How Alyn Breed Carved Out a Role at NC State

RALEIGH — Alyn Breed's college basketball journey is a unique one. He began as a three-star recruit trying to carve out a role for himself at Providence before landing at McNeese State with coach Will Wade. He suffered a gruesome knee injury after averaging 17.5 points in two games for the Cowboys.

When Wade accepted the job to become the coach for NC State, he was expected to bring along some of his players for the McNeese program that had just won a tournament game for the first time in program history. He chose to bring Quadir Copeland and Breed to Raleigh, despite Breed playing just two games for him. So far, it's proven to be a wise decision.

How Breed helps the Wolfpack

Dec 3, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Alyn Breed (7) blocks Auburn Tigers forward Keshawn Murphy (3) during the first half at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

NC State has no shortage of depth at guard. That has been the strength throughout the first 13 games of the season in the non-conference portion of the schedule. Breed didn't appear to be a major part of the Wolfpack's rotation in the first few games, as he still looked to be adjusting to the pace of the game after missing so much time. However, things changed quickly as he got more playing time.

The Wolfpack has numerous different-looking guards. The tall, lanky and athletic Quadir Copeland plays fast and furious. Matt Able, a freshman, loves to fire away from 3-point range first and foremost. Tre Holloman is an undersized, more traditional point guard who suddenly has a serious shooting stroke. Breed is an outlier. His deliberate pace helped him break into the rotation as Wade tinkered during the early part of the season.

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Alyn Breed (7) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The McNeese transfer got his first significant opportunity against UNC Greensboro, a dominant win over the Wolfpack. Holloman was ejected for being in the middle of a scuffle in front of the UNCG bench early in the game, forcing Wade to give Breed extended minutes for the first time all season. He earned the confidence of his coach and his teammates, including star forward Darrion Williams.

"He came in... controlled the game, got our rhythm together, and it felt like we played together for a little while," Williams said. "Still got a few things we can fix, but I think him just being aggressive and him just being himself, that's all we asked of him. He came in, just did a great job controlling the game."

Wade decided, fairly surprisingly, to insert Breed into the starting five in place of Holloman in the final two games of the non-conference slate. Before becoming a starter, Breed played 24 minutes against Kansas, bringing a defensive edge that the Wolfpack needed in that overtime loss. His ability to play without needing the ball in his hands makes him a promising member of the Pack moving forward.

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