The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER sumé to do so this offseason when the latter coach bolted for LSU after just one season with the Wolfpack. McNeil's 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds on 43.3 percent shooting, including a 42.7 percent three-point clip, as a sophomore made him a coveted player on the mar- ket. After not truly looking around in high school or after the first coaching change he endured, McNeil felt like it was best to see what his other options were in the portal. What followed was just over three weeks of waiting for the Wolfpack fan base. Those in Raleigh wanted McNeil to stay, but at the same time, it appeared many understood his thought process of seeing what else was out there. And there were plenty of options that flowed McNeil's way. Opportunities were plen- tiful, with several ACC and SEC pro- grams reaching out to pitch themselves as a possible landing spot. "I knew about the programs, but I just wanted to see that again and talk to other people and get their perspective on me," McNeil said of his time in the portal. "I felt like it would help me out. I know what I want to hear. Other coaches are going to tell me something different. I took all the information and used it to my advantage." The most common review coaches gave him? They believed he is the best three- point shooter in the nation. That's a good ego boost for an already confident player, and it didn't hurt for him to continue to hear it from others around the country. But even though McNeil went into the portal with the idea of touring other schools, he never did. Yes, Zoom meet- ings and phone calls were abundant, but the homebody didn't board a plane to go somewhere for an in-person recruiting visit during his decision-making process. Instead, he leaned on his small circle around him to see what was best for him. He relied on his family, as well as Willie Gaskins III, a key member of the Garner Road AAU Basketball organization. Ad- ditionally, McNeil changed his NIL repre- sentation, switching from a small agency to Excel, one of the top talent firms in the country with a laundry list of MLB, NFL, NBA and PGA Tour standouts, in addition to a growing number of college athletes. Gaskins, who has known McNeil since he was a youngster on the hardwood, felt like this summer was a key step in the ju- nior's quest to break out of his own shell. He explored his other options, which in- cluded NIL offers up to $1 million more than what NC State presented, and still ended up returning to the Wolfpack. "His decision exemplified who he is. He's just a loyal kid. He sticks with what he knows. If it ain't broke, don't fix it type of mentality or mindset to things," Gas- kins said. "It's not about money. He comes from a very rural area. This right now has been the peak of the money he's made and things of that nature. But it's not about that with him. You wouldn't even know what he's got. … He's the type of person that he is where his feet are. He made the decision for his feet to be at NC State well before he even made the decision." From McNeil's perspective, going into the transfer portal was a learning expe- rience. It might have taken longer than some would have liked for him to pub- licly announce his decision to return, but at the same time, it was a pick that he is confident in moving forward. "I feel like I made the right choice at the end of the day," McNeil said. "I did all that and still came back to my home." Gainey And Co. Earned His Trust Gainey was one of the many coaches courting McNeil in the transfer portal, but he had a unique advantage compared to the others that were looking to get the perimeter shooter in their program. The new coach was the first to think that McNeil could play college basketball at any level by extending an offer to him as a sophomore in high school. After all, the former Tennessee as- sistant still remembers the first time he saw McNeil on the recruiting trail to this day — it was in the back gym of an Adidas AAU event. An offer followed shortly after, and well, that did wonders for the eventual top-60 prospect. "He gave me an offer I didn't think I even deserved because I was so hum- ble," McNeil said as he recalled his ear- liest interactions with Gainey. "There was no way he was about to offer a kid from Rockingham. He was telling me, 'We believe in you; I believe in you. I like your game.' He made me believe in myself. He put confidence in me before he was even my head coach." Fast-forward to this past offseason, and Gainey's strong belief in McNeil as a high school recruit paid off while he looked to retain the critical piece of the Wolfpack lineup. Gainey made sure to approach the process in a way that didn't come on too strong, but at the same time, showed his immense desire to keep McNeil in the fold. "It was his process," Gainey said. "Everybody's entitled to their own pro- cess, because at the end of the day, he needed to be at peace with the decision, no matter what he did. It couldn't be 'coach convinced him' or whatever. I wanted it to be organic." McNeil kept an open line of com- munication with NC State's coaching staff as he went through the entire de- cision-making process. A byproduct of this process-driven approach was that Gainey was able to craft a deeper con- nection with McNeil, learning plenty After exploring his options during a 23-day stay in the transfer portal, McNeil returned to NC State to build his Wolfpack legacy under Justin Gainey, his third head coach in three seasons. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS