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Khamil Pierre Opens Up on Leaving Vanderbilt for NC State

After failing to find her footing at Vanderbilt, HC Wes Moore knew Khamil Pierre could be the piece NC State is missing.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Feb 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Khamil Pierre (12) drives to the basket during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Feb 6, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Khamil Pierre (12) drives to the basket during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

While it was a wild rollercoaster to get to this point, Khamil Pierre can finally call NC State home. The 6'2'' forward out of Phoenix, AZ, was recruited by the Wolfpack coming out of high school, but NC State never offered, so she elected to commit to Vanderbilt.

Vanderbilt forward Khamil Pierre (12) steals the ball away from Lipscomb guard Molly Heard (3) as Iyana Moore, left, defends during an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In her two seasons with the Commodores, she started 43 of 65 games and averaged 14.6 points per game. Last year, Pierre's average sat at 20.4 points, a huge increase from the 8.9 points she averaged as a freshman.

Now, Pierre has a chance to continue to excel. With things not working out at Vanderbilt, she had to endure a grueling transfer process to be eligible to play for NC State. In an exclusive interview with Noah Fleischman of The Wolfpacker, she called NC State her "dream school."

Pierre On What Makes NC State So Special

"It was my dream school when I started playing basketball,” Pierre said. “They’re a winning program. They get players to the league, which is my goal. I had liked Coach Wes back then, and even now.”

Mar 6, 2025; Greenville, SC, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores forward Khamil Pierre (12) celebrates a three against the Tennessee Lady Vols during the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Pierre opened up about her mental struggles at Vanderbilt, especially with her departure being 68 days after the transfer portal window closed. Knowing that, it made her journey to NC State that much more challenging.

To avoid having to redshirt in the 2025-26 season, Pierre had to apply to colleges as a regular transfer student. She took her chances walking on for NC State, Michigan State, North Carolina, among others. In the end, everything worked out with Moore and the Wolfpack.

"I noticed that they had great guards. Zoe [Brooks] and Zam [Jones] are two really high-level players," Pierre spoke highly about the Wolfpack. "I felt like that was intriguing to me to be able to play with a lot more pieces."

She added, "Them having success in the past. Obviously, they lost some people to the league and eligibility, but I felt like they had a solid team with good pieces from top to bottom.”

Thankfully for Pierre, the transferring process turned out to be easier than she could've imagined. It only took two weeks from her departure from Vanderbilt to when she announced her commitment to the Wolfpack.

In the blink of an eye, Pierre will now be starting the program. Her 20.4 points per game average last season is more than any of the other four starters, with Brooks leading the way at 14.2. Moore has a solid foundation with Brooks, Jones, Pierre, Tilda Trygger, and the No. 65 recruit Destiny Lunan.

Vanderbilt forward Khamil Pierre (12) moves the ball around Mississippi State guard Debreasha Powe (21) during an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz serves as the Eastern United States College Recruiting beat writer On SI. Jordon is an accomplished writer covering the NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He has contributed to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.