{"id":194,"date":"2026-05-15T05:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T05:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=194"},"modified":"2026-05-15T05:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T05:34:29","slug":"how-nc-state-justin-gainey-kept-paul-mcneil-with-the-program-for-a-3rd-year-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=194","title":{"rendered":"How NC State, Justin Gainey kept Paul McNeil with the program for a 3rd year"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Most coaches talk about wanting to keep in-state players at home, using familiarity to market their program. Not everyone can actually do it.<\/p>\n

Read more NC Supreme Court justice proposes loosening political speech rules for judges<\/a><\/p>\n

First-year N.C. State head coach Justin Gainey did.<\/p>\n

Star guard Paul McNeil, from Rockingham, announced on May 1<\/a> he would return to the Pack, playing under three different coaches in three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a big deal, and we\u2019re excited to have him back,\u201d Gainey said Thursday. \u201cI\u2019m excited to be a part of his continued growth and development.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gainey said \u2014 first at the ACC spring meetings<\/a> and again during his news conference this week \u2014 that the two engaged in a number of in-depth conversations throughout the re-recruiting process.<\/p>\n

They talked about basketball, of course, but they went much deeper than athletics. Gainey and McNeil discussed family, relationships, their backgrounds \u2014 they are both from North Carolina \u2014 and how McNeil wants to be remembered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if you could say there\u2019s a better shooter in the state of North Carolina than Paul McNeil is right now,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cHe\u2019s one of ours. He is N.C. State. He\u2019s an N.C. State guy, right? That made it even more important to keep one of ours home.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t one-sided, either. As much as Gainey got to know about McNeil, the guard learned about his new coach, too. He learned about Gainey\u2019s own family, motivations and experience with the Wolfpack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe formed a bond and formed a relationship that will, I think, help us both as we embark on what we\u2019re walking into,\u201d Gainey said.<\/p>\n

McNeil entered the transfer portal at the beginning of April, following former coach Will Wade\u2019s abrupt departure, to evaluate his options. The rising junior was listed as one of the best prospects in the portal and linked to North Carolina, Virginia Tech, LSU and Kentucky. During his decision-making process, McNeil posted cryptic images and song lyrics on his Instagram.<\/p>\n

Some fans, however, became increasingly worried and frustrated as they waited for an announcement. He put their minds at ease about three weeks after entering the portal.<\/p>\n

Read more He tried to break up an employee argument \u2014 now Durham diners are donating<\/a><\/p>\n

Gainey said he didn\u2019t feel the same way; no shared frustrations or upset feelings. In fact, Gainey respected McNeil\u2019s timeline and process. There was no rushing. The two stayed in regular contact while McNeil vetted other programs, but Gainey knew the rising junior had to be at peace with his decision. He had to go through his process to feel comfortable.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt couldn\u2019t be whatever coach convinced him or whatever,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cI wanted it to be organic.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say Gainey didn\u2019t sell McNeil on his vision for the program, and where he would fit into the scheme.<\/p>\n

The staff has prioritized shooting during its roster construction, and McNeil fit into that strategy. McNeil\u2019s positional size and ability to play at multiple spots made him a valuable player that N.C. State can utilize in various schemes and lineups.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt ended up working out pretty good when we think about what our goal was when we got into it,\u201d Gainey said, noting the emphasis on recruiting a starting five, \u201cand then how we finished up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tennessee, Gainey\u2019s previous stop, was the first school to offer McNeil a scholarship when he was in 10th grade. Gainey remembers watching him play at various events and believing in McNeil\u2019s talents four years ago.<\/p>\n

Even though the North Carolina native didn\u2019t end up with the Volunteers \u2014 he committed to Kevin Keatts \u2014 Gainey followed McNeil\u2019s career through high school and into college. He possesses a solid understanding of McNeil\u2019s journey. Gainey knows the guard\u2019s freshman year didn\u2019t go quite as he\u2019d hoped, while sophomore year exceeded expectations.<\/p>\n

Now, they\u2019re looking to build on both years. The expectation is set, not only for McNeil\u2019s individual game, but also for the program. It can be a destination for in-state players to have success and have a lasting legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was used to keep him home,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cI think we\u2019ll get a better feel \u2014 as we continue to go out on the road and recruit, bring guys to campus \u2014 on the residual effect of it. But I do know different people in the grassroots community have been excited about it, have been calling and just excited that we were able to keep him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more How the Carolina Hurricanes are managing the madness of a long NHL playoff break<\/a><\/p>\n

This story was originally published May 14, 2026 at 5:31 PM.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Paul McNeil entered the transfer portal but decided to stay at NC State under new head coach Justin Gainey, following multiple conversations, weekslong process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":177,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-read-todays-edition"],"yoast_head":"\nHow NC State, Justin Gainey kept Paul McNeil with the program for a 3rd year - Durham Moving Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=194\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How NC State, Justin Gainey kept Paul McNeil with the program for a 3rd year - 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