NC State Eyeing Two Centers to Solve Frontcourt Issues
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RALEIGH — NC State is having a fairly slow start to transfer portal season. First-year head coach Justin Gainey added Christian Hammond, a combo guard from Santa Clara, to the mix, while nearly all of the potential returners opted for the portal themselves, leaving the cupboard totally bare for the Wolfpack heading into the 2026-27 season.
With an arms race for frontcourt talent going on across the nation, the Pack still finds itself in need of some big men for the future if it wants to compete in the ACC, while also quieting some of the concern of only adding Hammond so far. Gainey and NC State appear to be honing in on a pair of centers who could offer answers to some of the frontcourt problems the program currently faces.
Anton Bonke visiting NC State?
A 7-foot-2 center would go a long way in improving the size of the roster from a season ago, when Ven-Allen Lubin, the starting five for the Wolfpack, stood just 6-foot-9 playing for former head coach Will Wade. While Lubin was a tremendous competitor and produced impressive numbers, the size issues were prominent all season long for the Pack. Anton Bonke, a center from Charlotte, could improve that issue massively.
According to several reports, Bonke has NC State on his list and will visit the program over the weekend. Bonke appears to be at the top of the list of options after the Wolfpack missed out on the recruitment of former Tennessee guard Bishop Boswell, signaling a pivot to solving the frontcourt before finalizing a backcourt partner for Hammond.
Bonke averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, all while shooting 57.6% from the field during the 2025-26 season. The ACC saw several teams improve massively by deploying traditional lineups with a power forward and center rather than playing the new wave of positionless basketball. Gainey wants to build the Pack around toughness, which starts down low and works its way out. A shot-blocker like Bonke helps a lot in the goal.
Thinking outside the box
Franck Kepnang | C | Washington
— Lion Trees (@LionTrees_) April 16, 2026
6-11, 253. Cameroon native. Top-100 recruit (2020 class).
Stats: 25 starts last season. 2.1 BPG (2nd in Big Ten). Career: 1.6 BPG, 1.7 ORPG in 17.3 MPG. 2nd in Big Ten Block% (9.9), 4th in OR% (13.0).
Early interest: Michigan State, Oklahoma,… pic.twitter.com/fSPzQ4hw9F
Franck Kepnang, a native of Cameroon, has been around college basketball for quite a while. The former top recruit from the class of 2020 was hampered by injuries throughout the early part of his career across stops at Oregon and Washington. He is pursuing a seventh year of eligibility after finally playing more than 20 games in the 2025-26 season for the Huskies.
The 6-foot-11 center averaged 6.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game last year. He would immediately offer NC State a defensive anchor down low with heaps of experience, although there are obvious concerns about his age and durability after seven years of college basketball already. Early reports indicate the Wolfpack won't be alone in a potential pursuit of the veteran center. Still, Kepnang would be a massive addition for Gainey.
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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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