Looking at the Start to the Season for Paul McNeil
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RALEIGH — When Will Wade arrived to take over the NC State program, the expectation was that he'd completely remake the roster with incoming freshmen and transfers, moving away from the pieces Kevin Keatts utilized during the disappointing 2024-25 season. Wade and his staff decided to bring back one key player: shooting guard Paul McNeil, now a sophomore.
The North Carolina native never got major opportunities under Keatts, but showed flashes of being an elite scorer at the collegiate level after lighting up the high school ranks in Rockingham, North Carolina. So far, it's looking to be the right move for Wade and the Wolfpack, as McNeil has been one of the hardest-working players on the team according to the first-year coach.
McNeil's start to his sophomore season
McNeil prides himself on consistency, something his new coach admires greatly. While his season started hot, scoring 61 points in the first three games of the year for the Wolfpack, he tallied just 19 points in the next three games. However, his methodical approach and dedication to his craft never wavered, so the staff's confidence in him never did either.
Even after the sophomore shot 26.9% from the field during a four-game stretch and was pulled from the starting five in one game, Wade remained confident in his sophomore sharpshooter. That trust was rewarded when McNeil exploded during the final two games of the non-conference slate and etched his name in the Wolfpack history books.
Caught up on Paul McNeil’s 47 point shooting clinic vs Texas Southern.
— NBA Draft Dude 🤙 (@CoreyTulaba) December 19, 2025
Knocked down 11/17 3PT and 12/12 FTs. Used just ONE dribble on his 12 made FGs.
Up to 40% on 7+ 3PTA and 87% from the FT line on the year. pic.twitter.com/XS65usIv4Q
Against Texas Southern, McNeil nailed 11 shots from 3-point range, the most in program history for a single game. He finished the night with 47 points, a monumental performance. While he could've slipped from a performance standpoint in the next game against Ole Miss, the sophomore kept things rolling. He scored 19 points, going 6-for-12 from downtown. Those efforts earned him ACC Player of the Week honors just before the Wolfpack broke apart for the Christmas holiday.
McNeil has earned the trust of his teammates as well, as point guard Quadir Copeland loves nothing more than seeing his elite shooting guard knock down triples at an unprecedented clip as he did against TSU. After shooting just 35.6% from 3-point range in limited action as a freshman, McNeil is shooting 42.3% from beyond the arc while attempting over seven threes per game.
After averaging 14.5 points and 4.5 rebounds through the 13-game start, it's clear McNeil's ceiling is even higher, given his shooting prowess. Look for Wade to keep feeding the flamethrower on nights when it's working and even when it's not as consistent as he and McNeil himself hope it is, the Wolfpack won't be afraid to go back to him.
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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.
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