The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540860
24 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN aul McNeil Jr. yearned to play consistent minutes as a freshman last season. NC State's electric three-point specialist with a knack for scoring at a high clip was seemingly stuck on the end of the bench for a struggling Wolfpack squad, frustrated at every turn. It wasn't until the latter stages of the season that McNeil was granted an op- portunity to show what he could do. In a Big Four matchup with Wake Forest last February, the former four-star recruit from Richmond (N.C.) Senior High pro- vided the spark that the Pack's anemic offense needed coming off a 24-point loss at North Carolina. Inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in his career, McNeil scored NC State's first 5 points and added 2 offensive rebounds, an assist and a steal in his first 3:42 on the floor. Each time McNeil touched the ball that night, the Lenovo Center crowd teetered on the edge of their seats. It was reminis- cent of the reaction that former NC State star big man DJ Burns Jr. elicited during the team's 2024 NCAA Tournament run. Every time McNeil touched the ball, an audible jolt of excitement filled the arena. The young guard filled the stat sheet the rest of the night, scoring 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including a season-high 4 three-pointers, with 4 rebounds, 3 as- sists and a steal in 28 minutes. The performance was a long time com- ing for McNeil, but he knew he could do P McNeil came on strong at the end of his debut season, averaging 9.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in NC State's final six games. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS SOPHOMORE SOPHOMORE SURGE SURGE Putting His Early Struggles Behind Him, Paul McNeil Jr. Prepares For An Expanded Role This Season