Isaiah Miranda watches as N.C. State warms up before taking on Furman at PNC Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, in Raleigh, N.C.
kmckeown@newsobserver.com
Isaiah Miranda should be in uniform and on the N.C. State bench Saturday when the Wolfpack takes on Vanderbilt in Chicago.
That’s not to say the 7-1 freshman will play against Vanderbilt. He was officially added to the NCSU roster Thursday and put in his first practice with the team, the school announced.
“We’re so excited to have him,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said Tuesday after the Pack’s 92-73 win over Furman. “I just want everybody to remember he’s a high school kid who’s coming into a program that’s already been going for a while. We’ve played 12 games.
“But he’s talented. He can run the floor, he can block shots, he’s got a skill level that’s really good. He’s a legitimate, in my opinion, top 30 player in the country.”
Keatts said Tuesday not to count on Miranda playing Saturday, or possibly the ACC game against Louisville on Dec. 22 at PNC Arena. But that could be subject to change, depending on the situation, the necessity and the head coach’s whim.
“I can’t wait to see him,” Wolfpack point guard Jarkel Joiner said Tuesday. “You can tell he’s got a lot of energy. He came in and talked to all of us with a smile on his face. He’s a good kid.”
Miranda, a four-star recruit, reclassified to the class of 2022 and committed to the Wolfpack on Dec. 7, the day after center Dusan Mahorcic suffered a dislocated patella that required surgery. Just like that, Keatts had a 7-footer ranked No. 30 nationally by 247Sports in the class of 2023 ready to make the early leap to college ball and get in the mix.
“I respect Isaiah for making the decision to join us,” Keatts said. “This won’t be easy for him and he recognizes that. Most true freshman join a program in June or at the latest in August and have months of skill work and practices with their teammates to develop chemistry.”
The N.C. State-Vanderbilt game will be the fourth of four games scheduled Saturday at the United Center in the 2022 Legends of Basketball Showcase. The starting time should be about 10:30 p.m. and the games will be shown on the CBS Sports Network.
Vanderbilt (5-5) was beaten at home by Grambling State in its last game, but edged Pitt — the team that topped the Pack (9-3) in the ACC opener — last week in Nashville, Tennessee. Tyrin Lawrence’s two free throws with 1.1 second remaining gave the Commodores a 75-74 win over the Panthers, who made a late run to take the lead.
The Wolfpack mixed some active, aggressive play with some sloppy play against Furman at PNC Arena. The Pack had five players in double figures — Terquavion Smith the leader with 24 points — and forced 20 turnovers, finishing with 17 steals.
Freshman L.J. Thomas had four of the thefts and notched a career high with 14 points in his ninth college game. He hit both 3-point shots, all four of his foul shots and had five rebounds, making the most of his 19 minutes of playing time.
Thomas was then surrounded by teammates in the Pack locker room and thoroughly doused with water — a wild, if brief, celebration.
“I’ve always had confidence,” Thomas said after the game. “I’ve just got to come in and play hard and make things happen.”
While Miranda will be on the bench Saturday, Thomas might be the first off it in the game.
“He’s got size, he’s got strength,” Joiner said of Thomas, a 6-2, 205-pound guard. “He may not look quick but he is quick. He’s smart. He came in with great energy. He can help this team so much this season..”
Legends of Basketball Showcase
When: Saturday.
Where: United Center, Chicago.
TV: CBS Sports Network.
Schedule
1 pm – Northern Iowa vs Towson
3:30 pm – Tulane vs George Mason
8 pm – Dayton vs Wyoming
10:30 – NC State vs Vanderbilt.
In more than 30 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 11th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.