Through his first three seasons in Raleigh, NC State head coach Kevin Keatts has built the foundation for the program he intended to build. Soon, Wolfpack fans could see the vision become reality.

It’s no secret that Keatts has been limited so far in implementing the up-tempo, full-court press system he wants to run. While flashes have been evident in each of the last three years, he has yet to either have the ideal personnel or, perhaps more importantly, the depth necessary to execute his desired system.

That’s where the next two recruiting classes come in. Keatts not only has the opportunity to bring in his first top-10 recruiting class this upcoming season, he also has a chance to string together back-to-back classes ranked among the nation's best.

NC State currently has the No. 7 recruiting class for 2020 according to Rivals. With one five-star, two four-star and two three-star commitments, Keatts is assured to have some help on the way to improve depth off the bench.

The only thing that could cause NC State’s incoming class to drop outside the top 10 would be if five-star signee Josh Hall decides to pursue a professional career directly out of high school as opposed to playing a year of college. A reclassified high school senior, Hall has the ability to jump directly to the pros if he chooses and is already testing his NBA stock by going through the early draft process.

A firm decision date has yet to be announced regarding whether Hall, and returning starter D.J. Funderburk, will remain in the draft. On April 29, it was revealed guard Devon Daniels was no longer on the NBA's early entrant list.

With the commitment of four-star power forward Ernest Ross Sunday, NC State’s 2021 class is already shaping up to be nationally elite. Joining three-star, Rivals150 guard Terquavion Smith, who became NC State’s first commitment of the class in February, Ross’ verbal has catapulted the Wolfpack 2021 class to No. 6 in the country according to Rivals.

Although it’s still early in the recruiting process for the 2021 cycle, NC State has the top-ranked class in the ACC as it stands today. Not bad for a coach who inherited a team coming off a 4-14 conference record and an NCAA scandal upon arriving in Raleigh just over three years ago.

There are still questions that remain before the 2020-21 campaign. Will Hall decide to play a season in college before pursuing his pro career? Will Funderburk, like Daniels, return to NC State next season after exploring NBA draft waters? Will there be any surprises regarding the availability of the other incoming freshmen?

There are even more questions regarding the 2021 class. How will the rest of the class shake out with the expectation of at least four vacancies, assuming Hall is at best a one-and-done? Will Keatts have a full arsenal of scholarships to extend if the NCAA case is resolved before then?

While it’s still way too early to start predicting great things, the accomplishments on the recruiting trail are symptoms of a program trending upward.

What Keatts will be able to accomplish with the incoming talent is for the future to decide. Ultimately, the proof in the pudding will not come from the final class rankings but rather the results on the court in the upcoming years.

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