The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534227
MAY/JUNE 2025 ■ 29 off his decision after Jim Larrañaga's retirement and Jai Lucas' subsequent appointment as the Hurricanes' new head coach. Able said it was his faith in Wade that prompted him to commit to the Wolfpack. "He showed the vision that he had for me and what he thought I could be in their system," Able said. "It just made sense, because their play style fits how I like to play. I think they can help me win a lot of games at NC State and then get to the next level." Able averaged 20.4 points on 40.1 per- cent shooting from three-point distance this past season at Sagemont Prep. He had been considering Baylor, Boston College, Michigan, Northwestern and others before committing to Miami. Able became the second player in NC State's 2025 class, joining four- star forward Mikey Wilkins of Arden (N.C.) Christ School. Wilkins, a 6-8, 240-pound power forward who is listed as the No. 67 player nationally in the On3 Industry Ranking, was originally com- mitted to former coach Kevin Keatts and has since reaffirmed his decision to sign with NC State. With Able and Wilkins in the fold, NC State's class was up to 12th nationally in the On3 Industry Team Ranking as of April 6. McNeese Assistants Join Wade In Raleigh Brandon Chambers has a long asso- ciation with Will Wade. Now, he will continue to work alongside Wade at NC State as one of the Wolfpack's full-time assistants. "I'm excited to add Brandon to my first staff at NC State," Wade said. "I've known Brandon for 15 years, and he is one of the brightest young coaches in the game. He has the ability to recruit high-level talent and also possesses a great ability to teach the game, especially defensively." The two worked together at LSU and McNeese State. Chambers was a key part of the Cowboys' success the past two seasons, during which they went 58-11 and won a pair of Southland Conference Tournament titles. He helped mentor two-time Southland Defensive Player of the Year Christian Shumate during the past two campaigns. Before his time at McNeese, Chambers was at Texas Southern, helping guide the Tigers to a pair of Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament championships. Another McNeese assistant — Ver- non Hamilton — is also joining Wade in Raleigh. The past two years, Hamilton played a key role in mentoring Southland Conference Players of the Year Shahada Wells and Javohn Garcia. "He has a relentless motor and a great ability to connect with players," Wade said. "He does a tremendous job devel- oping players both on and off the court and is a great addition to our program." Before his tenure at McNeese, Hamilton spent a season as Georgetown's director of player development under Patrick Ewing. Wade's third addition is former Ne- braska assistant Adam Howard. The of- fensive-minded coach helped the Corn- huskers score 77.7 points per game in 2023-24, the team's highest average since the 1995-96 season. The Wolfpack have also tapped Greg Goldin to serve as strength and condi- tioning coach. Goldin comes to NC State from Penn State, where he worked for former Virginia Commonwealth coach Mike Rhoades. Wade and Goldin have known each other since they served together on the VCU staff during the 2011-12 season. Chambers was also on that staff as a student manager. ■ Rising sophomore guards Trey Parker (above) and Paul McNeil are the only two scholarship players set to return to the Wolfpack for the 2025-26 season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS