These last few years have been quite the roller coaster in Raleigh. NC State had that miracle run to the Final Four in 2024, but an abysmal season followed and Kevin Keatts was dismissed from the head coaching position. Last season, Will Wade marched to town with mixed results, getting the Wolfpack back to the Big Dance before falling in the First Four. Unsurprisingly, Wade slithered away to LSU and NC State is rebuilding their momentum again under new head coach Justin Gainey.
A new look at head coach
With a second head coaching change in two offseasons, there’s not a ton of roster stability for NC State, with players like Quadir Copeland, Darrion Williams, and Tre Holloman notably gone from Raleigh. Unlike some rebuilds, it’s not a completely empty slate by any means, as both Paul McNeil and Ven-Allen Lubin are back for the Wolfpack. Both players averaged over 13 points per game last season and should maintain important roles under Gainey’s leadership.
We’ll see Gainey’s coaching ability pretty quickly, though he’s resorted to the transfer portal to fill most of the holes on NC State’s roster. A jam-packed class includes Kyle Evans, who neared a double-double at UC Irvine, and Eemeli Yalaho, a talented forward from Washington State. Plenty of backcourt talent enters the fray, such as former Maryland wing Darius Adams, and impressive Preston Edmead, who wowed many as a freshman with Hofstra.
The player we’re giving the spotlight from this busy transfer class is Christian Hammond. A 6-4 guard from Denver, he spent three years out at Santa Clara. He barely saw the court as a freshman and then redshirted, but he became a massive success for the Broncos last season. Hammond put up 15.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while making 39% of his 3-pointers, leading Santa Clara not only to a 26-win season but their first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 30 years.
What can he bring next?
It’s undeniable that this was a breakout year for Hammond, as he exploded onto the scene as a redshirt sophomore. NC State gains a combo guard who can really score and who was a great leader for the Broncos last season during that historic campaign. Adding a First Team All-WCC guard into this backcourt was a great move for Gainey and company but let’s not act like Hammond alone is the catalyst here.
Both Edmead and Hammond were fantastic additions and will be depended on alongside McNeil in what could become a sneaky-good lineup for the Wolfpack. We’re not saying this team is going to explode onto the national scene like a few seasons ago, but this new staff did some major work with this transfer haul. Can Hammond live up to that brilliant season and be a standout in the ACC?
Add us as a preferred source on Google