NC State basketball star guard announces return after weeks of waiting, rumors
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- Sophomore guard Paul McNeil will stay with NC State after entering the transfer portal.
- McNeil averaged 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 appearances last season.
- He made 105 three-pointers, tying DJ Horne’s NC State single-season record.
Roughly a month after entering the NCAA transfer portal, one North Carolina local has decided where he’s going to play next season.
Sophomore guard Paul McNeil will stay with the program after spending his first two seasons with the Wolfpack, he announced Friday night on social media. He entered the portal in April and was reportedly open to returning.
Beloved four-year walk-on Jordan Snell — and team captain — simply commented the word “rafters” on McNeil’s post.
The announcement comes after various reports claimed McNeil was meeting with North Carolina, Virginia Tech, LSU and Kentucky.
McNeil also posted cryptic images and song lyrics on his Instagram story over the past several weeks, while Darrion Williams posted two photos of McNeil on his Instagram story. The first photo was a selfie of McNeil, and the second was an in-game picture of the duo smiling together. Williams and several teammates also shared a post on Monday from McNeil with the caption “Superman.” The comments were filled with fans begging McNeil to remain with the team, including more than two dozen with a gif of McNeil in his N.C. State uniform.
Fans online became increasingly worried as no announcement came and there were rumors of his exit, one that included him following Will Wade.
McNeil, from Rockingham, has spoken extensively about the significance of playing in his home state. He has consistently called it “a blessing.”
And when it came to the Wolfpack, then led by head coach Kevin Keatts, McNeil was wholly committed. In fact, he said in 2024 that the program could have lost every single game and not made the 2024 ACC Championship and Final Four.
“I’ve been committed since I was in 10th grade, so I was coming here regardless,” McNeil said before the 2024-25 season. “No matter what, I was coming. I love the environment. I love the city. I love the staff, and I love the fans.”
Those were simpler times. His comment came before the program missed the 2025 ACC Tournament and the school fired Keatts. It came before Wade’s promises of a long-term tenure in Raleigh. It came before the collapse at the end of the 2025-26 season and Wade’s abrupt return to LSU.
Still, he kept his word. McNeil was the lone scholarship player to return to N.C. State last season and will again be one of the lone scholarship returners.
McNeil’s contributions jumped drastically from Year 1 to Year 2. He averaged 4.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game in 24 appearances as a freshman, low on the depth chart behind several other guards. This season, he was circled on scouting reports.
The North Carolina native scored 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 34 appearances. His 3-point efficiency increased from 35.6% to 42.7%, which led the ACC and ranked top 20 in the nation. McNeil finished with 105 made 3-pointers, tying DJ Horne’s single-season program record.
The sophomore scored a career-high 47 points against Texas Southern in the program’s annual heritage game at Reynolds Coliseum, making a record 11 3-pointers. McNeil opened the game with a 5-for-5 start and scored 26 points in the first half. He set a new personal best 2 ½ minutes into the second half.
McNeil’s scoring ranks No. 5 in program history, tying Sammy Ranzino (1951) for the most points in a single game. His 11 3-pointers were a single-game program record and tied the ACC record. The sophomore added 10 rebounds.
According to the Field of 68, McNeil was the first player since the 2004-05 season to have at least 45 points, 10 rebounds and 11 or more 3-pointers in a single game.
In a neutral-site exhibition, McNeil hit a game-winning 3-pointer to give the Wolfpack a win over South Carolina.
McNeil reached double figures in 23 games, including eight appearances with at least 20 points. He contributed one double-double.
The Wolfpack already received the commitments of six portal players. With McNeil’s return, the expected roster sits at 10 players.
This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM.
