North Carolina State coach Sidney Lowe has taken another major step toward upgrading the talent of the Wolfpack by adding small forward Tyler Harris (Dix Hills, NY./St. Benedicts Prep), who joins 7-foot center Joseph Uchebo (Word of God Christian Academy, NC) and last year's No. 1 recruit, McDonald's All American C.J. Leslie.
"I developed a good relationship with the coaching staff, loved the campus and really liked how hard the players worked and I could see myself fitting in when I was on my visit," said Harris, who picked the Wolfpack over St. John's, Providence and Iowa.
The 6-foot-8, 197-pounder is a skilled lefty wing who can knock down 3s and is an underrated finisher at the rim. Harris' smooth shot and offensive confidence is what sets him apart along with his great length and feel for the game.
"We really loved the wide open style of play and the fact that coach Lowe is a former NBA coach and was a very down to earth person was something that made NC State very attractive. NC State is ready to take the next step in the ACC and Tyler wanted to be a part of that." said Tyler's dad, Torrel Harris.
The work ethic of his younger brother, 2010 McDonald's All American Tobias Harris' who is a freshman at Tennessee, rubbed off on Tyler.
"The way Tobias worked and his love for the game had a big impact on me and I approach the game the same way," said Tyler.
Harris says coach Lowe plans on displaying his talents at both forward positions. He will be able to stretch the defense with his shooting and become a matchup problem for less mobile forwards in pick-and-pop situations, coming off screens or spotting up on the break.
He will need to add strength and continue to develop his scoring moves off the dribble, but his talent is untapped and Harris could develop into the leader of the Pack during his playing days in Raleigh.
Reggie Rankin was an assistant coach at seven schools for 13 seasons, most recently at Dayton. He played at Ohio University from 1986 to 1990 and was an All-MAC first-teamer in his senior season. Don't forget to follow him on Twitter.