McNeil Stays Hot During Wolfpack's Win Over Ole Miss

GREENSBORO, N.C. — The last time he walked onto a basketball court in uniform, NC State sophomore guard Paul McNeil buried 11 shots from behind the 3-point line. While that performance from Wednesday wasn't replicable, the sharpshooter found himself in a groove for the second time of the week in Sunday's 76-62 win over Ole Miss.

McNeil wrapped up non-conference play with a 19-point outing against the Rebels in a building where he hit a 3-point shot at the buzzer for the Wolfpack's first, albeit unofficial, win of the Will Wade era back in late October. What makes McNeil tick? Consistency.

Bombs away

Dec 3, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Jr. Paul McNeil (2) dunks during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

The sophomore missed his first three attempts of the game from deep and appeared to be cooled off from his historic shooting night against Texas Southern. In earlier outings, McNeil went away from his shot and even finished scoreless in the Wolfpack's win over VCU with four misses from 3-point range. He didn't let the lack of success get to him in Greensboro. There were some good feelings in that gym, after all.

"It definitely gave me some confidence coming back in here because I know these rims," McNeil said. "A lot of rims are different and I was comfortable and I think we were comfortable, so it was just a plus for us."

SIX. STRAIGHT. THREES.

Pack +19 pic.twitter.com/9BweTbx0OD
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 21, 2025

The first three triples from the sophomore helped NC State extend a streak of six-straight made 3-pointers, which ballooned the lead from seven to 19 in a fairly quick span. He added one more before the end of the first half and ultimately ended the game shooting 6-for-12 from beyond the arc with 19 points. That led the Pack, making it his second-straight game as the pace-car for the offense.

"He started off 0-for-3 and then he was able to reset himself, which was really good," Wade said of his shooting guard. "Very proud of him... I think he had six (threes) against UNC Greensboro and he came back and had zero against VCU... We've made a big point of staying consistent... In routine... Very pleased with him."

Quadir Copeland and Paul McNei — Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) consoles guard Jr. Paul McNeil (2) during the second half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In addition to remaining consistent in his routine, something McNeil agreed was important after he hit the 11 threes earlier in the week, he has the support of the other guards on the roster, including Quadir Copeland. When Copeland is distributing the ball effectively, McNeil is at his best, as the former collapses the defense with such effectiveness and sprays the ball out to shooters.

"I don't know if you see me on the court, I'm yelling at them 'Shoot the ball...' I feel like that's what the guys try to do, just try to make the game way easier for me," Copeland said.

For McNeil, it all boils down to that consistency and a unique mindset. Wade already praised his dedication to his craft, pointing out that the guard often stays late after practice honing in his jumper before unleashing it on the next opponent.

"Keeping my focus and keeping the main thing the main thing," McNeil said. "Basketball is the main thing."

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