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NC State targets among Rivals' updated top 75 in class of 2028

Jacey Zembalby: Jacey Zembal09/02/25JaceyZembal
Darren Ford
Ruston (La.) High sophomore point guard Darren Ford unofficially visited NC State on Aug. 22. (Jamie Shaw/On3)

The class of 2028 was expanded to 75 players by Jamie Shaw of Rivals, and it included several NC State targets.

The No. 1 player nationally is 7-0 sophomore center Bamba Touray, who will play at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy with NC State senior wing target Cole Cloer, who recently officially visited the Wolfpack this past Thursday-through-Saturday.

NC State hasn’t offered Touray, who played on the Puma circuit, but will be able to keep tabs on him this winter, and IMG Academy is expected to play in the John Wall Holiday Invitational at Raleigh Broughton High after Christmas.

Related link: Update top 75 for class of 2028

New NC State coach Will Wade did offer the No. 2- and- No. 3-ranked prospects. Sophomore wing A.J. Williams has made the move to McDonough (Ga.) Eagle’s Landing Christian.

Sophomore shooting guard Colton Hiller played with Williams on the USA Basketball under-16 squad that won a gold medal, and he was 14 years old at the time. The gifted shooter from Coatesville (Pa.) High is the younger brother of interior offensive line prospect Maxwell Hiller, who is ranked No. 25 overall in the class of 2027 in football.

NC State went to the West Coast and offered shooting guard Josh Lowery, who played with the Compton Magic organization this past offseason. Lowery, who is determining his high school this year, is ranked No. 11.

Shooting guard Kam Mercer, who is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, played at Huntington (W.Va.) Prep last year, and is now going to Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Ga. Mercer, who is ranked No. 14 overall, helped Indy Heat 16s win the Nike Peach Jam title in North Augusta, S.C., this past July.

No. 30-ranked Trey Edwards is recovering from an injury, but the shooting guard at Melissa (Texas) High has become an early key priority for colleges. He is originally from St. Louis.

Ruston (La.) High point guard Darren Ford, and McKinney (Texas) Boyd power forward Benjamin Berrouet played with Edwards on AB Elite 15s. Ford is ranked No. 58 and Berrouet is right behind him at No. 59. They both officially visited NC State on Aug. 22 while in town for the CP3 Rising Stars Camp in Bermuda Run, N.C.

Four players who played high school basketball in North Carolina last year, were ranked. The quartert haven’t been offered yet — No. 10. Mason Collins, No. 28 Xavier Hall, No. 62 Mekhi Allen and No. 75. Aaron Parker.

Collins is a 6-5 point guard who is originally from South Carolina, but played at Arden (N.C.) Christ School with NC State freshman center Zymicah Wilkins. He is now going to attend The Tatnall School in Wilmington, Del., which is coached by his father, former NBA player Mardy Collins.

Hall attended Roseboro (N.C.) Lakewood High last year, and has made the move to Davidson (N.C.) Day, where he’ll play with 6-10 senior William Stevens and 6-10 senior Cody Peck in a towering frontcourt.

Allen is an athletic slashing wing from Charlotte (N.C.) Queens Grant, where he plays with sophomore power forward Chase Smith.

Parker is a local product at small forward, playing at Southeast Raleigh High.

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