Skip to main content
All Wolfpack

Gainey Hosts Five-Star Recruit For Unofficial Visit at NC State

The Wolfpack's new head coach is making inroads with a top high school prospect.
Tucker Sennett|
NC State men's basketball coach Justin Gainey speaks during his introductory press conference on April 1, 2026.
NC State men's basketball coach Justin Gainey speaks during his introductory press conference on April 1, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

In this story:

North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — NC State men's basketball is in the midst of a transitional period after a surprising coaching change during the 2026 offseason. With Justin Gainey, a former player and alumnus, now at the helm of the program, the Wolfpack is shifting directions. Part of that shift has been assembling a new roster not just for the 2026-27 season, but for the future as well through recruiting.

Gainey and his staff welcomed a high-profile recruit, CJ Rosser, to campus earlier in the week for an unofficial visit, according to multiple reports. Rosser is a consensus top-10 recruit in the 2027 class, so he wouldn't be an immediate add for the Wolfpack, but it's a major step in the right direction as Gainey gets his recruiting approach down for his new program in its early days.

What Rosser's visit means for the Wolfpack

When Gainey was hired, he explained what he wanted his approach to high school recruiting to be. During his introductory press conference, the new coach of the Pack expressed his desire to focus on recruiting North Carolina before anywhere else, keeping the best talent in the state by bringing it to Raleigh, where he could develop that talent into key parts of the Wolfpack family.

"Everywhere I've been, I've recruited North Carolina and I feel like I've done it at a high level," Gainey said. "I'm ready to take that to another level. I always thought if I were in-state, man, I could really make some noise. I thought I did a pretty good job pulling some talent, but we're going to recruit this state hard and heavy... We want to be dominant in the state of North Carolina."

Rosser attends Southeastern Prep in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, just down the road from NC State. He was on the radar of the Wolfpack's last two coaching staffs, led by Kevin Keatts and later Will Wade, before his sudden exit and return to LSU. Now, Gainey and Co. are interested in the very talented 6-foot-9 forward as a potential freshman cornerstone of the future for the 2027-28 roster.

The forward is being targeted by the other major players in North Carolina, primarily Wake Forest and UNC. Other ACC programs are interested, but Gainey has a strong reputation as a recruiter in his home state and the Wolfpack's home state. Combining those two things could help NC State get a leg up in what will surely be a hotly contested recruiting battle for a potentially program-altering prospect.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

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.

Share on XFollow SennettTucker