NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Ranking 6 options for four-star forward Alphonzo Billups

4. NC State Wolfpack

Head coach Kevin Keatts has been transfer-heavy since arriving at NC State. It goes both ways though, as they’ve lost few players recently as well. One of the pickups this offseason for the program has been Greg Gantt, Jr., a 6’8 wing from Providence.

At the moment, he’s one of three small forwards on the roster, including Dereon Seabron and Jericole Hellems. The Wolfpack also has a number of guards and has been playing three-guard lineups in the past couple of years. This is a spot where Billups can find a role in due time but would potentially have to wait a year for meaningful minutes.

3. Pittsburgh Panthers

One of the first programs to be in the mix for Billups, the Panthers are looking to add another DMV area prospect to the 2022 class, joining top-100 guard commit Judah Mintz. Considering the success of Justin Champagnie and Au’Diese Toney, two players of similar nature to Billups, head coach Jeff Capel has a compelling selling point to top-tier small forward recruits.

The only real concern here (besides the fact that the program is still rebuilding), is that there are small forwards on the roster. William Jeffress, Jr. could be set for a breakout campaign, while 6’7 wing Nate Santos is the only class of 2021 recruit and could get minutes. And there’s also Chris Payton, a 6’7 combo forward and one of the top Junior College prospects in the class. All three of them have at least three years of eligibility so if any breaks out, the path for playing time for Billups becomes challenging.