Point guard finds Wright fit in ACC

The hits just keep on coming. Chris Wright, the No. 16 ranked player in the class of 2007, is headed to the ACC.

Wright verbally committed to NC State, a week after he spent time on the ACC campus for the Glaxo-Wellcome tournament in Raleigh.

"I felt like it was a great opportunity for me there at N.C. State," Wright said. "When it came down to it, it was an easy decision after I weighed all of the pros and cons of every school. I befriended the coaches there and they made it easy."

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound point guard from St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C. is the latest junior to verbally commit. Wright is the 29th player of the Rivals100 rankings for the class of 2007 to make an early decision.

NC State was the first major school to get involved with the five-star point guard and the Pack's longevity and dedication helped the junior pick the ACC over interest from Duke, Villanova and Wake Forest.

"They've been recruiting me for a long time," Wright said. "They were with me when I was coming into high school and laid that foundation with me. They saw me early and stuck with me ever since. That played a big part. It stuck with me. That really went a long way."

Wright, a terrific scorer and poised point guard, gave NC State fans a preview of the kind of player they can come to expect while he was in town for the Glaxo tournament. Wright's 32 points against Montverde (Fla.) helped St. John's claim the third-place game in the tournament.

"I was really impressed with his leadership down there," says Orlando Wright, Chris's father. "He was scoring the ball but he really showed that he's a good leader in those kinds of situations."

With the NC State coaching staff and several players on hand to see the game, the trip proved to be a major helpmate for Wright, he said.

Now with a decision behind him, Wright said he's looking forward to coming to the ACC and taking part in the terrific guard tradition that the conference is so prone to having.

"The ACC reloaded again. You look at that class that had Chris Paul, Ray Felton, Jarrett Jack and John Gilchrist," Wright says, "and now it's getting back to that again. You look at Tywon Lawson, Greg Paulus, Javaris Crittenton and now me going to NC State. I'm looking forward to a lot of good years and great tradition in the ACC."