NC State Secures First Transfer in the Justin Gainey Era

RALEIGH — Justin Gainey secured his first major victory in the transfer portal process as he battles to put his first roster together at NC State after taking over the program officially on April 1.

The Wolfpack secured Santa Clara combo guard Christian Hammond out of the portal on Monday, the guard announced on Instagram, making him the first new member of the roster. It's a major win for Gainey, who secures a player ranked in the top 60 transfer prospects according to most services ranking the portal. It's a foundational addition for the Pack to build on in the coming days.

How Hammond ended up in Raleigh

When he entered the transfer portal, Hammond instantly became a target for the Wolfpack for several reasons. One of Gainey's mentors is Herb Sendek, a former NC State coach whom Gainey played for and coached under at Santa Clara as his coaching career was getting started. There's no doubt Hammond got rave reviews from someone Gainey has leaned on in the past for wisdom.

From a basketball perspective, NC State needed to add production quickly to make up for so many outgoing players. Hammond offered the Broncos value as a scorer and distributor, as he averaged 15.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in his redshirt sophomore season, earning First-Team All-WCC honors in his first season with real playing time. Those numbers appealed to NC State.

While Gainey doesn't appear to be taking the same huge swings on Power Conference players with NCAA Tournament experience that Wade took in his only season with the program, there's a clear method to his madness. The Wolfpack appears to be targeting high-upside players who showed high-level ability on both ends of the court last season, no matter the level of competition.

The WCC isn't the ACC from a talent standpoint, but Hammond has the look of a player ready for the challenge. He went toe-to-toe with Gonzaga, a program consistently ranked in the top 15 every season and scored 24 points against the Bulldogs in the WCC Tournament final. Those numbers should mean he's ready for a jump in competition level, which Gainey will provide him with right away.

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

After losing several players to the transfer portal, adding Hammond marks a key victory for Gainey in quieting some of the concerns from the fan base. While he wasn't ranked in the top 20 transfer prospects, Hammond is a very capable player who should be a nice addition for the Wolfpack. As many saw under Wade, playing for better schools doesn't always mean the player will fit, so adding more mid-major players could be the go-to strategy for Gainey's first roster in Raleigh.