The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547338
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2026 ■ 35 Keene II will be a quality "glue guy" off the bench, with reserve guards Jacari Brim (Appalachian State) and Kingston Whitty (three-star recruit) filling out the Pack's guard play going into the new era. Frontcourt Ask McNeil about Lubin's return to uti- lize a fifth year of eligibility earned through a preliminary injunction, and he lights up. The third-year guard beams with joy just thinking about it before explaining why in his central North Carolina accent. "I believe in him so much I trust him with my life," McNeil said. "That's how much I trust Ven, believe in Ven and care about Ven. He's a way better person off the court. That's why he was a big piece to get." Lubin, who is set to slide into the starting power forward spot, will em- bark on a new experience, playing for the same program in back-to-back seasons for the first time in his career. He spent time at Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and UNC before posting a career-best 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds as an undersized center for the Wolfpack last year. Getting him back for one more go- around made McNeil — and the rest of the program — giddy. "Ven's been awesome," Gainey said. "Having him back, his maturity, his wis- dom, his work ethic, his approach to everything he does is professional and at a high level. Having him back and hav- ing the experience of going through the ACC before and being able to share that with the guys has been invaluable." While Lubin is the focal point of the frontcourt, he's surrounded by a deep position group. Washington State transfer Eemeli Yalaho is a three-point sniper with a 39.8 percent mark from deep last season, while UC Irvine trans- fer center Kyle Evans led all of Division I with 115 blocks (3.3 per game) during the 2025-26 campaign. Additionally, NC State expects to get positive production from Slovenian big man Robert Jurkovic, who can also hit from deep with a 36.1 percent clip in Europe a year ago. Junior college trans- fer center Shah Hall and Wilkins are also capable of providing a spark off the bench, giving Gainey the ability to play waves of big men, if he chooses. ■ 2026-27 NC State Men's Basketball Roster No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Cl. Hometown (High School) 0 Preston Edmead G 6-1 180 So. Deer Park, N.Y. (The Williston Northampton School) Was named the CAA Rookie of the Year after averaging 16.1 points, 4.4 assists and 3.5 re- bounds per game for Hofstra in 2025-26. 1 Christian Hammond G 6-4 205 Sr. Denver (Dream City Christian) Earned first-team All-WCC honors for Santa Clara last year after leading the team and rank- ing fifth in the league with 15.6 points per game. 2 Paul McNeil Jr. G 6-6 190 Jr. Rockingham, N.C. (Richmond Senior) Tied the single-season program record with 105 three-pointers en route to averaging 13.8 points per game in 2025-26. 3 Eemeli Yalaho F 6-8 235 Sr. Jyväskylä, Finland (Western Reserve Academy) Averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game for Washington State last year. 4 Kingston Whitty G 6-2 185 Fr. Mableton, Ga. (Christ School) Averaged 15.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game as a high school senior. 5 R.J. Keene II G 6-7 215 5th The Woodlands, Texas (Concordia Lutheran) Last year at Boise State, he was one of six players in the Mountain West Conference to total at least 140 rebounds, 50 assists, 20 steals and 10 blocks. 6 Jacari Brim G 6-2 200 So. Winston-Salem, N.C. (West Forsyth) Appeared in 21 games and averaged 1.2 points per contest at Appalachian State last year. 10 Comeh Emuobor F 6-5 210 Sr. Raleigh, N.C. (Brewster Academy) Has made previous stops at UCF, Iona and New Hampshire, where he averaged 9.0 points per game last season. 11 Darius Adams G 6-5 190 So. Manchester, N.J. (La Lumiere) The former McDonald's All-American started 28 games and averaged 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game at Maryland last year. 13 Robert Jurkovic F 6-10 235 Sr. Ljubljana, Slovenia Has played the last three seasons in the ABA League, a top-tier regional league that features teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. 14 Kyle Evans F 6-10 225 5th Aliso Viejo, Calif. (Santa Margarita Catholic) The UC Irvine transfer averaged 12.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game en route to first-team All-Big West and Big West Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025-26. 21 Shah Hall F 6-11 235 Sr. Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Hillcrest) Averaged 9.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game for Shelton State Community College last season. 22 Ven-Allen Lubin F 6-9 235 5th Orlando, Fla. (Orlando Christian) Averaged a career-best 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Pack last year. 33 Zymicah "Mikey" Wilkins F 6-9 265 So. Rutherfordton, N.C. (Christ School) Redshirted in his first season at NC State after leading Arden (N.C.) Christ School to back-to-back state championships. Transfer point guard Preston Edmead excelled as a freshman at Hofstra last year, averaging 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game for an NCAA Tournament team. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS