Wolfpack Targeting Shot Blockers in the Transfer Portal

RALEIGH — Justin Gainey is hard at work building his first roster as head coach of his alma mater's men's basketball program, assembling a brand new team at NC State for the 2026-27 season. The process took some time to get rolling, but the elite recruiter seems to be finding his footing now.

The Wolfpack prioritized backcourt players early in the portal process, bringing in two mid-major guards in Christian Hammond (Santa Clara) and Preston Edmead (Hofstra) over the last week. Now, Gainey and his staff are looking for frontcourt players who can pick things up on the defensive end, helping establish the identity built around toughness that the new coach wants in Raleigh. Shot blockers help with that and the Pack has a couple circled for visits. Who are they?

F Luke Bamgboye - Texas Tech

NC State reportedly hosted two big men over the weekend, with Charlotte center Anton Bonke and Alabama forward Taylor Bol Bowen around the campus on Sunday. Gainey isn't done after hosting those two, however, as a pair of elite shot blockers is set to hit Raleigh early in the week. The first visit expected is Texas Tech forward Luke Bamgboye, a 6-foot-11 sophomore.

Bamgboye never carved out the major role he was looking for with the Red Raiders, but played his part as a rim protector very well. He started his college career with VCU, where he blocked 2.1 shots per game in 16.8 minutes on average. His shot blocking averaged dipped to 1.7 in Lubbock, but he still provided his team with a quality deterrent defensively off the bench. He chipped in 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds with his blocked shots, so there isn't a ton of proven production offensively.

With the national arms race for big men causing prices to surge beyond NC State's interest, finding players with untapped potential could be the best course of action. Bamgboye played two seasons with programs that know what it means to play at a high level in elite basketball conferences. Gainey's staff should be able to get even more out of Bamgboye, should he pick NC State.

F Kyle Evans - UC Irvine

UC Irvine's Kyle Evans with a near-triple-double against Hawaii 🤯🤯

19 points
11 rebounds
7 blocks
2 steals
7-12 FGs

What do we think of his game? 🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/9Ir0u4FSZS
— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) January 30, 2026

When watching 6-foot-11 forward Kyle Evans play basketball, his shot-blocking ability almost looks like he's playing volleyball. With UC Irvine over the last two seasons, Evans grew his game significantly. He averaged 3.3 blocks per game in the 2025-26 season, a number that topped the national rankings in that category. Still, Evans is being somewhat overlooked in the transfer portal.

He started his collegiate career at Colorado State, where he saw the floor sparsely. Ultimately, he chose to rebuild his game with the Anteaters, where he became far more effective on both ends of the court. Last season, Evans averaged 12.1 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 62% from the field. Like Bamgboye, the UCI transfer would likely be a little cheaper than many other top center targets around the country.

Evans will reportedly visit NC State on Monday or Tuesday, according to a report from 247Sports. Adding the nation's leading shot blocker would go a long way in establishing the dominance Gainey wants on the defensive end, but there are obvious risks with taking a player who doesn't have much experience against high-major talent.

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