Two NBA Draft Prospects Star for NC State in Friday Night Win

Early in the NCAA season, a number of NBA Draft prospects have turned in solid performances.

Most teams around the country have only played one or two games, but multiple freshman and returnees have garnered attention as scouts begin to get a look at the upcoming class.

While big-name prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, Koa Peat and others, have gotten most of the attention so far, there are plenty of other players around the country who have also gotten off to strong starts this year.

On Friday night, two veteran prospects logged impressive outings for NC State as the Wolfpack beat UAB 94-70, improving to 2-0 in the 2025-26 campaign.

Paul McNeil Jr.

McNeil shot 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-8 from beyond the arc against the Blazers en route to 18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 0 turnovers in 26 minutes on the floor.

The sophomore's performance comes after McNeil tallied 16 points, 3 rebounds, a steal and 0 turnovers in NC State's season-opener against NC Central.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, the second-year wing was rated the No. 56 overall prospect and No. 10 shooting guard in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.

With good size on the wing, a productive season in the ACC could be enough to earn McNeil a spot in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Darrion Williams

In just 8 minutes on the floor against UAB, Williams logged 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal and 0 turnovers while shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 1-of-3 from 3-point range.

Williams' performance comes in his second game with the Wolfpack after the senior transferred from Texas Tech over the offseason. During the 2024-25 season with the Red Raiders, Williams averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 43.9% from the field and 34% from deep.

The former Nevada transfer tested NBA Draft waters in 2025, measuring 6-foot-4 and half an inch without shoes at the combine while recording a 6-foot-6 and half an inch wingspan and weighing 236 pounds.

Rather than remaining in last year's draft class, though, the veteran elected to return to college basketball and entered the transfer portal.

If Williams has a solid senior season, the versatile wing should be a solid option for teams in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

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