NC State has made its move on one of North Carolina’s most highly regarded young basketball prospects, extending an offer to 2028 shooting guard Chacho Womack during his unofficial visit to Raleigh.
Womack, who plays at West Charlotte High School, already carries plenty of national buzz for a player this early in his high school career. ESPN lists him as a 4-star prospect and the No. 73 overall player in the 2028 recruiting class, while the 247Sports Composite also has him as a 4-star recruit.
For Justin Gainey and his staff, the offer fits a clear pattern: keep elite in-state talent on the radar and make an early push before the recruiting race really takes off.
Womack’s sophomore season at West Charlotte only added to the attention. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 17.6 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, and shot 41% from three-point range. That kind of perimeter production is exactly what has put him on the board for Power Conference programs.
NC State is now part of an offer list that includes Florida State, Virginia Tech, LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and TCU, among others.
This was not the only unofficial visit on Womack’s calendar either. He is set to visit Virginia on August 29th and then Kansas State on September 12th.
There is still a long recruiting road ahead with Womack two years away from college, but the Wolfpack got in early and made its interest known. Gainey has made it clear since taking over that keeping the best basketball players in North Carolina from leaving the state will be a priority, and Womack is another example of that approach.
The Charlotte native is one of the top North Carolina prospects in the 2028 class, and NC State has now joined the chase.
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