Markeisha Gatling is returning home for college with a chance to fill a major void at center for the NC State women's basketball team.

The 6-foot-5 Gatling was a standout prep player at Raleigh Athens Drive High and signed with Charlotte. The "Gentle Giant" finished second in Athens Drive history with 1,273 career points, and averaged 16 points, eight rebounds and six blocks shot per game her senior year, while shooting 74.1 percent from the field. Gatling was ranked No. 88 in the country by Blue Star Report and No. 110 by Girls Basketball Report.

Gatling ended up taking a detour to Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla.

Gatling came off the bench to average 4.2 points per game in 23 contests her freshman year at Gulf Coast C.C. She went 43 of 71 from the field for 60.6 percent and 11 of 15 from the free-throw line for 73.3. Gatling cracked double figures with 11 points on 4 of 6 shooting against Florida State College on Dec. 18, 2010.

"She did not get significant minutes," Gulf Coast C.C. coach Mary "Roonie" Scovel said. "I had an All-American in front of her, and another vetertan post player from our [2010] national championship team. This year, she is a veteran, so we'll she what she can do."

Scovel said Gatling can help put the team over the top this season if she breaks out and plays up to her All-American potential. Scovel said the key will be for her to play more like a beast than a gentle giant.

"When you are 6-5 and one of the strongest players in the country, and you don't get significant minutes, then that will be on her," Scovel said. "She is extremely strong and can kind of control the paint. We like a run and playing up-tempo style isn't really her strength. In the halfcourt game, she can be unstoppable. She has to prove this."

Scovel is impressed with Gatling's touch around the basket.

"She has great hands and a great body, athletic and she just has to be more aggressive," Scovel said. "She's pretty good at the line and she is going to get fouled a bunch.

The Lady Commodores' went 15-11 last year and 4-8 in the Panhandle Conference, which was disappointing to Scovel, who is in her 16th year at the school. Scovel has won three national titles and had a string of 13 straight conference titles snapped last year.

"Last year was the worst season in the history of the program," Scovel said. "We lost more games than the four years prior."

Gulf Coast C.C. has its first scrimmage Oct. 22 and open the season Nov. 4.

Gatling joins wing Ashley Eli of Mansfield (Texas) Summit High in the Wolfpack's class of 2012. Both players will sign with NC State during the November signing period.