Sep 11, 2015 01:42 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

One of the best basketball players coming out of high school in the recruiting class of 2016 announced he committed to N.C. State.

Dennis Smith Jr., of Fayetteville, N.C., told ESPN Thursday he chose the Wolfpack over other in-state options and college basketball powerhouses like Duke, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. He also had offers from Kentucky and Louisville.

Despite recovering from a torn ACL, Smith ranks fourth overall on the 2016 ESPN 100 and is the top point guard in the class. 247 Sports gave the five-star guard a sterling 0.9982 composite score.

"Growing up an NC State fan, I knew they would be one of my top schools," Smith told ESPN. "Coach [Mark] Gottfried made me a priority, showing up, sitting in front to all my games in the live periods. That loyalty meant a lot to me. After giving the decision a lot of thought, we all felt State was the best situation for me.

"The relationships I had with Coach Gottfried and Coach Early, I believe in them and they believe in me. State is an underdog in the ACC and at times in the state of North Carolina - I want to try and help them win a championship, and I believe we can do it. They want me to come in and run the show, and even though the returning roster will be older than me, I am very confident in my abilities."

While Smith's areas for improvement include shooting and defense, he is a highly physical and athletic point guard who is great at driving to the basket and distributing the ball. Vital to those abilities will be his ACL, which he said is healing nicely.

"My recovery is going great," Smith told ESPN. "Actually, it's going a little faster than expected. I just went from walking with two crutches to walking with one crutch, and my knee is starting to bend... I am excited."

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