After four years spent dazzling Blue Devil fans, Jaqawn Raymond will be showcasing his talent on one of the biggest stages in the country.

            Wednesday morning, Raymond signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball for North Carolina State University next season. Raymond finally chose the Wolfpack after being recruited by several other members of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference.

            “I’m really excited to be going to N.C. State,” said Raymond. “It’s going to be a great experience and it’s definitely the right school for me.”

            In his tenure at Statesboro High, Raymond averaged 21.3 points per game, highlighted by his career high of 35 points in this season’s Region 2-AAAA tournament semifinals.

            The basketball court, however, isn’t the only place Raymond excels.

            “What we’re most proud of are his grades,” said SHS coach Lee Hill. “Jaqawn is going to be an honors graduate and the Regions Scholar Athlete of the Year. I’m sure that he’ll do just fine at the next level as a player and as a student.”

            Raymond closed out his high school career in style, earning the Region 2-AAAA Player of the Year award.

            Other awards and honors in Raymond’s career include being named MVP of the U-Save It Basketball Classic in 2010 and a GACA Junior/Senior All-Star Game selection in each of the last two seasons.