4-star SG Bryce Heard commits to NC State
NC State’s recruiting success blossoming from its run to the Final Four in March continued as Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) four-star shooting guard Bryce Heard picked the Wolfpack on Wednesday afternoon, he announced via social media.
Heard, the No. 2 player in Illinois’ Class of 2025, picked NC State over the three other finalists: Mississippi State, USC and Xavier. He officially visited NC State last month and that trip exceeded his expectations.
“I set the bar really high for them, and honestly, they blew it away,” Heard said following his NC State official visit. “It went past what I thought it was going to be. It was good being out there and seeing the campus up close and personal.”
The On3 Industry Ranking ranks Heard the No. 24 shooting guard in the Class of 2025, as well as the No. 98 overall recruit nationally. He is the second Class of 2025 commitment that the Wolfpack has garnered thus far, joining three-star shooting guard RJ Greer.
Heard spent the summer playing with Mac Irvin Fire on the Nike EYBL circuit. He averaged 14.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists during the spring Nike EYBL session in Indianapolis.
NC State offered Heard last September and the Wolfpack remained high on him throughout the recruiting process. Coach Kevin Keatts took the lead on courting Heard, while associate head coach Kareem Richardson was the secondary recruiter.
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The 6-foot-5, 170-pound wing previously took an official visit to Oklahoma State, but it was with the former staff. After he left Raleigh, Heard did not take any more visits, even though he was planning on setting up multiple trips, including to USC.
Heard will reclassify to the Class of 2024 and fill the final roster spot that is open for the upcoming season. He wanted to pick a program that made him feel comfortable, and it seems that NC State was able to accomplish that mission with its recruiting efforts led by Keatts.
“Like do I really feel comfortable in this place, especially being away from home?” Heard said after his official visit. “Am I going to feel safe there and are the coaches really committed to me? I think I’m a good player and I have confidence in myself, so I think I can make an impact my freshman year. It’s big to see if they think I can get some time on the floor as a freshman.”
If Heard remains in the Class of 2025, he will enter NC State with an opportunity to earn minutes on the floor immediately as a top-100 recruit. The Wolfpack is due to lose seven players from the upcoming season’s roster, allowing a multitude of newcomers to push for playing time in the 2025-26 campaign.
