We’re going to run a few of these ROSTER BUILDING segments over the next couple weeks, heading into portal season. In this first installment, I’m going to take a look at the current roster and give you my take on who might return and who might be gone. We’ll later look at what the portal priorities might be for NC State.
NC State is about to enter portal season, and the Pack is going to need to fill at least 5 spots.
Copeland, Lubin, Williams, Holloman, and Ebube are seniors who won’t be returning. There are a few questions about Allen Breed’s eligibility, with some believing he’s entitled to an extra year because of injury.
That leaves Paul McNeil Jr, Matt Able, Terrance Arceneaux, Jerry Deng, Musa Sagnia, Colt Langdon, and Zymicah Wilkins as potential returners.
So what is Wade’s plan, and where do I think the focus is going to be when the portal opens on April 7th?
I’m pretty sure I’ve either been in attendance for or read every single quote Will Wade gave this season. So first let’s look at what he’s said.
Wade has mentioned multiple times that he wants to keep a couple of guys from this year’s roster. Last night, he phrased it as ‘a few.’ But I’m going to assume NC State brings back 2 guys max.
I bet you can guess who the top priority is…
• Paul McNeil Jr | Rising Junior
Paul is absolutely priority #1. I’ve spoken to the staff numerous times about him throughout the season, and they believe they’re just scratching the surface with what he’s capable of. Director of player development, Joseph Anderson, said they believe he’s one of the (if not THE) best shooters in the nation and believe he can become a more versatile scorer. Towards the end of the season, you saw McNeil begin to open up his game a bit, looking like the player we watched in high school. With teams selling out to stop him from getting off 3s, McNeil started attacking a bit off the dribble. This is where most of his off-season work will take place. NC State will want Paul to be able to be a true option at the 2 for them next season, which means lots of work off the bounce, building up his body, and suring up his defense. I’m not sure what the price is going to be to keep P2, but I believe NC State is willing to pay it and ready to commit to making him one of their featured scorers next season. I would operate as if Paul McNeil Jr is 99% coming back.
• Matt Able | Rising Sophomore
If the situation were different, I think NC State would put on a push to keep Able. But with McNeil’s emergence as a star and the signing of Top-100 freshman Cole Cloer (same position + skill set), they almost certainly aren’t going to pay the big bucks to keep him in Raleigh. Able is a good shooter, a physical player, and someone who eventually will be a lockdown defender, but I just don’t think he moves well enough laterally for someone you’d want to plug in at the 2. Next year I’m certain the roster will have a few more guys who can create off the bounce and are a little more crafty with the basketball. 3s and straight-line drives are fine, but as you saw with this team when Copeland was out, the team quickly becomes one-dimensional, and the offense suffered. The market will be hot for a kid like Able, and remember, he was committed Miami before Wade swooped in and snatched him up. I’ve heard they are looking to bring him back and are willing to pay big to do it. With the NC State situation the way it is with McNeil and Cloer, and with Able not able to really establish himself this season, I’d put odds on an Able return at
• Zymicah Wilkins | Rising Sophomore
Remember, Wilkins was the prized recruit of Kevin Keatts just a year ago. He redshirted this year and completely changed his body. I’ve heard that he’s impressed the staff with his work ethic and skill set (he was always very skilled for a 6’9 kid). The NIL market for Wilkins probably isn’t going to be massive, and at 6’9 with a ceiling, it wouldn’t surprise me if they kept him around. He is a guy who could be a good depth piece with a chance for an even more prominent role depending on how the portal goes. I’m going to put the odds of Wilkins returning at about 60%, depending on how the portal shakes out.
• Alyn Breed | Grad Senior
I don’t know if the situation with eligibility is resolved for Alyn Breed, but if he can play, then I’d assume he finds a spot to showcase himself somewhere smaller than NC State. Sure, depending on his life goals, he could decide to go the grad assistant route and try coaching. But he’s worked hard to get back into playing shape and if he gets another year, with his skill set, I’d assume he goes looking for a mid-major who can guarantee him some minutes.
• Colt Langdon | Rising RS Sophomore
Langdon is likely a guy that the staff wouldn’t mind having around, but I don’t think he’s going to be someone is pegged for a role in the rotation next season. That said, Wade has said on numerous occasions how much he likes Colt and how he is the type of guy who develops into someone who could give you minutes over the course of a couple of years. He’s a Raleigh kid, so we’ll see, but he’s pretty talented, and the lure of going somewhere smaller and getting big minutes might be too great. I’d work off the assumption that Langdon drops down a level and plays a more prominent role at a lower level.
Those are my predictions for the priorities. I’m not saying Jerry Deng, Terrance Arceneuax, and Musa won’t be retained, but I personally would be extremely surprised unless they were willing to take a massive pay cut. And even then, I believe that the staff would be more inclined to look elsewhere, and I could be wrong, but I sense that they might want a pretty clean break from this roster, allowing them to build a culture with, as Wade has made suggested, a different type of player moving forward.
