Wade Addresses the Future of the Wolfpack Roster
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RALEIGH — College basketball underwent extreme changes with the implementation of the transfer portal and NIL system. It changed the fabric of the roster construction process, making many mid-major players more inclined to jump to the Power Conferences after strong years, while also making the ability to put a team together easier for coaches because of player movement.
The primary difference is the issue of retaining players, a process already made difficult by the NBA's one-and-done rule for the draft. Will Wade and NC State got a late start in building the roster for the 2025-26 season, but the process of retaining and evaluating players for the 2026-27 campaign is already underway.
Wade's thoughts on the future of the Wolfpack
In the past, the goal for Wade and many other coaches was to retain at least a third of the roster. The ease of the transfer portal changed that goal. The Wolfpack also rostered several players at the end of their eligibility process, most notably Darrion Williams and Quadir Copeland. That changed the math for NC State when thinking about the coming season.
"You want to keep as many as you can that are good players, that fit what you do. You don't want to let the good ones run out," Wade said on the "Wolfpack Weekly" radio show. "But, at the same time, you have a budget... You can't overpay for some guys. I suspect we'll keep a couple of guys. It won't be a third of the roster, I don't think."
The primary candidates for retention are likely freshman forward Musa Sagnia, freshman guard Matt Able, sophomore guard Paul McNeil and redshirt junior Terrance Arceneaux. Able and McNeil are names that have shown up on NBA draft boards already, but as second-rounders. They would have a chance to blossom into serious stars if they decided to stick around. For Wade and NC State, this year was a trial run of sorts.
"We have a very clear vision of what we need to do moving forward," Wade said. "We know what fits and what we need to do, but a lot of it is just timing... You've got a lot of different factors that you need to balance. We did a solid job this year, but we were scrambling a little bit... We have much more time this time around... Our hit rate will go way up."
Wade and general manager Andrew Slater already added a pair of recruits to the fray for the coming year in Cole Cloer and Trevon Carter-Givens. As the coach indicated, there will be far more time and ample opportunity to attack the transfer portal after the NCAA Tournament this year.
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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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