What the NC State Men's Basketball Roster Looks Like So Far

RALEIGH — The 2026 offseason started chaotically for NC State men's basketball. After a messy exit, a rapid-fire coaching search and a quick assembly of the new support staff for the program, the Wolfpack is quietly putting together a strong team for the immediate future and potentially beyond under first-year coach Justin Gainey.

Following Will Wade's departure after just one season in charge, there was always going to be a fairly significant turnover of the roster. As things stand, just one player is in line to return for the 2026-27 season, but Gainey moved quickly to add some talented new pieces out of the transfer portal, which opened on April 7. So far, five players are on the Pack roster.

A whole new Wolfpack

Since the portal opened, NC State has added four players to its roster, all of whom figure to play massive roles in their first seasons with the Wolfpack. Gainey wanted to build a team filled with high-character, talented and tough basketball players. So far, he's checked many of those boxes with mostly mid-major players. The first domino to fall was Santa Clara guard Christian Hammond, who arrived in Raleigh after finishing First Team All-WCC last year.

Backcourt was an early priority for Gainey, as Hofstra guard and CAA Rookie of the Year Preston Edmead was the second addition, with the rising sophomore poised to be the first point guard of the Wolfpack under the new coach. With those two secured, the focus shifted quickly to assembling a frontcourt to bolster the defense, with Kyle Evans, a UC Irvine forward who led the country in blocked shots, and Eemeli Yalaho, a forward from Washington State, joining the Pack.

Name	Position	Notable Stats/Accolades
Preston Edmead	PG	16.1 PTS, 4.4 AST, 38.7% 3PT, CAA Rookie of the Year
Christian Hammond	SG	15.6 PTS, 3.0 REB, 39.3% 3PT, First Team All-WCC
Kyle Evans	PF/C	12.1 PTS, 8.7 REB, 3.3 BLK, Big West Defensive Player of the Year
Eemeli Yalaho	PF	10.1 PTS, 5.7 REB, 39.8% 3PT
Zymicah Wilkins	PF	Former Four-Star recruit, redshirted

Redshirt freshman Zymicah Wilkins is set to be the lone returner from last season as of now, with Paul McNeil's status still up in the air as he explores his options in the transfer portal while leaving things open with NC State. Wilkins was originally a recruit for Kevin Keatts, the coach Wade replaced after the program moved on from Keatts just one season removed from a miraculous Final Four run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

NC State still has major areas of need, particularly from a depth standpoint, with just five players on the roster so far. Should McNeil opt to return, the starting lineup could be finalized with the four transfers and McNeil. However, there are still plenty of players left in the transfer portal, and Gainey still commands a large portion of his budget, having only signed mid-major players thus far.

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