Bryce Heard, Illinois 4-star shooting guard, commits to NC State, reclassifies

Heard led Homewood-Flossmoor to Illinois state championship as junior

Homewood-Flossmoor 2025 shooting guard Bryce Heard / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

Homewood-Flossmoor standout guard Bryce Heard had two announcements on Wednesday afternoon.

Heard, the No. 87 prospect in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, announced his commitment to North Carolina State and also that he was reclassifying and joining the Wolfpack for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Heard picked NC State over finalists Xavier, Mississippi State and USC.

"Going on the visit to NC State, it felt like the right school," Heard told On3.com. "It matched my play style and had coaches that believed in me to come in and be a impact player."

A dynamic 6-foot-5, 185-pound shooting guard, Heard returned to Illinois for his junior season after spending his sophomore year at powerhouse Montverde Academy in Florida. He led Homewood-Flossmoor to a 33-4 record and the Illinois Class 4A championship while averaging 16.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the Vikings.

Related: Illinois' best high school boys basketball players: SBLive's 2024 all-state team

Heard helped fuel the Vikings' second-half comeback to beat New Trier in the semifinals and then recorded a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the championship game win over Normal Community. It was the school's first boys basketball state title.

"It's a great feeling," Heard said. "We came out and did it for the community. ... This is why I came back, to win a championship for this community."

Heard was ranked as the No. 2 player in Illinois in the Class of 2025, behind Kenwood Academy's Aleks Alston, by several recruiting websites. He was ranked around the No. 100 prospect nationally – No. 95 by Rivals, No. 108 by 247Sports and No. 111 by On3 – but will now reclassify and officially become a member of the Class of 2024.

Homewood-Flossmoor 2025 shooting guard Bryce Heard / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

Homewood-Flossmoor 2025 shooting guard Bryce Heard / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

Homewood-Flossmoor 2025 shooting guard Bryce Heard / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

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- Nate Latsch |  latsch@scorebooklive.com