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Paul McNeil Leads NC State Past Wake Forest

The Wolfpack's shooting guard unleashed a salvo from 3-point range on the Demon Deacons.
Tucker Sennett|
Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Jr. Paul McNeil (2) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Jr. Paul McNeil (2) dribbles the ball during the first half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — In the first matchup with Wake Forest, NC State sophomore guard Paul McNeil made just two shots from beyond the 3-point arc, scoring 13 points. A trip to Winston-Salem on Saturday ended with a very different and far more impressive showing from the Wolfpack's red-hot sharpshooter, as the Pack walked away with a 96-78 win over the Demon Deacons.

McNeil led the way in the scoring column, racking up 28 points in the victory for a new high against an ACC opponent. It marked the second-best scoring performance of the Rockingham native's collegiate career, as his 47-point explosion against Texas Southern remained out of reach even in such a dominant game for McNeil.

Watch McNeil's Postgame Availability

How McNeil got things going

McNeil and Darrion Williams benefited greatly from Wake Forest's defensive strategy. The Demon Deacons like to sag off in defensive coverage and guard 2-point shots as much as possible, opening up plenty of room for the Wolfpack shooters to fire away. With Quadir Copeland routinely collapsing the defense by driving into traffic, McNeil often caught the ball with loads of space.

"We put the work in for it. Work is going to show, work is going to pay off and it doesn't matter what the defense got for us," McNeil said. "However the game is going is however the game is going, but we're just going to trust our work and you see the results."

The sophomore guard proved himself to be an absolute weapon for NC State away from the Lenovo Center in conference play. In the Wolfpack's five road games in the ACC schedule so far, McNeil averaged 16 points, shooting a blistering 52.5% from 3-point range in those five victories. He credited that success to the offseason work the team put in.

"Just being in the summer, waking up at 5:30 to be out there for two or three hours maybe," McNeil started. "Putting in hard work over the summer really built us for this. It's really no surprise for us."

McNeil's clutch shooting and 14 second-half points helped the Wolfpack move to 7-2 in conference play. When the sophomore guard plays at a high level and the other key members of the team contribute positively, NC State can compete with anyone in the conference, likely except for Duke. The Pack reached a new level of confidence with another road win. For McNeil and the team, it's about staying under control and riding the momentum up the standings.

"Our confidence is definitely high," McNeil said. "We've got to just trust our teammates to shoot the ball and make the shots."

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

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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