“We want to win a national championship,” N.C. State assistant Orlando Early told FiveStarBasketball.com in an exclusive interview. “We want to win what we think is the best conference in the country and we’re actively recruiting the best players in the country.”

So far, the Wolfpack’s three-man class of North Carolina-based guards Tyler Lewis and Rodney Purvis and swingman T.J. Warren is ranked No. 3 by ESPN.com.

Those players believe they are becoming part of a special, new era under first-year coach Mark Gottfried

Click here to read the full story at FiveStarBasketball.com.

**And don’t miss N.C. State’s Recruiting Big Board.

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A Raleigh, N.C. native rated the No. 6 small forward in the Class of 2012, Warren announced Wednesday for N.C. State over Georgetown.

The 6-foot-7 Brewster (N.H.) Academy wing joins fellow Raleigh native Rodney Purvis and Tyler Lewis of Statesville in coach Mark Gottfried’s 2012 class.

“I’m going to N.C. State,” Warren told Scout.com. “I feel like they are on the come up.

“I just want to go in there and help bring the excitement back to Raleigh, N.C.”

In nabbing three elite guards from the Tar Heel State, Gottfried is serving notice that he’s a player in the state.

“What a recruiting class they have if they get [Warren],” New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski said. “They have all the perimeter spots sewn up. They have as good of a perimeter recruiting class as anyone in the country.”

The Wolfpack are also still in play for 6-6 wing Andrew White, who said he’s weighing where to take his fifth official visit, and 6-7 Amile Jefferson, who is considering N.C. State among seven schools.

Warren also previously held offers from Florida and North Carolina, but the Heels reportedly wanted him to play power forward and last week secured a commitment from 6-9 Brice Johnson instead.

Warren’s preference was to play on the wing, and Konchalski thinks that will end up being his natural position.

“I think eventually he’s more of a wing player,” Konchalski said. “He can shoot 3′s very, very consistently and he can initiate plays off the dribble from the wing. He’s big enough that he can play closer to the basket so he’s a hybrid froward right now but I think eventually his position is a three.”

Warren broke out this summer when he scored 41 points against Lewis at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions in Raleigh and was named the MVP of that event.

“He was one of the real surprises of the spring,” Konchalski said. “He had a great game against Garner Roads.”

Warren’s Brewster Academy teammate Mitch McGary, a 6-10 power forward rated No. 1 at his position by Rivals, is set to announce Thursday for Michigan, Duke or Florida, but several media outlets have reported that McGary is likely headed to Michigan.

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Rodney Purvis is staying home.

The 6-foot-4 Purvis, out of Raleigh (N.C.) Upper Room Christian Academy, announced Friday for N.C. State over UConn, Memphis and VCU.

“First I want to thank God for bringing me to this point with my recruitment.”

“I also want to thank all the schools who recruited me, the UCONN Huskies, the Memphis Tigers, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the North Carolina State Wolfpack.”

“After many conversations and prayers with the Lord, and visits, I came to a conclusion. There is no place like home.”

“With that being said, I’ll be joining my brother, Tyler Lewis, aka White Chocolate, and the North Carolina State Wolfpack.” Lewis is a 5-11 point guard who is also part of the N.C. State recruiting class.

Purvis also considered Missouri, Ohio State, Virginia and N.C. Central in August.

The former Louisville commit averaged 25.6 points and 9 rebounds last season.

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Torian Graham,

“I just feel like I made a decision too fast. I don’t feel like I gave everyone a chance to recruit me,” Graham told PackPride.com

“I’m still listing them. They are still at the top.”

Damon Handon, who coaches with DC Assault, said he had no new list for Graham but imagined Maryland and others would try to get involved. Handon pointed out that Maryland assistant Dalonte Hill, now a Maryland assistant, has a strong relationship with the 6-foot-4 Graham.

“I’m quite sure a lot of schools will try to get in there,” Handon said by phone. “A kid as talented as he is, I’m quite sure he’ll have a number of schools wanting to recruit him.”

TAYLOR TO MARQUETTE

Steve Taylor, a 6-8 forward ranked the No. 1 senior in Illinois, has committed to Marquette.

“(Marquette is) a great fit for me,” Taylor, who chose the Golden Eagles over DePaul, Purdue and Ohio, told the Chicago Tribune. “The system and the coaching staff. And my family can watch me play.”

Kendrick Nunn, a 6-2 guard who is Taylor’s teammate at Chicago Simeon, pledged to Texas A&M.

“I decided to commit when I was on my visit (this weekend),” Nunn, who also visited Ohio and Memphis, told the Tribune. “I am still going to go through the recruiting process and take calls.”

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Duke, N.C. State and Missouri.

“Those are my three now,” Purvis told Jody Demling of the Louisville-Courier Journal.

Purvis, who decommitted from Louisville, told Demling he “probably won’t” add any other schools and that Kentucky and Louisville are “no longer on my list.”

“After they got Kevin Ware, me and my family decided it was best that I take [Louisville] off my list,” he told Demling. “[Kentucky] got Ryan Harrow, so I felt like it was best to take them off of my list as well. That’s just the way things go.”

“I am really taking it slow this time,” he added. “I am working through my relationships.”

The 6-foot-2 Purvis is the No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2012 and plays at Raleigh (N.C.) Upper Room Christian, so Duke and N.C. State are local for him.

Missouri is in  the mix because former Louisville assistant Tim Fuller — with whom Purvis has a strong relationship — is now on Frank Haith’s staff.

“Tim is a great guy, but I have to do what’s best for my future and my family,” Purvis said last week.

He told Demling he will wait to see all three programs on his list compete this year before announcing.

“They realize I am trying to build a relationship with all of them,” Purvis said. “So it’s all going really good. At the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for me.

