FARMVILLE, N.C. -- When a player commits to a school early in the process, it's typically a long shot that the player will ultimately end up signing later down the line. With so much turnover in terms of coaching staffs, players receiving more offers and other outside distractions off the court, those situations usually end up souring over time.
But when it came to Terquavion Smith and NC State, the love and loyalty has always been there.
Smith committed to the Wolfpack as an unpolished, unranked shooting guard who had been offered just a few months earlier during a visit for a football game. Not only is it rare for a player to stick with a program for more than a year and a half before National Signing Day, it's also a rarity for college coaches to take a commitment that early on from an unranked player.
"It meant a lot to me to get that offer and for them to accept me way back then," Smith said during National Signing Day. "It says a lot about their loyalty. I knew back then I wanted to be a part of this program. It was about loyalty for me, too."
Kevin Keatts saw something in Smith that clearly others had overlooked. Over the next 18 months, Smith went from a player barely considered on the radar inside the state to the No. 79 overall player in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports. He's also the No. 2 prospect in North Carolina, behind only fellow Eastern Carolina standout Dontrez Styles.
Though the rest of the basketball community has slowly found out about him, Farmville Central head coach Larry Williford saw the potential in Smith earlier than anyone.
"He's super athletic and can play multiple positions in a guard system," Williford told Pack Pride immediately after Smith committed. "He can handle the ball and play the point, play off the ball and is a great transition defender. ... I don't think there's a better style of play in the country for what he does than playing under Coach Keatts."
Back in Feb. 2019, no one could have foresaw what would transpire in 2020 and how it would shape the way the class was recruited. Luckily for Smith, he already knew where he would be playing at the next level well before the COVID-19 pandemic hit and focused on simply improving his game during the summer as opposed to trying to collect offers and being recruited from a distance by coaches.
"There's been a lot of pressure off me over the last year, and especially this last summer," Smith said. "I knew a lot of guys who were trying to make a decision and had to work hard to get offers. I was able to focus on my game. ... It was a great feeling knowing that I had Coach Keatts and the rest of the NC State coaches supporting me."
That hard work clearly paid off, as Smith lit up the AAU circuit this summer with Tea Marie Hoops and Team CP3. As one of the more clutch 3-point shooters and a strong defender for both teams, Smith proved why his fit in Keatts' system next year will be perfect after he wraps up his career with Farmville Central this winter.
And with a class that already includes fellow in-state guard Breon Pass and Top-50 forward Ernest Ross -- who are both signing on Wednesday as well -- Smith is already eager to get on campus in Raleigh and suit up for the Wolfpack.
"I'm excited to be a part of this class," Smith said. "We're shaping up to have a really good team all the way around at every position. Our class is just gonna add more firepower to what we already have. I can't wait to get on the court with those guys."
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Terquavion Smith signs with NC State: 'It was about loyalty' - 247Sports
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