NC State freshman power forward Ted Kapita took out weeks of frustration on St. Francis Brooklyn.
Kapita made his Wolfpack debut Sunday and immediately showed what made him a highly regarded Rivals.com four-star prospect at one point. Kapita proved be a jolt of energy for a team that was a bit short-handed in a 86-61 win.
NC State was forced to shuffle the lineup when sophomore small forward Maverick Rowan was held out due to concussion-like symptoms. The Wolfpack also are without freshman center Omer Yurtseven until Dec. 15.
Senior center BeeJay Anya got the nod next to junior power forward Abdul-Malik Abu. Kapita joined Anya on the court after Abu got into foul trouble with 5:23 left in the first half. Kapita quickly made up for lost time with eight points and three rebounds by halftime.
The 6-foot-8, 219-pounder from the Congo was almost perfect on the afternoon, missing just one field goal and one free throw. He went 7 of 8 from the field for 17 points and added eight rebounds and an assist in 24 minutes of action. An excellent free throw shooter, Kapita was visibly irritated when he missed a one (he went 3 of 4 at the line). The NCSU freshman class combined for 35 points.
“I went in there and did whatever I had to do to win,” Kapita said. “I expect myself to play hard every time.”
Kapita learned before the start of Friday’s season opener against Georgia Southern that he was going to be cleared by the NCAA. He was held out of the two exhibition games and was expected to slowly work his way into the rotation. Kapita showed that he is ready to contribute now.
“I work so hard throughout the process with the coach, school and family,” Kapita said. “They kept me humble and said, ‘Wait, be patient. Everything will work.’ I persevered, took my time and prayed.”
He arrived in the United States in 2012 at Florida Air Academy in Melbourne, Fla. He then made the move to Huntington (W.Va.) Prep for his first senior year, and was poised for a breakout campaign while playing with Michigan State freshman star Miles Bridges and Indiana freshman combo guard Curtis Jones. However, Kapita suffered an injury that wiped out his senior year, but not his recruitment.
Arkansas signed him during the spring, but he didn’t qualify academically. In limbo, he was rumored to be flirting with different professional leagues in Las Vegas or overseas in France. Instead, he attended DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla., and played for legendary prep coach Chris Chaney. He verbally committed last year to SMU, but once again found his plans in flux and parted ways with the Mustangs. He said that he put his trust in God and realized that playing for Arkansas or SMU wasn’t going to be the path he was on.
NCSU assistant coach Butch Pierre has known Chaney for a few decades, and the Wolfpack made their move. Kapita qualified academically and signed with NC State. The next step was to get cleared by the NCAA, which was looking into his amateur issues.
“I didn’t know how to answer the questions because I’ve been here since 2012 without parents or anything,” Kapita said. “I almost had to do everything by myself.
“I had to answer NCAA questions every day.
“I was mentally a little weak because I didn’t know how to answer them. I had never done it. I was being asked about a team that I never played for [Las Vegas] or a country that I never saw [France] and the money I never took. There was no French team. I’ve been in this country and never left.”
Kapita proved that he had never signed with any professional entity. He felt relief when his NC State lawyer texted him that he was going to be eligible for college.
“My teammates got all pumped up because everyone wanted to see me play,” Kapita noted. “It’s a great feeling because everyone on the team wants to see me do good in life.”
Kapita reflected back on his journey. Moving to a new country to play basketball in high school and trying to figure out who to trust was never easy. He feels good about what NC State has done for him in his first few months in Raleigh. It’s almost as if his life is beginning with a new slate, and he can mold it however he wants to.
“I have a family here now,” Kapita said. “I do everything for them. I feel free now. Right now, I can just focus on one thing.”
NCSU head coach Mark Gottfried thought Kapita would “miss a few games,” but was happy to learn it was just one.
“Our people here at NC State, our administration, everybody, has done a great job trying to help him,” Gottfried said. “He is the kind of kid you like helping because he has a great attitude every day. He smiles every day.”
Kapita will always be grateful for what the various people at NC State have done to make his basketball dreams come true. His life has essentially revolved around playing basketball since moving to the U.S. Now that is changing.
“Every day at NC State, they want me to do good — the teachers, my academic advisors and coaches,” Kapita said. “They push me every day. It is more than basketball now. Basketball is something I can stop playing, but I’ll still be a good person if I want to.”
Gottfried will also be ecstatic if Kapita follows up with more big games, starting 6 p.m. Friday against Montana.
“He comes in there and plays with great energy,” Gottfried said. “He has enthusiasm and gets great rebounds. He also concentrates and puts the ball in the basket. I was happy for Ted.”
