Looking at NC State's Methodical Transfer Portal Approach

RALEIGH — NC State quickly moved to hire Justin Gainey as the 22nd head coach in program history following the ugly end of the short Will Wade era for the men's basketball program. Since making his return to his alma mater, Gainey worked hard on assembling a well-balanced staff to help him navigate through his first season as a head coach after two decades on other staffs.

The Wolfpack's new head coach arrived in Raleigh with an extreme sense of urgency, knowing the transfer portal was set to open less than a week after his introductory press conference. Since the portal opened on April 7, NC State, like many other programs, has been deliberate about its process in evaluating and signing players. Here are two reasons why.

Letting the market shape

Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey during an NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game between Tennessee and Michigan at the United Center in Chicago on March 29, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The expectation around college basketball is that there will be some massive financial commitments thrown in the direction of players in the transfer portal. With agents controlling what their clients ask for, the numbers only seem to be growing according to estimations from various outlets, including Kevin Sweeney of SI. According to an anonymous poll of various college general managers, Sweeney estimated that an all-conference talent from a high-major league could cost $3 million.

Similar guesses have been made about Gainey's NIL budget. Athletic director Boo Corrigan has repeatedly indicated that NC State is highly competitive in the revenue-sharing system and with its NIL infrastructure, potentially even bolstering the latter around Gainey after the way things ended with Wade.

Even with the enhanced resources to work with, Gainey and his staff aren't throwing everything they have at high-major transfers in hopes that the money will draw them to NC State alone. There's also no reason to rush the market, instead letting players hear their value from another school and returning with an offer that's more realistic for the Wolfpack than what the player hoped for.

Avoiding the same mistakes

Mar 16, 2026; Dayton, OH, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade speaks with the media during a practice session ahead of the first four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Wade spent the last weeks of his tenure bemoaning his own roster construction, leading to some friction between the coach and his first Wolfpack roster. Ultimately, he chose to return to LSU after one up-and-down season in Raleigh with a team he picked out very intentionally in the transfer portal. His first roster was built on two things: second-half production and NCAA Tournament production.

Wade identified high-major players who played well with some of the best programs in the country. However, those players were in the transfer portal for a reason. The hodge-podge he assembled based on those key metrics turned out to be a puzzle he couldn't put together. So far, Gainey seems set on productive players at all levels, including mid and low-majors.

Wade's best portal acquisition, Quadir Copeland, came with him from McNeese State. Gainey might be trying to do something similar, but on a wider scale.