Jalen Lecque signs NLI with N.C. State

By ADAM ZAGORIA

N.C. State commit Jalen Lecque signed his National Letter of Intent on Tuesday night, his father told ZAGSBLOG.

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Lecque said last weekend at the National Prep Showcase that he was leaning towards signing this week. The NCAA early signing period ends Wednesday (today). Lecque committed to N.C. State last month.

“We signed yesterday and we’re in,” Derrick Lecque said by phone. “I was just waiting this morning for confirmation.”

Officially a member of the NC State family? go Wolfpack ?? pic.twitter.com/ex7SHxjMYA

— Jalen Lecque (@jalenlecque10) November 21, 2018

Lecque could declare for the 2019 NBA Draft because he’s a year removed from his graduating class and will turn 19 in 2019. He’s currently projected as the No. 25 pick in 2019 per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Representatives from 16 NBA teams watched Lecque and his Brewster Academy team go 0-2 at the National Prep Showcase at Albertus Magnus College.

Still, Derrick Lecque said the NBA is not his son’s focus at this time.

“That’s not even a thought right now, no sir,” Derrick said. “I’m not even talking to the NBA right now. That’s not what we’re doing right now because there’s a lot of expectations there, so we’re going to stay in the gym and work. We’re going to work and we’re going to get it right before we start talking about the NBA. The NBA shouldn’t have ever been mentioned from the beginning.”

Jalen echoed those sentiments last weekend.

“I’m not really focused on the NBA right now,” Lecque said Saturday. “I’m focused on first steps first with high school and then next steps with college. I’m getting everything out of the way, graduating and looking to perform my best every game.”

Long sequence that ends with NC State commit @jalenlecque10 scoring in the paint. pic.twitter.com/JjkJz2hOgY

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) November 17, 2018

Givony said NBA scouts will continue to monitor Lecque this season at Brewster (N.H.) Academy.

“He showed the positives and the negatives,” Givony said. “He’s one of the most athletic players you’ll find in the world outside the NBA and I think he showed that his feel for the game has improved.

“He’s a better passer now, but he also showed  that there are a lot of things that he needs to work on. He needs to play a lot harder on defense. His jump shot is a long ways away. They went 0-2 here so that’s not a positive but he’s really talented. I think the NBA will keep watching him as the season moves along and try to figure out exactly where he fits into this draft if he does decide to declare.”

NC State commit @jalenlecque10 already has a few dunks and a nice smooth jumper here in front of the NBA guys pic.twitter.com/RHhS9fRcN0

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) November 17, 2018

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