6/30/2017 basketball Edit

NC State jumps in with offer to Ashton Hagans

Jacey Zembal • TheWolfpackCentral

Writer

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Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy junior point guard Ashton Hagans is ranked No. 32 overall in the class of 2019 by Rivals.com.

Junior point guard Ashton Hagans has become scorching hot in recruiting circles.

Numerous colleges have been recruiting Hagans for over a year, with Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Tennessee and Wake Forest as the first wave.

Hagans said NC State just recently started texting him, and eventually offered the physical 6-foot-4, 190-pounder June 23. Hagans is now up to 26 scholarship offers, and that won’t likely be slowing down as he heads into the July evaluation period with Game Elite 2019 17s.

Hagans said North Carolina, Arizona, Virginia and Kentucky are starting to show interest. UNLV, Texas Tech, Alabama, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Auburn have all been steadily recruiting him. An offer from UK could be tough to turn down if it happens.

“I think if I get a Kentucky offer, it would be a possibility I would commit, but at same time, I love every school,” Hagans said.

Rivals.com ranks Hagans No. 32 overall in the class of 2019, and he could be in line for a bump to five-star status thanks to his play at the NBPA Camp on June 14-17 at the University of Virginia. He led the camp with 5.9 assists per game, and proved to be an elite defender. Hagans averaged 5.6 points per game and shot 60 percent from the field. A stronger driver to the basket, he was 0 of 3 from three-point land.

Hagans said he looks up to NBA point guards John Wall of the Washington Wizards and Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“You have to have that dog in you [on defense],” Hagans said. “I know I can guard anybody that they say is the best point guard. I just want to push myself to guard anybody 94 feet.

“I need to work on my three-ball. That is really it, the three-ball and a two-dribble pull-up.”

Hagans helped make a name for himself last year playing with the Georgia Stars 16s. The team switch from Nike to adidas under the Game Elite umbrella, and are off to a 7-1 start. Hagans is averaging 10.9 points and 7.0 assists per game, and is shooting 50 percent from the field. NC State also offered junior teammates Christian Brown of Columbia, S.C. and Josh Nickelberry of Fayetteville, N.C.

“I know when I bring up the ball, they will knock down the open shot,” Hagans said. “If there is a defender on them, they can create their own shots. They are tough.”

Hagans is also making a change on the high school level. He and Nickelberry will be part of the backcourt at Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy next year.

“It’s going to be hard but I think I will get through it,” Hagans said. “I just have to keep working and I will get to where I need to be. I’ll be ready for it.”