5 Things That Should Excite NC State Fans About the 2026-27 Season
In this story:
RALEIGH — It's a new era for NC State men's basketball, as the university hired Justin Gainey to be the 22nd head coach in program history. After the bitter exit of Will Wade after just one season, Gainey will try to continue the forward momentum established by the previous regime and keep the Wolfpack on the right track in his first season.
There are far too many unknowns to figure out which players might be retained or how the season will actually go at this point, but there are still aspects of Wolfpack basketball that some fans can get excited about as the 2025-26 season comes to an end.
Gainey's homecoming
Gainey, who played for the Wolfpack from 1996 to 2000, is back with the Wolfpack. At his introductory press conference, there was already a feeling of familial connection for the program, with several notable former players in the room to support the new leader of the Pack. However, there's no one happier about the opportunity to be back than Gainey.
"This is a surreal moment for me. It's like a dream come true that still hasn't fully set in," Gainey said. "I'm just so excited to be here, to be in front of you. It's home. I'm excited to be back home."
Defense will return to Raleigh
In the ill-fated Wade era, many Wolfpack fans became disillusioned with the performance of the team's defense. That won't be a problem under Gainey, who established Tennessee as one of the top defensive programs in the nation over the last five seasons.
Working under head coach Rick Barnes, Gainey had the Volunteers in the top 15 of adjusted defensive efficiency rating in all five seasons as an assistant and the associate head coach.
Winning the state in recruiting
The new head coach of the Wolfpack is well-known in the college basketball coaching rankings as one of the best recruiters out there, having helped Marquette, Santa Clara, Arizona and Tennessee all secure commitments from elite players over his 20 years of experience.
Gainey plans on recruiting his home state of North Carolina aggressively, making the Wolfpack the premier program for players looking to stay within the state. Programs with home-grown talent always garner an even greater level of connection with the fan base, as hometown heroes always get support.
A fresh start
By the end of Wade's tenure in Raleigh, there was some toxicity within the locker room and between the coach and the fan base that grew with each passing day. It's hard to say whether that would've existed in his second season with NC State had it actually happened, but he chose to return to LSU and abandon his post with the Wolfpack.
Gainey might not make the same promises Wade did, but he'll have a love and passion for the Pack that is different than anything from the previous regime. The hope is that Gainey's mindset will help the fan base forget the 2025-26 season quickly.
New faces
The Wolfpack won't have many similar faces, with several seniors outgoing and a portal exodus on the horizon. While Gainey could still retain a few players from the 2025-26 season, and might even want to badly in the case of a player like Paul McNeil, his first roster will be made up of very different faces than the previous one.
That's the nature of the sport in 2026, which is difficult for some fans to process. However, the hurt of the way last season finished could be wiped away by a new group of players built around toughness.
Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
Follow SennettTucker