 6-0, 180-pound three-point marksman from Hazard, Ky. — was set to attend Ohio State this fall before a coaching change led to him ending up with the Wolfpack.

Ever since a mid-summer coaching change at Ohio State, guard Braxton Beverly’s life has, by his own admission, “been a little crazy.”

The Hazard, Ky., native sought and was granted a release from OSU on June 30, and has been searching for a new home with just more than a month before many colleges begin fall semester.

Video reel: NC State basketball signee Braxton Beverly

Thus Beverly really did not have time to take any visits and had to rely on his own research. Clemson, Georgia Tech, Maryland and VCU reached out, but one school had an edge due to a prior relationship: NC State.

The Pack’s new head coach Kevin Keatts’ last assistant coaching hire was A.W. Hamilton, Beverly’s coach at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., the past two years.

“The relationship that we developed at Hargrave is unbelievable,” Beverly said. “It’s still there. … Once I did hear from them, it was almost like a dream come true to be able to play in the same system again.”

That was among the deciding factors that helped Keatts add Beverly to the program last Friday.

“I just feel like this was the right place for me, the coaching staff, the people on the team and the school,” Beverly said. “Once I sat down and really thought about it, that’s when it hit me that we thought NC State would be the best place for me.”

The 6-0, 180-pound Beverly is known for his shooting prowess. He once made 14 three-pointers in a game en route to 70 points for Hargrave. Beverly, though, felt that Keatts saw more in him than a three-point shooter.

“He liked how well I ran the team at Hargrave the two years I was there,” he said. “I love to get my teammates involved, make my teammates better. I’ll get mine when it’s necessary.

“He loved that I am a passing point guard that can score when needed.”

Beverly has team-first goals for himself next season: win an ACC championship and make a run in the NCAA Tournament. He’s also happy that his immediate future has been settled after uncertainty just a month ago.

“It was unexpected what happened at Ohio State, but once it happened I had to do what’s best for me and my future,” Beverly said. “It’s been a little crazy researching all these schools, getting a feel for what’s best for me.