John Marshall High School (Va.) big man Latrell Allmond, a former teammate to NC State basketball sophomore Dennis Parker Jr., has been in Raleigh for unofficial visits with the Wolfpack. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound junior, a top-tier four-star sitting at No. 34 overall and No. 2 among full-fledged centers on the 247Sports 2026 Composite, received an offer from Kevin Keatts & Co. over two years ago.

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Allmond aims to wrap up his recruitment around this time next year, he informed On3’s Jamie Shaw back in September.

“Trust is the big thing for me,” Allmond added when explaining to Shaw what he’s looking for in a college destination. “Because playing for a coach that you trust, you can just go out there and play hard. My ultimate goal is to go to the NBA, so I want to play for a coach I trust and where I can have the opportunity to earn a starting spot early.”

Speaking of the importance that Allmond is placing on his relationships with the head coaches who are seen as primary contenders for his elite toolkit as an intimidating bruiser with a variety of nimble post moves, the big news out of his home state this week has the potential to work in the Wolfpack’s favor.

Ahead of what would’ve been his 16th season at the helm of the Virginia Cavaliers, 2019 national champion Tony Bennett held his official retirement press conference on Friday.

Like Keatts, Bennett extended an offer to Allmond about two years ago.

As Rivals’ Rob Cassidy suggested on Friday, Bennett’s departure could equate to the home-state hopeful practically starting from scratch:

“Allmond has roughly a year before he makes his college decision, but Bennett’s retirement will still set UVA back in its pursuit of the in-state standout…[They] managed to lay the groundwork for a strong bond before Bennett made the decision to call it quits. Allmond may still end up in Charlottesville when all is said and done, but the program’s new head coach — whether it’s [Ron] Sanchez or an outsider — will have some ground to make up.”

In addition to NC State and Virginia, Allmond’s notable early suitors include Tennessee, Georgetown, Texas A&M, and Rutgers.

ALSO READ: NC State Ranks Outside Expert’s Top 60 Again

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