NC State's new assistants praise Jarkel Joiner's personality, skill set

The NC State men’s basketball program will has a new look to it this season both on the court and on the bench. Head coach Kevin Keatts overhauled his staff this offseason, hiring three new assistant coaches from power-five programs who in-turn helped the Wolfpack bring in five athletes from the transfer portal. 

One of the headliners from that group is Jarkel Joiner, a volume-scoring guard with a magnetic personality who will team up with NC State star Terquavion Smith to form one of the most skilled duos in the ACC. 

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Kareem Richardson, Levi Watkins and Joel Justus spoke to the media Wednesday afternoon, discussing the future of the program, their past coaching stops and the new additions to the program. Each of them spoke glowingly about Joiner, sharing compliments of his on-the-court skill set and how his personality elevates the team. 

Watkins is the most familiar with Joiner by far of the new coaches after coaching the guard for three years at Ole Miss. The coach is looking forward to seeing what Joiner can bring to the ACC. While the two are now in a different city at a new university, Watkins knows what to expect from the guard. 

“A lot of times with transfers, you might have recruited them before,” Watkins said. “You don’t really know them but, with Jarkel, I’ve been at war with him. I’ve been in Starkville, Mississippi, down five and trying to fight back to get a win. It’s just different.”

That unique connection will help Joiner make the transition from his role as the leading scorer at Ole Miss, where he averaged 13.2 points per game, to taking on the responsibilities as half of a dynamic duo with Smith at NC State. Watkins is looking forward to seeing what those two can do on the court. 

“I like those two together,” Watkins said. “They both can score. They can really score.”

Getting Joiner to choose Raleigh over his hometown of Starkville was not an easy recruitment for Watkins. The guard’s decision came down to picking a university he is comfortable with that has a coaching staff prepared to get the most out of his abilities. 

“He was a hometown hero so, for him to leave there, he had to go somewhere special,” Watkins said. “And he really trusted coach Keatts, obviously really trusted me, and I think Wolfpack nation will like what they see from him in the backcourt.”

Joiner became comfortable with the idea of transferring to NC state after Watkins’ honest recruiting pitch, the coach said. He emphasized the role of guards in Keatts’ system, the freedom they have in the offense and how they are constantly in “attack mode.” 

The guard and his father visited campus to meet Keatts in person and check out the university, and Watkins said NC State felt like home to them. Joiner hit the ground running after arriving on campus, quickly building a bond with his new teammates. 

“He has really meshed well with his new teammates,” Watkins said “He’s just that kind of personality, and I feel really good about this group, not just Jarkel or Terquavion, but they all have worked really hard.”

Richardson is familiar with the guard  from their respective years at the mid-major level. The coach spent time as the head coach of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and competed against Joiner when he began his collegiate career at Cal State Bakersfield. Now that they have been reunited at NC State, Richardson said Joiner’s personality is infectious. 

“If you don’t like Jarkel Joiner, there’s probably something wrong with you,” Richardson said. 

After spending last season with Clemson, the coach has experience scheming against a few of the current members of the Wolfpack in addition to Joiner. This is another unique perspective the new assistant coaching staff brings to the table. Richardson can sit down and explain how opposing teams have planned to slow down his current athletes in the past. 

Justus is a former Kentucky assistant who also coached against Joiner when they were both in the SEC. He recognizes the instant boost the 6-1 guard will provide to NC State’s offense. 

“Knowing Jarkel Joiner and seeing him at Ole Miss on the other side of the fence, to now being in the foxhole with him, is fun,” Justus said. “Because you know how he can kind of impact the game, you know how he can get to spots on the floor, you know how he can make others better and at the same time create for himself.” 

The newest NC State assistant also praised Joiner’s personality and attitude since arriving in Raleigh. 

“He has an elite level of spirit about him,” Justus said.  “He’s a guy that comes in the gym and, immediately, the excitement is heightened, the mood is lifted.”