NC State Narrowly Misses Five-Star SF but Recruiting Stays Hot

While Will Wade has been off to a stellar start, he fell short in NC State's pursuit of this five-star small forward. 6'8'' 205-pound Alex Constanza chose Georgetown instead of the Wolfpack.

For what it's worth, No. 27-ranked Cole Cloer is a stellar SF in NC State's Class of 2026. That's not to say that the addition of Constanza wasn't welcome, but that may have been one of the main things to swing him in a different direction.

Cloer is set to be an instant difference maker upon his arrival at NC State. For Constanza, he decided to head to the Big East and play for the legendary Ed Cooley.

Georgetown Adds A Top 10 SF

NEWS: 2026 Top-20 overall recruit Alex Constanza has committed to Georgetown, he told @Rivals.

The 6-foot-8 small forward becomes Georgetown’s highest-ranked recruit in nearly two decades — and the program’s second-highest-rated prospect of the modern recruiting era.… pic.twitter.com/qgaPp8Jx9c
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) November 1, 2025

Constanza, the No. 2 player in Ohio, chose Georgetown over the likes of Alabama, USC, Kansas, Syracuse, among others. NC State was a bit late to the party, though they did host Constanza for an official vist on October 3.

By that point, Constanza had already been in constant communication with the Hoyas. He first visited with them on June 26, nearly four months before the Wolfpack ever had a chance to bring the big man to town.

Kansas made a last-second attempt to land Constanza, but not even Bill Self and the Jayhawks could overtake Cooley and company. Georgetown was far from the first team interested in Constanza, but their offer back on July 31, 2024, meant much more than any of these teams' first throwing their name in the mix in 2025.

Constanza's Commitment Forces NC State To Look Elsewhere

Alabama’s Nate Oats, USC, and NC State will be in today for five-star senior Alex Constanza, a source told @Stockrisers.

Plenty of schools have been entering the mix as well, including: Cincinnati, Kansas, Michigan, Dayton.

Georgetown, Illinois, also remain in the mix.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) September 4, 2025

Up to this point, Wade seemingly hadn't missed. He was constantly bringing recruits to town as his Class of 2026 is one of the highest-rated. Now that he has a pair of five-star players coming to town, NC State fans know they'll be alright.

Constanza's presence would've been a key depth piece, but their focus has shifted. Deron Rippey Jr. and Dylan Mingo are coming to town, the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked point guards in the Class of '26. If Wade has his way, at least one of them will be joining the Wolfpack.

While NC State fans would love to bring both to town, the addition of one would set their recruiting class apart from the rest. Wade has made a lasting impact on the Wolfpack in his short tenure as head coach, but he won't often be losing battles like this one for Constanza.

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