Wade Outlines Roster Construction Plan, Transfer Profiles for 2026-27
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DAYTON, Ohio — Throughout his first season as the head coach of the NC State men's basketball program, Will Wade not-so-subtly hinted that he became very disillusioned with the roster he and his staff put together for the first go-around in Raleigh. That feeling proved correct and boiled over during the Wolfpack's 68-66 loss to Texas in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament.
Wade quickly turned the page after the loss, only speaking to his team for a short period of time in the locker room before meeting with media members in the hallway in UD Arena. Just a day before the loss, the coach seemed at peace with where his team was and poised for a run through March. It never got the chance, but it cleared the way for Wade's true vision for the program.
Toughness and grit are coming to Raleigh
Rather than dwell on what went wrong in this game, Wade realized the Longhorns helped produce a microcosm of the 2025-26 season for the Wolfpack. NC State had moments of brilliance and high-intensity, followed by lulls in execution and attention to detail. Those lulls were so frustrating for Wade that he promised wholesale changes were coming.
"We've got changes we've got to make up and down the program," he said. "My eyes are wide-open. I understand what we need to do. This is unacceptable, losing in Dayton. In some ways, we were lucky to make the tournament with this group, but we have to do a much better job getting guys and making sure we get guys that fit us in the future and making sure we're not back in this spot."
Wade isn't the easiest coach to play for. He expects rigorous attention to detail and a ruthless dedication to the game. Because of his late arrival in Raleigh following the 2025 NCAA Tournament, he and his staff focused on getting proven players in big moments, a strategy that didn't allow the coach to fully assess the character of some of his new additions. That won't be the case in year two.
"Some guys are good players, but you've got to get good players that fit you," Wade said. "That's the biggest point. We've got to have guys that fit me and guys that I feel comfortable with and that's what we're going to try to do moving forward here."
Three players helped Wade figure out his blueprint for an ideal roster in the 2026-27 season. Two of three were unfortunately transfers who played their lone season with the Wolfpack, while the other should be back for another campaign under Wade following a strong sophomore year.
"I thought (Ven-Allen Lubin), (Quadir) Copeland and Paul (McNeil), I thought those guys gave us a lot," Wade said. "They were about the team, for the most part, all year. They did as good a job as we could've asked. I'd love to have a whole roster of guys like those three."
Ideal players moving forward
While Copeland, McNeil and Lubin helped lay a foundation for the future of the program, they also gave Wade exactly the kind of player he wants moving forward. He'll use his experience with those three, while hopefully bringing back McNeil, to build the team for next season.
"We need tough, gritty guys that when things get tough, they rise to the occasion," the coach said. "We've got profiles at each position that we need and we're going to hit on them."
Wade also added how important improving frontcourt depth will be in the coming year. The Wolfpack struggled to play with physicality for huge portions of the season, so adding the toughness and grit, alongside true big men, should define the transfer portal strategy for NC State as the offseason begins Wednesday.
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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