NC State Misses on Boswell: Where Wolfpack Turns Now

RALEIGH — NC State actively pursued former Tennessee combo guard Bishop Boswell in the transfer portal over the last week, even hosting him for a visit over the weekend. Ultimately, Boswell chose not to join his former assistant coach from the Volunteers in Justin Gainey, instead committing to Maryland on Wednesday and declining the Pack after his visit.

Now, the Wolfpack is in a bit of a pickle as it continues to build out its roster under Gainey ahead of his first season at the helm. With Christian Hammond solidified as one member of the 2026-27 backcourt, NC State needs to kick things into gear in the transfer portal and bring in some proven players to make up for the loss of a four-star transfer prospect like Boswell.

Does the approach change?

NC State men's basketball coach Justin Gainey speaks during his introductory press conference on April 1, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

Boswell was always going to be an interesting fit for NC State for a variety of reasons. Gainey seems intrigued by the idea of having a traditional point guard and creator on the roster to play alongside Hammond and any other players the Pack chooses to bring in for the wing positions and frontcourt. Boswell never really played as a true point guard for Tennessee, so the Pack would've been banking on some major strides from the Charlotte native during his junior season.

There was also a financial element that made adding Boswell complicated. Reports of the guard's asking price varied, but it might've been more than NC State was willing to offer for a player who scored under 10 points per game for a team with Gainey on staff. Maryland went higher than the Wolfpack did and ultimately secured Boswell. While it's not necessarily an indictment of NC State's budget for the portal, it is slightly concerning.

30 of the top 50 players according to the 247Sports transfer portal rankings are off the board as of Wednesday evening, narrowing the options for NC State to secure a true game changer with Power Conference experience. So far, the biggest fish Gainey and his staff pursued was former Wake Forest guard Juke Harris, another player with a fairly significant asking price according to reports.

Digging around with mid-major level players could be the strategy NC State needs to utilize, while also prioritizing resources to keep Paul McNeil, who still hasn't made a decision yet. It's not unprecedented for a team to make a quick turnaround by bringing in largely unknown transfers from the mid-major level. Look at Virginia in its first season under Ryan Odom.

Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Jr. Paul McNeil (2) pressured by Virginia Cavaliers guard Jacari White (6) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

NC State learned its lesson after bringing in almost all high-major transfers under Will Wade. The puzzle pieces never came together and the best player on the roster turned out to be Quadir Copeland, a former high-major player who needed a year at McNeese State to unlock more of his potential.

While missing out on Boswell and other high-profile transfers might sting in the short-term, the Wolfpack isn't swinging aggressively to fill out its roster just one week into transfer portal season. There's also likely to be another wave of entries coming once the first few rosters get finalized, so more options could be on the way for Gainey and his staff. The key will be avoiding any panic.

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