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NC State Prepares For Back-To-Back Five-Star Visits

NC State has a chance to immediately put themselves in contention to be a top team for years to come.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade during the first half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade during the first half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

Since coming to NC State, head coach Will Wade has been a man on a mission. He immediately put some respect on the Wolfpack's name by bringing in Cole Cloer, a top recruit whom the team never had a chance at getting before Wade came into the picture.

Now, both Dylan Mingo and Deron Rippey Jr. are set to go on official visits. Mingo's visit will be the weekend of October 1, while Rippey's is the week to follow. In a one-week span, NC State could immediately position itself as a top team in the country.

Mingo and Rippey's Upcoming Visits

While Mingo and Rippey are both tremendous players, Mingo has the slight edge. He's currently the No. 1 point guard in the Class of 2026, and his visit with the Wolfpack couldn't be more important. Wade knows just how much this could mean to the program, but it's more than about Mingo coming to town after Halloween.

Wade and company will get to go through the motions with Mingo, and then can use his visit as leverage with Rippey. While they aren't visiting at the same time, nor should they, Wade has a chance to win over the two top guards in the entire Class of 2026.

Should Mingo's visit go well, it'll be much easier for them to win over Rippey Jr. The Blair Academy High Schooler came off a stellar visit with Duke, and there's a very real possibility these two players could see each other as competition and not want to play for the same school.

If that's the case, Wade truly has his work cut out for him. In the process, he could manage to indirectly push both of the five-star players away, so the way he handles these visits will go an extremely long way.

Rivals' Joe Tipton Speaks On Will Wade

"Will Wade has to be one of the more intimidating and feared head coaches on the recruiting trail right now," Tipton said. "I mean this dude gets the job and nobody's talking about Cole Cloer. It was Alabama, Florida, and UConn. Those were the only three schools you were hearing from."

Tipton continued, "He comes into the mix, obviously he's a hometown kid, he's from North Carolina, and then we just talked about the two top point guards in the country, and we've got Will Wade in the mix for both of them."

NC State's season tips off on November 3 as they take on North Carolina Central. The Wolfpack have four straight home games before taking on Seton Hall as part of the Southwest Maui Invitational.

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.