4-Star C Prospect Immanuel Bates Commits to North Carolina State

North Carolina State added to its frontcourt depth with the commitment of 2018 center Immanuel Bates.

Per Jonathan M. Alexander of the News Observer, Bates announced his decision to attend N.C. State at his high school, Northwood Temple Academy, on Friday. 

According to Scout, Bates is a 4-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. 

The 6'9" player is still extremely raw, but he has size, athleticism and good instincts on both ends of the floor. He is especially known for his defense, where he can be a difference-maker thanks to his shot-blocking ability.

Team Felton director Fredrick Cannon also sees plenty of potential if he can continue to improve on offense.

"His face up game is ahead of his back to the basket game, that's the hardest part to teach," Cannon said, per Mike Hughes of 247Sports. "He's never been fed the ball a lot but has the capability to make the midrange jumper. ... He has so much upside. He has pro potential, especially if he can develop on his offensive (skills)."

He could also stand to add some strength to his frame in order to handle playing inside at the college level.

His new coaching staff might try to move him along slowly, helping him develop his offensive game to let him reach his potential.

However, Bates has the tools necessary to make an early impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Wolfpack. 

Bates' commitment is a big win for new N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts. The Wolfpack fell off the pace in the ACC over the past two seasons with sub-.500 records for Mark Gottfried. 

With powerhouse programs like Duke, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Florida State, Louisville and Virginia able to attract top-tier talent, N.C. State has a lot of work to do if it wants to get back to relevance. Bates gives Keatts and the coaching staff a talented, albeit raw, big man to develop.