What NC State Fans Should Know About Eemeli Yalaho

RALEIGH — Justin Gainey is still building his first roster as the coach of NC State men's basketball, with a handful of new commits joining the team from the transfer portal over the last two weeks. The latest frontcourt addition checked off a major need for Gainey and his staff, adding some more offensive punch to the rotation.

Former Washington State forward Eemeli Yalaho became the fourth transfer commit for the Pack, coming aboard Thursday. The talented forward brings a skillset centered around quality 3-point shooting, rebounding and below-the-rim offense that will look very similar to a member of the Wolfpack roster from the 2025-26 season. How does Yalaho fit in to Gainey's plans?

Similar to a former member of the Wolfpack?

NEWS: Washington State transfer forward Eemeli Yalaho has committed to NC State, his agent Teddy Archer told @On3.

The 6-8 junior averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game this season. Began his career at Texas Tech.https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/OSHQTuIBVG
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 23, 2026

Before he landed at Washington State, Yalaho spent two seasons with the Texas Tech Red Raiders. During his time in Lubbock, he played behind one of NC State's leading scorers from the 2025-26 season, Darrion Williams. Before Yalaho suffered an upper-body injury during his sophomore season, he looked poised to be the de facto backup for Williams, playing a very similar brand of basketball.

Williams arrived in Raleigh as one of the highest-profile transfers in the country a year ago after an impressive NCAA Tournament run with Texas Tech. His lone season with the Wolfpack saw more disappointment than anything else. Yalaho won't have nearly the same lofty expectations, but could be highly effective in a very different NC State system than the one Williams played in, because of the coaching change.

eemeli yalaho — Feb 10, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars forward Eemeli Yalaho (2) shoots the ball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Tyon Grant-Foster (7) in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Yalaho stands 6-foot-8, whereas Williams played the four for the Wolfpack at 6-foot-6, significantly hindering the team's ability to deal with larger opposition. Yalaho should be more conditioned to play the four under Gainey, having averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Cougars last year. The similarities between the two are mostly on the offensive end of the floor.

Both forwards were talented, but streaky 3-point shooters. Yalaho finished the year shooting 39.8% from 3-point range, while Williams knocked down 40.4% of his triples, but also attempted almost 70 more shots from beyond the arc than his former teammate did.

Yalaho's Wolfpack role

Based on the lack of additions to the roster thus far, it's unclear exactly what the plan for Yalaho is, but he could potentially slot into the starting frontcourt next to Kyle Evans, the nation's leading shot blocker, who transferred into NC State from UC Irvine. Placing a forward who can stretch the floor next to a big man more inclined to operate in the dunker spot could be the vision Gainey has for his first Wolfpack core.

NC State is making a serious effort to add 3-point shooting to its rotation, as Yalaho became the third transfer to shoot over 38% from distance of the four additions thus far. While the 2025-26 offense was overly dependent on 3-point success, the transfers coming in this year have different elements of their games that are more prominent, with the strength from distance being more of a bonus.

Yalaho showed some talent as a distributor on the low block and does offer slightly more athleticism than Williams did, particularly off the dribble and in transition. That athletic ability will help as NC State tries to improve its rebounding numbers in a completely new scheme. Operating in the post won't be a problem in certain matchups for Yalaho, but bigger opponents could pose more of a challenge.

NC State is getting a skilled offensive player from the Cougars. Questions remain about his defensive prowess, but given Gainey's background as a defensive coach, there is likely more potential in the forward's game on that end than some might expect.

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