How Florida Could Benefit from Will Wade's Ugly Departure from NC State to LSU

The LSU Tigers hired Will Wade this week to replace former head coach Matt McMahon, who struggled to find his footing in the SEC. Wade left the NC State Wolfpack after spending only one year with the program.

Wade’s ugly departure from NC State, though, can be beneficial for the Florida Gators and head coach Todd Golden, with two players to target for next year’s roster.

Paul McNeil Jr.

In today’s college basketball, whenever there is a coaching change, there are usually portal entrants. No program is safe from it.

With that said, if there is anyone the Gators should look to add from the Wolfpack, should the player enter his name into the transfer portal, it is sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr. He is a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard, who shot 43.3 percent from the field but a staggering 42.7 percent from deep.

It is not fool's gold either; McNeil Jr. is a volume shooter from behind the arc, which is something the Gators severely lacked this past season. 77.1 percent of his shots came from three, attempting 246 3-pointers across 34 games.

The lethal shooter did it in a variety of ways, too. On occasion, he was forced into isolation, requiring him to knock down a triple in heavy contests. Then, on other plays, his teammates found him out on the perimeter for catch-and-shoot opportunities.

One major obstacle along this path is that McNeil Jr. hails from Rockingham, N.C. The drive from there to Raleigh is roughly two hours, meaning it might as well be home for the sophomore.

Cole Cloer

Cole Cloer has yet to play a game for NC State, as he is a 2026 recruit who has signed his national letter of intent with the school. He signed with the Wolfpack back on November 19, 2025. With Wade leaving, though, it may cause him to rethink his decision.

If he decides to reopen his recruitment, the Gators could be a team to watch based on how it originally played out. Florida finished as one of his final schools the first time around, giving the 6-foot-7, 190-pound forward lots to think about.

Cloer averaged 20.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game over 81 games played in three years with Greensboro (N.C.) Caldwell Academy. Additionally, he shot 40 percent from three during that span, connecting on 194 3-pointers in total.

He is a North Carolina native, but moved to IMG Academy for his senior year. With that being the case, he could be easily persuaded into staying in the Sunshine State to play his college ball.