First Flight's Dylan Blake to join ECU basketball as preferred walk-on

One of the state's best pure shooters is staying close to home. First Flight senior guard Dylan Blake will be joining the ECU basketball team as a preferred walk-on.

Blake announced his decision on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

Blake ranks third all-time in North Carolina history for 3-pointers made and is also a former WITN Pepsi Player of the Week.

During his senior season, the 6-foot guard became the first Nighthawk to ever eclipse 2,000 career points and now he becomes just the third Nighthawk to ever play Division I college basketball. Matt Preston was the first. He played at USC-Upstate under former ECU coach Eddie Payne. Jack Konstanzer was the second. He currently plays at UNC-Greensboro.

Blake averaged nearly 30 points per game during his senior year and is sure to help an ECU squad that ranked 262nd in field goal percentage this past season.

Blake said he did have a walk-on offer to Winthrop, but with everything going on right now, wanted to stay closer to home.

"I really felt a good connection between both Joe Dooley and Raphael Chillious, and I just wanted to be somewhere where I was wanted," Blake said during a FaceTime interview with WITN Sports on Tuesday. "I'm definitely looking forward to meeting new people, making a new family with my team, and hopefully we can win some big games. I always thought of myself as underrated. I think living where I live, I don't get seen as much as some other kids, and that just really put a chip on my shoulder; makes me want to be the best I can be. I'm just really happy I can represent First Flight in this way."