The NC State Wolfpack have moved quickly to build out the staff for its men’s basketball program following the sudden departure of former head coach Will Wade.
After hiring Justin Gainey as the new head coach at the end of March, the Pack built out the rest of its staff in just over a week, adding Alvin Brooks III, Riley Collins, Matthew Driscoll and Anthony Goins as assistant coaches and Bill Comar as the Director of Operations.
And now that the staff is set, the focus shifts to building out a roster for the 2026-27 season.
NC State is going to have its work cut out for themselves too as between those using up their remaining college eligibility and the players that have entered the transfer portal, the team has just three returning players left on the roster: Jerry Deng, Musa Sagnia and Zymicah Wilkins.
The NCAA transfer portal window officially opened on April 7 and will be open until April 21, giving NC State just a few more days to try and fill out the team.
“Everybody is well aware of what we have to do, where we have to be, to be competitive from a resources standpoint,” Gainey said.
Losses
The biggest anticipated loss for the Pack looks like it’s going to be sophomore sniper Paul McNeil.
The 6-foot-5 guard got a much bigger role with the Wolfpack this season and took full advantage of it, averaging 13.8 points while shooting 42.7% from beyond the arc.
While McNeil hasn’t officially entered the portal yet, it’s been reported that the Richmond Senior alum intends to transfer and has reportedly been meeting with other teams already as well.
Another big loss for the Wolfpack is going to be freshman guard Matt Able.
The 6-foot-4 Florida native appeared in 34 games this season, averaging 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
Able had one of the highest compete levels on the team this year and despite that, in addition to being the fifth highest scorer on the team, he never really saw an uptick in minutes or opportunity.
Able, who was a top-25 recruit, is also putting his name into the NBA draft.
The Wolfpack also saw a pair of redshirts depart in Jayme Kotkuniemi and, most notably, Cole Cloer.
Cloer, a Hillsborough native and a 2026 4-star recruit, enrolled early at NC State but did not play as he rehabbed an injury.
In addition, the Pack saw a trio of reserves enter the portal in Alyn Breed, Terrance Arceneaux and Colt Langdon.
Breed averaged 14 minutes, 4.5 points and 1.3 assists in his 21 appearances, while Arceneaux had 30 appearances, averaging 15 minutes and just 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds. Langdon battled injuries most of the season and played under three minutes on the year.
Potential Additions
The Wolfpack haven’t landed any commitments so far from the portal, but they have been linked to a handful of different players.
NC State hosted two players last weekend for official visits: Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell and Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond.
Gainey obviously worked closely with Boswell at Tennessee and more than likely played a hand in his recruitment as well being that he’s from Charlotte.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 6.2 points, 3.1 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game with the Volunteers and was a steady part of the rotation on a team that made the Elite Eight.
Hammond had a big year with the Broncos, averaging 15.6 points, 2.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
247Sports analyst Travis Branham also reported that NC State had an in-person meeting with Robert Morris transfer DeSean Goode.
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds with the Colonials and fits the bill when it comes to the way Gainey envisions his frontcourt.
“When I think about my roster and what I want it to look like, ideally, I do want to have depth in the front court,” Gainey said. “I do want to have size in the front court and on the wings as well.”
There’s also the fact that guys like McNeil, Able and Cloer haven’t ruled out returns to NC State either, and so it’ll just be up to Gainey and his staff to convince them that Raleigh is the right place for them.
NC State has the resources available to compete in this era of college basketball, we just have to see if Gainey can do a better job identifying the right kind of talent in the portal.
