NC State men’s basketball roster a work in progress. Where does Wolfpack stand?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NC State has five transfer commitments, one guaranteed returner.
- Paul McNeil entered the transfer portal and the NBA draft; can withdraw by May 27.
- NC State still needs another primary shooter, an additional big and depth overall.
While concerns about team speed and overall roster construction exist, N.C. State’s men’s basketball team is in no position to panic.
Yet.
The transfer portal closed almost two weeks ago, and the Wolfpack has received commitments from six transfer portal players, five from non-Power Four schools. Zymicah Wilkins, a North Carolina native who redshirted as a true freshman, is set to return. For now, signee Trevon Carter-Givens is still expected to join the program. The center signed with the Wolfpack under Will Wade and has not indicated he would reopen his commitment. He is listed at 6-11 and 190 pounds.
Tuesday night, three-star guard Kingston Whittey committed to the Wolfpack. Earlier this week, it only had five new players. Whittey and Maryland transfer Darius Adams committed in a 24-hour span.
N.C. State’s roster, then, stands at nine players. Will Wade and his staff had 10 players at this time a year ago, but the roster was far from complete. (Also, for comparison, Wade’s LSU roster had exactly one player as of midday Wednesday.)
The Pack lost Paul Mbiya last summer after he’d already signed in Raleigh, when he chose to swap schools again and left for Kansas, and it didn’t add Darrion Williams or Ven-Allen Lubin until the end of May. Scottie Ebube and Musa Sagnia, meanwhile, were not on the roster until June and August, respectively.
N.C. State ranks sixth in the ACC for its portal class, according to 247Sports, and is sixth in the overall Class of 2026 rankings, which has not been updated to remove Cole Cloer — he committed to Alabama — from the incoming player list.
Last season, N.C. State ranked No. 14 in the nation for its transfer portal class and second in the ACC behind Louisville. It was fourth in the league for its overall recruiting class.
Virginia, Miami and Clemson ranked No. 7, 9 and 10, respectively. They all finished in the top five of the conference, with Virginia playing in the ACC title game and making the second round of the NCAA Tournament, while N.C. State collapsed down the stretch and was bounced in the First Four.
Some fans have expressed concern about the Wolfpack’s current standing in the recruiting rankings, but last year clearly proved those were not the end-all metric. Gainey’s roster construction, at least from the outside, feels less about loading the roster with big names and more about finding pieces that fit together.
What is happening with Paul McNeil?
Last week, social media posts appeared to imply Paul McNeil would announce his return to N.C. State. No such announcement has been made, and his future remains uncertain.
McNeil played his freshman year during Kevin Keatts’ final season with the Wolfpack. After Keatts’ termination, the Rockingham native remained with the program during Will Wade’s lone season.
By this time last year, however, everyone knew what McNeil’s next step would be. He announced his return on April 5, 2025. The graphic said, “Stay home. Stay hungry. No transfer. No shortcuts. Just hard work and heart. For N.C. State. For the fans. For the win.”
There has been little clarity the second time around. He entered the transfer portal, and was originally thought to be entering the NBA Draft process. McNeil, however, did not officially enter the draft, according to a list released this week.
Several schools, including Kentucky and North Carolina contacted McNeil in hopes of luring him from Raleigh.
NC State’s possible starters
The expected N.C. State starting lineup remains questionable without McNeil’s decision, but at least three spots should be set.
Hofstra transfer Preston Edmead is the expected point guard. He started all 33 games for the Pride and played in 85.6% of the team’s minutes, according to KenPom. He rarely moved from the point guard spot, occasionally swapping with shooting guard Cruz Davis. Edmead recorded a 25% assist rate in 2025-26, dishing out 4.4 dimes per game, which is the highest among incoming players.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara transfer Christian Hammond should fill the shooting guard spot. He started 33 games, missing one. He played the majority of his possessions at the two spot and was the Broncos’ leading scorer with 15.7 points per game. As a combo guard, however, it is possible Hammond and Edmead trade off when necessary.
Kyle Evans, the UC Irvine forward, is the big man inside. He led the nation in blocks last season (115) and blocked at least four shots in 12 appearances. As a scorer, he was efficient around the rim and averaged 12.1 points on 62% shooting. The incoming senior finished with 12 double-doubles, as well.
McNeil, if he were to return, would primarily play at the three spot. Adams, a four-star transfer, could play this spot if McNeil leaves. He was recruited by N.C. State out of high school but opted to join the Terrapins. He is a combo guard who averaged 10.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Even if McNeil does come back, Adams’ versatility allows for movement in the rotation.
Biggest needs, spots to fill for the Wolfpack
N.C. State needs another big man and depth from top to bottom.
Last season, N.C. State hoped to have a four-man frontcourt — Lubin, Sagnia, Ebube and Jerry Deng — but instead relied heavily on Lubin and Sagnia. This provided challenges for the Wolfpack, and Gainey said building a deep frontcourt would be a priority.
“I do want to have size in the front court and on the wings, as well,” Gainey said. “It is my vision that we’ll have some depth and we’ll have size up front.”
Eemeli Yalaho (Washington State/Texas Tech) and RJ Keene (Boise State) could, in theory, play starting roles. Based on their advanced analytics, however, they’re likely better coming off the bench. The Pack could use another couple of big, experienced players on the wings and frontcourt. Finding a veteran guy at 6-10 or 6-11 as a starter would solve some of the depth issues.
In fact, it could benefit by finding a veteran true center and moving Evans to the four. However, that is not guaranteed and it would likely be easier for the Pack to find another suitable power forward in its budget.
If Carter-Givens honors his commitment, he and Wilkins would also be in the frontcourt mix.
Right now, it N.C. State has enough players for a small rotation, but there is no room for error or injuries. Gainey and his staff will certainly be looking for additions to build a more robust roster in the coming weeks and months.
Who could the Wolfpack target?
N.C. State still has plenty of options it could use to fill the roster, several of whom already have ties to the program.
Dennis Parker, who played under Kevin Keatts for two seasons, is back on the market and would be a solid target. He spent one season at Radford, where he averaged 18.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He scored 53 points against Coppin State, setting the Big South and Radford single game scoring record. Parker averaged 3.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in two seasons with the Pack. Standing at 6-6, he would be solid either in a starting role or in rotation. Parker entered the NBA Draft process and maintained his eligibility.
Jalen Curry is a 6-1 point guard from Charlotte. He played at Oklahoma State and has reportedly received interest from N.C. State. The Pack may want to go with a larger guard — everyone saw the impact Quadir Copeland had when playing point — but Curry would provide senior experience.
Bowling Green transfer Mayar Wol is also on the market. He is from Raleigh, according to his NCAA profile, and follows former Wolfpack players Jordan Snell, Breon Pass, Terquavion Smith and Jerry Deng on Instagram. Last season, he averaged 10.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He made 3s at a 40% clip and can play in either forward position.
The Wolfpack is in the mix for four-star prospect Ladarius Green. The Class of 2026 forward put N.C. State in his Top 6 this week. He is formerly a Mississippi State recruit. He could be in contention for the starting power forward spot.
