By ADAM ZAGORIA
Four-star IMG Academy (FL) wing Cole Cloer has committed to NC State.
The news was first reported by Tipton Edits.
The 6-foot-8 forward out of Hillsborough, N.C. who attends IMG Academy chose the Wolfpack over North Carolina, Florida, UConn, and Alabama.
“Choosing NC State was an easy decision for me,” he told ZAGSBLOG. “It’s the program I’ve supported since I was a kid, and now I have the opportunity to represent the city and state that shaped who I am while competing in ACC battles against UNC, Wake Forest, and Duke. I’m excited to be part of the Red Reckoning that Coach Wade is building and to play in a system that highlights my strengths.
“Coach [Will] Wade is a proven winner with an elite staff, and I believe I can thrive under their leadership. I bring a winning pedigree from competing against the best players in the country and pride myself on being one of the top shooters in my class, with the ability to create off the bounce and make plays for others. I’m ready to bring my confidence, work ethic, and swagger to a program I truly believe is on its way to becoming one of the premier teams in the nation.”
IMG Academy coach Sean McAloon told ZAGSBLOG:
“Cole will be plug-and-play once he steps on campus. He’s a dynamic offensive player, an elite teammate and most importantly he’s a winner. Slam dunk for Will and NC State.”
An important factor in Cloer’s decision was development.
“The goal is to get to the NBA,” Cloer said this summer. “So wherever I feel like will put me in the league, that’s where I’ll be.”
The four-star also recently made the move to transfer to IMG Academy for his senior season. He’s excited to play with some great players he’s built bonds with like Trey Beamer, Chase Foster and Jermal Jones.
“I was trying to figure out what could prepare me the best for my freshman year of college,” Cloer said this summer. “Whenever I step on campus, I want to make an impact. I want to be able to step on the floor. So looking at it from that aspect, it being a basketball specific school — school comes second, you know what I mean? And really learning how to take care of my body. How to use my body, maximize my size. Nutrition. The skill work. The schedule. The practices. It’s just college before college.”
Cloer is ranked the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. He averaged 15.5 points and 4.2 rebounds across his first four games at Peach Jam for Team CP3.
“I feel like I’ve made a jump in every aspect,” Cloer said of his summer. “I feel like I’ve focused on trying to play off my jump shot, playing off the shot. Once that opens up, the game just comes super easy. I think that’s probably been my most effective thing in my bag, playing off my shot. I’m 6-foot-8 and I can shoot it, so I feel like those people have to respect it. And not many people can block it. So I feel like starting to play off that’s helped me.”
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