The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN C State coach Justin Gainey spent much of his first two months on campus crafting a roster that he felt could com- pete in the ACC. He used the transfer portal to his advantage, while also re- taining two key players and bringing in newcomers via the international and high school ranks. Gainey's efforts earned an "A" from The Athletic in writer CJ Moore's survey of the rosters of every high-major program with a new head coach this year. Moore noted that Gainey "did a nice job, considering the circumstances of taking over after just one year under [Will] Wade." Here's a look at how the Wolfpack's ro- tation was shaping up as of early July. Point Guard Starter: Preston Edmead (6-1, 170) Primary backups: Kingston Whitty (6-2, 165), Jacari Brim (6-2, 190) Finding a starting point guard was NC State's top priority in the transfer por- tal. The Wolfpack landed Edmead, who is fresh off leading Hofstra to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 25 years. Edmead impressed as a freshman, aver- aging 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 as- sists on a 40.1 percent shooting clip. He's a dangerous three-point shooter, logging a 38.7 percent mark last season. The ris- ing sophomore is a complete point guard who can fill the bucket (29 double-figure scoring games), but is more than capable of dishing the ball to his teammates (15 games with 5 or more assists). While Edmead headlines this group, Whitty could see plenty of action as a freshman. The former West Virginia commit averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 re- bounds and 4.1 assists at Arden (N.C.) Christ School. He projects to be the Pack's primary backup point guard. Brim, mean- while, is a depth addition who spent his freshman season at Appalachian State. Shooting Guard Starter: Christian Hammond (6-4, 195) Primary backups: Darius Adams (6- 5, 190), R.J. Keene II (6-7, 200) Gainey's first addition to the roster was Hammond, a Santa Clara transfer who guided the Broncos to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years. Hammond paced coach Herb Sendek's squad with 15.6 points on 48.4 percent shooting, including a 39.3 percent mark from three-point distance. The redshirt junior will be looked to as a go-to scorer in the Wolfpack's backcourt, and he's more than capable of playing minutes at point guard, if needed. Behind Hammond, NC State is looking to get Adams back to his former McDon- ald's All-American form after an up-and- down freshman season at Maryland. Ad- ams averaged 10.8 points on a 35.4 percent shooting from the field, two figures that the Wolfpack believes it can improve on in the upcoming campaign. Keene, a glue-guy type of player, can fill a reserve role at both shooting guard and on the wing. He's willing to dive for loose balls and get dirty on the floor. The gradu- N Shooting guard Christian Hammond was NC State's first transfer portal addition. He averaged 15.6 points per game to lead Santa Clara last season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS REBUILDING BOOM In Anticipation Of His Debut Season, Justin Gainey Stocks NC State's Roster With Impact Transfers