“I want to see them all play this year. I may commit on my birthday [Feb. 14].”

RELATED CONTENT

**Kevin Ware to Louisville

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“I haven’t made any decisions yet,” he said Thursday by text. “My mother and I have to talk and make the right decision.”

Harrow is considering Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, Louisville and St. John’s. He recently returned from a trip to four of the five schools, but missed out on St. John’s because his mother had to return home for a business engagement in Raleigh, N.C.

“UGA was the last visit,” Fern Matthews said by text. “We spoke to St. John’s coaches by telephone.”

Still, St. John’s remains in the picture.

“All are viable options,” she said. “We just finished yesterday so Ryan has to review all the information and we have to talk about it. Was a lot of information to take in within nine days.”

She added: “Ryan will make his decision next week. I want him to think about all the information acquired from each visit.”

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“For them to get a commitment from a Top 25 recruit, I think that’s huge to the program,” said DC Assault coach Damon Handon. “He’s a big-time athletic scorer. I think that his best basketball is ahead of him. I think Torian has a big upside.”

The 6-foot-4 guard out of Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God opted to stay close to home, in part because his mother is ill and he wanted to be near her.

“I think at the end of the day he didn’t want to go too far from home,” Handon said.

Handon said Kentucky and Rutgers were also in the mix. Graham’s older brother, Tyree, is at Rutgers, although he will never play a game there. He will be placed on medical hardship (ruptured Achilles) and could then play at another institution beginning in 2012 assuming he graduates from Rutgers.

“I think he considered Rutgers,” Handon said of Torian. “Rutgers was one of the schools. He’s really starting to really focus on the schools for the July recruiting period.”

Graham joins point guard Tyler Lewis of North Carolina in Mark Gottfried’s recruiting class.

“This kid [Graham] is physically not even physically developed yet,” Handon said. “I think that’s a huge get for them.”

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Tyler, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound forward from St. Benedict’s Prep, was busy with a workout and was unavailable for comment but Torrel said the conversation went well and Tyler remains committed to N.C. State.

“We picked them and I want to give them every opportunity to see how Tyler can fit in at N.C. State,” Torrel said.

He said Gottfried planned to study film of Tyler and then would come up to Long Island to visit with him in the next two weeks.

“He wants to come up and visit Tyler,” Torrel said. “He doesn’t know much about his game. He did a lot of of games at Tennessee [for ESPN] and he said, ‘If you’re anything like your brother Tobias [in terms of hard work], you’re gonna be special.’”

Tobias plans to test the NBA waters after his freshman season but has not hired an agent.

Torrel said he knows Mike Gottfried, Mark’s uncle, from his time at Murray State. Torrel was a grad student and Mike was the head football coach.

“We’re going to still commit,” Torrel said. “We have got some family relationships [with Mike]. Me and his uncle Mike are very close.

“And Mark always had good things to say about Tobias.”

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To quote Bob Dylan, “I’m goin’ back to New York City. I do believe I’ve had enough.”

Here’s a few quick hits from the Coaching Carousel:

**After swinging and missing on seemingly every high-major coach from here to Texas, N.C. State finally got its man in former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried for five years at $6 million.

“Our search has proceeded in an orderly manner and with excellent results,” said N.C. State AD Deborah A. Yow. “We are blessed to have hired a proven winner and an outstanding coach who is well prepared by experience and total commitment to lead in the rebuilding of Wolfpack men’s basketball.”

During 11 seasons at Alabama, Gottfried went 210-132, making the NCAA Tournament five times. He’s done work with ESPN since resigning during the 2008-09 season. You have to wonder if N.C. State is trying to follow the Steve Lavin model here. Like Lavin, Gottfried was a UCLA assistant and like Lavin he worked at ESPN. Lavin also turned down the Wolfpack gig in 2006.

“I am extremely excited about this opportunity and challenge,” said Gottfried, 47. “I have always had great respect for the tradition of excellence here at State and I look forward to helping build this basketball program into a national contender.”

**Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin signed a three-year extension with the Bearcats, according to Bill Koch of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He was one of many candidates reportedly on N.C. State’s wish list.

**LIU coach Jim Ferry was the last to interview today at Manhattan. Sources say a decision is expected Wednesday or Thursday. Steve Masiello, Bob Walsh, Van Macon and Scott Padgett are also in the mix.

**St. John’s assistant Mike Dunlap told The Fresno Bee via email that he is no longer a candidate for the Fresno State job. Ohio State assistant Jeff Boals is reportedly  the leader there.

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HOUSTON -

“The Shaka Smart chapter of this search is going to come to a conclusion soon, probably today,” an agent who works with numerous college coaches told Glenn.

“Regardless of his response, the Wolfpack will have a new coach this week. That’s how most of these searches go nowadays. You talk with multiple candidates at the same time, usually on different timetables, and that’s what’s happened here.

“Technically speaking, N.C. State can still say that nobody has received an official job offer, just inquiries and frameworks and presentations and conversations. But it’s also accurate to say that Rick Barnes and Sean Miller and others were made aware that it was their job if they wanted it, and now Shaka is in that position. It doesn’t really matter if you call it an official job offer or not.

“It’s reached the point now where either Shaka Smart or someone else is going to be introduced as the next N.C. State basketball coach at some point this week.”

Glenn’s report indicates N.C. State has offered Smart $2 million per yer, with only Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, Roy Williams of North Carolina and Gary Williams of Maryland making more.

VCU, meanwhile,  is working on a “contract upgrade” worth “well over $1 million” annually, Glenn reports.

“We said all along that we would be aggressive in trying to keep Shaka here at VCU,” VCU athletic director Norwood Teague told Glenn, “and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Smart is 55-21 in two seasons at VCU and led the Rams to their first-ever Final Four before losing Saturday to Butler.

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