“My priority, though, I can tell you, from Day 1, was to keep our players. That was my No. 1 priority. That’s what we tried to get done first,” N.C. State head coach Wes Moore said.
Kaitlin McKeown
The News & Observer
Khamil Pierre joins N.C. State after late transfer, bolstering frontcourt depth
Wes Moore retains roster core despite missing key portal targets and NIL hurdles
Wolfpack adds top freshmen, aims to extend NCAA and ACC postseason success streak
RALEIGH
Wes Moore isn’t ready to say he feels better about the frontcourt going into this season than he did last year. Not yet. The season is still several months away. There is, however, far less panic now than there was last month.
The Wolfpack got a lucky break when it added to its frontcourt one of the SEC’s rising stars in an unusual sequence of events.
Former Vanderbilt forward Khamil Pierre signed with N.C. State last week, roughly two weeks since reportedly being dismissed from the Commodores team. Her departure took place two months after the transfer portal closed to new entrants.
“I think the good Lord looked down on me and said, ‘OK, you dumb butt. You’ve totally messed up this portal thing here. Let me help you out a little bit,’” Moore said Wednesday during a summer media availability. “Really fortunate the way things worked out.”
Moore called Pierre’s addition an “unusual situation.” The Phoenix native applied as a traditional student to multiple schools, including N.C. State, where she was interested in playing, and a third-party recruiting service contacted each program to share her interest.
Once she was accepted, the Wolfpack coaches were allowed to speak with her. The program already had a relationship with Pierre, however, after recruiting her during high school. Moore said the compliance offices at both N.C. State and Vanderbilt also helped ensure everything was done properly.
Mar 6, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Khamil Pierre (12) celebrates a three against the Tennessee Lady Vols during the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
“We’re excited about getting her over here,” Moore said. “I mean, goodness, she’s a walking double-double, and did that at a high level. Exactly what we needed.”
Pierre comes to Raleigh as one of the best centers in college basketball. Last season, she averaged 20.4 points on 49.8% shooting, 9.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2 steals — the only player in the nation to record those averages.
In her sophomore campaign, Pierre also contributed 17 double-doubles, scored in double figures in all but one game, scored 20 points or more in 16 appearances and boasted a career-high 42 points and 18 rebounds in Vandy’s win over Evansville.
Pierre was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023 — Zoe Brooks’ class — and was heavily recruited by N.C. State prior to joining the Vanderbilt program.
There were rumors mid-season that Pierre planned to enter the portal, but she never did. Pierre also posted on social media about believing “in the vision” Commodores coach Shea Ralph had for her.
She and UConn transfer Qadence Samuels are expected to bolster the roster in much-needed areas. Moore said he spoke with Ralph about Pierre and Geno Auriemma about Samuels. Both had positive things to say about the newcomers.
The Wolfpack roster features seven returners, two freshmen recruits and two transfers. Moore said he’s comfortable with an 11-player roster.
“For a while there, when we were at nine, I was getting ready to call Elliot [Avent] and see if we could share the Pack Nine brand,” Moore said, referring to the baseball team. “Luckily, we didn’t have to do that.”
Much of the stress and uncertainty can be attributed to missing several portal targets, including Kara Dunn (Georgia Tech to Southern Cal), Kylee Kitts (Florida to Ohio State) and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (Texas to Vanderbilt).
Moore called himself “not a very good GM” but said there were several reasons for the missed opportunities. The longtime coach said he underestimated how much money would be needed to add certain players. In other situations, he didn’t want to overpay for a player, especially if it led to losing a current player. Then there were times when the program wasn’t the right fit.
“My priority, though, I can tell you, from Day 1, was to keep our players. That was my No. 1 priority. That’s what we tried to get done first,” Moore said. “We were very fortunate. We kept the core of our team. … It’s just a different era. I’m learning. But hey, like I said, the Lord shined down on me.”
Bishop McGuinness guard Adelaide Jernigan (10) motions to team in order to set up defense against Fairmont during the first half. The Bishop McGuinness Villains and the Fairmont Golden Tornadoes met in the John Wall Holiday Invitational Tournament in Raleigh, N.C. on December 27, 2024. Steven Worthy
‘NC State is here to stay’
The Wolfpack also brings in Adelaide Jernigan and Ky’She Lunan, two four-star recruits, in the most recent signing class.
Moore said Jernigan is a shooter who can further develop defensively, while Lunan is a strong defender who is working on becoming a more consistent scorer.
Sophomore guard Zamareya Jones is excited to play with all of her new teammates and has been impressed with the rookies.
“Ky’She is a mid-range game lefty. Another Zaza coming,” Jones said, referring to now-WNBA rookie Aziaha James. “Adelaide has a great shot; out of this world. I’m just glad that they chose N.C. State, and I’m ready to play for them this year.”
Jones said it speaks highly of the program that other young players and transfers want to be part of the Wolfpack. The program has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in nine straight seasons — it only played in eight because of the Covid-19 shutdown — and advanced to the Sweet 16 or better in six seasons.
Additionally, N.C. State has not finished below fourth place in the regular-season ACC standings since 2015-16.
“I feel like we have a great coaching staff that believes in us and works hard,” Jones said. “The ACC is coming up, and N.C. State is here to stay.”
The nonconference schedule has yet to be released, but N.C. State will play Southern Cal in Charlotte on Nov. 9 as part of the Ally Tipoff.
This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 2:27 PM.
