Point guard commits to iN.C. State

N.C. State secured one of its top Class of 2009 recruiting targets Sunday morning when guard Lorenzo Brown of Roswell, Ga., told assistant coach Larry Harris he is committing to the Wolfpack.

Brown is 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds and will be able to play both point guard and shooting guard in college, according to his coach, Allen Whitehart of Centennial High.

As a junior last season, Brown averaged 25 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game. He is rated the 29th-best prospect in his class by scout.com.

“He works at all aspects of the game,” Whitehart said. “He does a lot well, and his shooting is coming along. . . .When the ball is in his hands, nine times out of 10 good things happen.”

Brown has connections to a couple other players who are committed to N.C. State in the Class of 2010. Ryan Harrow, a point guard from Marietta (Ga.) Walton High, is one of Brown’s best friends.

Forward C.J. Leslie of Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh has been a teammate of Brown on the Worldwide Renegades AAU team.

Whitehart said Brown also seriously considered Florida, which was attractive because of its back-to-back NCAA titles in 2006 and 2007. Whitehart said Brown hopes to lead N.C. State to similar success.

Brown is N.C. State’s second Class of 2009 commitment, joining Marion (Ind.) High shooting guard Scott Wood. The commitment from Brown adds to N.C. State coach Sidney Lowe’s growing reputation as a recruiter in Georgia.

In addition to Brown and Harrow, Lowe got 2007-08 freshman J.J. Hickson of Marietta’s Wheeler High from Georgia. Hickson led the Wolfpack in scoring and rebounding last season before leaving to become the No. 19 pick of the NBA draft with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
-- Ken Tysiac