Who Will Start for NC State in 2025-26?
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RALEIGH — College basketball season has arrived and programs across the country have begun playing exhibitions and secret scrimmages over the last week. NC State men's basketball is set for its first season under head coach Will Wade with a brand new group of players.
While there's been significant excitement within the Wolfpack fan base, there's still some uncertainty about what things will look like when Wade's squad takes the floor for the first time against NC Central.
Projecting NC State's Starting Five
G - Tre Holloman (9.1 PPG, 3.7 APG, 1.9 RPG at Michigan State)
G - Terrance Arceneaux (6.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 0.9 SPG at Houston)
G - Paul McNeil (4.2 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 35.6 3P%)
F - Darrion Williams (15.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.3 SPG at Texas Tech)
F - Ven-Allen Lubin (8.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.9 BPG, 68.4% FG at UNC)
NC State will likely roll with a smaller lineup to start the season. Williams, Holloman and Lubin seem to be sure-fire starters for the Wolfpack, leaving guesswork for the other two spots. The Wolfpack's strength is perimeter depth, as Wade's squad is full of talented guards and wings for the coach to choose from.
It would make more sense to lean on experience early in the season and Wade was confident in Arceneaux's abilities when describing the guard at ACC Tipoff. The Houston transfer was a member of the Cougars' rotation for most of the season before being moved down around the same time Houston traveled to Tempe to face Arizona State.
McNeil is the most interchangeable out of that group. He has impressed throughout the offseason, with his shooting being a routine talking point for Wade, but he might be more valuable coming off the bench. McNeil, Williams and freshman guard Matt Able will be Wade's best shooting options, so it makes sense for two of the three to be in the starting five.
Holloman and McNeese transfer Quadir Copeland should split duties as the team's true point guard, but don't rule out the duo playing together in spurts. Both bring very different styles, with Holloman acting as a more traditional point guard, while Copeland plays fast and thrives in chaos. Defensively, Copeland offers more versatility because of his length.
While somewhat undersized, Williams and Lubin should be able to handle the rebounding duties for the Wolfpack. Lubin hopes to be let off the chain offensively, as Wade promised to allow him to play on the perimeter more in an effort to lure him to Raleigh. Williams, the team's star, will do a little bit of everything.
Expect Able, Copeland and Florida State transfer Jerry Deng to be the top options from the bench early in the season.
International addition Musa Sagnia could be more of a project for Wade and his staff, but his size (6-foot-10, 235 pounds) might earn him a spot in the rotation sooner rather than later.
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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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