The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536961
10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN W hen Will Wade arrived at NC State, he knew he would have to create a brand-new team. That's the name of the game in the transfer portal era. But the 42-year-old coach was happy to accept that challenge. "I want to be very clear, this is not a re- build," Wade said at his introductory press conference. "We're going to be in the top part of the ACC next year, and we're going to the NCAA Tournament. This is going to be done the right way, and it's going to be done quickly. We are here to win." Wade, who has never had a losing season in his 11 years as a head coach, made considerable progress toward that goal this offseason. He and his staff built an entire roster virtually from scratch, using a data-driven approach to find the type of players who would allow NC State to challenge for a tournament berth right away. The Pack's transfer class was ranked third nationally by the analytics site EvanMiya.com, trailing only Michigan and Kentucky. Here's a look at how NC State's men's basketball roster has come together. Point Guard Starter: Tre Holloman (6-2, 185, Sr.) Primary backups: Alyn Breed (6-3, 190, R-Sr.), Jordan Snell (6-2, 165, Sr.), Quadir Copeland (6-6, 200, Sr.) Outlook: NC State needed to find a proven commodity at point guard to build around. Wade and his staff did just that with Holloman, a Michigan State transfer who served as a captain for Spartans coach Tom Izzo last season. Holloman's on-court production speaks for itself. He averaged 9.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 0.8 steals — all career-best marks — during the 2024-25 campaign. Depth behind Holloman will be tricky. There isn't another true point guard on the roster, but NC State has options. It could roll with one of Wade's McNeese State transfers — Breed or se- nior Quadir Copeland, who is capable of playing spot minutes at the point. Copeland posted the 17th-best assist rate (37.7 percent) in the country a year ago at McNeese. Shooting Guard Starter: Alyn Breed (6-3, 190, R-Sr.) or Terrance Arceneaux (6-6, 205, R-Jr.) Primary backups: Matthew Able (6-4, 180, Fr.), Jayme Kontuniemi (6-4, 207, Fr.) Outlook: This is an interesting po- sition that could fluctuate throughout the season. For now, Breed appears to be a likely starter at shooting guard. He drew rave reviews during his preseason practices at McNeese, which he backed up with a 17-point performance against Alabama last November before missing the rest of the season with an injury. If he finds the form that Wade and his staff saw in him before getting hurt, he'll be a significant addition. Behind Breed is Able, a four-star freshman from Tampa (Fla.) Sagemont Prep and the No. 19 player in the 2026 cycle. He won the three-point contest at the Iverson Classic earlier this year in Hampton, Va., an event that featured the top high school players in the coun- try. Wing Starter: Terrance Arceneaux (6-6, 205, R-Jr.) Primary backups: Quadir Cope- T R A C K I N G THE THE PACK PACK NC State Assembles A High-Impact Transfer Class Darrion Williams, formerly of Texas Tech, was rated by On3 as the No. 1 small forward and No. 5 overall player in the portal this year. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS