Montrezl Harrell of North Edgecombe was in the Blacksburg, Va., arena of Virginia Tech when the Hokies knocked off Duke, which was ranked No. 1 in the country at the time.
Harrell, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound junior forward, already was leaning toward committing to the Hokies before the game and the atmosphere at the Atlantic Coast Conference victory helped cement his decision. He committed to Virginia Tech this week.
"It was crazy," he said.
Harrell is ranked as the No. 49 junior prospect in the country by scout.com.
Virginia Tech had been recruiting him for more than a year, according to North Edgecombe coach Danny Ward. "They identified him early and really let him know that they wanted him," Ward said.
Harrell averaged 16 points, 13 rebounds and 6.7 blocked shots on a 21-3 club.
Virginia Tech plays Florida State today at 9 p.m., in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
