Will Wade Addresses Jerry Deng’s Next Step at NC State
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RALEIGH — NC State junior forward Jerry Deng will redshirt for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, according to head coach Will Wade. The forward, who joined the Wolfpack from Florida State, averaged 6.1 points and 2.1 rebounds over the course of eight games, struggling to find a spot in the rotation with Wade.
Deng sustained an injury at the start of conference play, not long after scoring a season-high 14 points in the team's Dec. 17 win over Texas Southern. That became his last appearance for the Pack before Wade revealed Deng's decision on Monday.
More on Deng's decision
After not appearing for the Wolfpack for over a month, questions began to arise about Deng's availability. He made his one-game showing on the ACC availability report, but Wade indicated at the time that the injury was not considered to be serious. After making the forward's decision to redshirt official, the coach added some context as to why Deng will be sitting out the rest of the year.
"He's got some off-the-court stuff going. He's got some medical stuff going on," Wade said. "We met with him and his camp and we all felt like that would be the best course of action for him right now. He's got a lot of things he's working through."
Jerry Deng opens up about family, his basketball journey, and what he’s bringing to the Pack.
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) June 26, 2025
Episode 1 of Around Raleigh With Coach Wade is here. pic.twitter.com/ppQ8Yi2wAa
Deng arrived in Raleigh with hopes of being an important part of the team's frontcourt rotation, offering Wade a different skillset than the rest of the forwards and centers. The forward's ability to shoot from 3-point range made him a prime candidate for a larger role off the bench as an offensive specialist. He was never able to capitalize on the minutes he got with consistency, relegating him to a reserve role.
While he had already effectively fallen out of the rotation for NC State, losing Deng represents a hit to the team's depth as it enters the grindiest part of the ACC schedule in February and early March. He showed flashes of being a microwave scorer for the Pack in some games, such as the outing against Texas Southern and a 12-point showing in the season opener against N.C. Central.
Deng's redshirt decision will likely amplify the role of backup center Scottie Ebube, a very different player from Deng, but one who brings an edge to the court that the Wolfpack often needs. NC State will be back in action without Deng officially for the first time on Tuesday, with the Syracuse Orange arriving in Raleigh.
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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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