Former NC State stars Damon Thornton and Richard Howell spent episode 6 of the Red Locker Room podcast taking on one of the biggest questions in college basketball right now: how the Wolfpack can keep up in the NIL era.
The two former Pack players didn’t sugarcoat it. Damon Thornton said the money game was already around long before it became legal, arguing that “college players were getting paid before NIL.” He added that the “NCAA owes them some money, and they are late on the payments.”
Thornton said programs with deep-pocketed supporters have always found ways to land talent, and he sees NIL as an extension of that reality rather than something brand new. In his view, NC State will likely keep having to make the most of players who fall in the second or third tier compared with the bluebloods. He pointed to Duke, Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas as schools that have long been able to attract elite recruits.
At the same time, Thornton said the current setup has opened the door for other schools if they can raise enough money and sign the right players. But he also said the system is messy, because spending the most does not guarantee results.
He called it “kind of f’ing the game up,” saying expectations are harder to read, coaching is tougher, and rosters change too fast. He said he supports players getting paid, but believes NIL should stay closer to its original purpose: name, image and likeness.
Richard Howell agreed NC State can still compete, saying the current landscape has “definitely leveled the playing field.” But he also made it clear that money alone doesn’t solve anything. In his words, coaching matters more than ever, because teams can spend heavily and still not get the job done.
Howell pointed to last season at NC State, saying the program spent a lot and that he did not think the team had “one first team All ACC player.” He also said some players were getting too much money for the effort and results the team produced.
That led Thornton into a memory from the old days, when players were far more restricted. He said he and his teammates were just grateful for scholarships and a Pell Grant, and joked about how they could get in trouble “for a sandwich!” Howell and Thornton both recalled how even a Hooters meal could become a problem, with Thornton saying they were told to go pay for it after the fact.
Howell also told the story of Beard Gang, the shirt business he started with Worm while sitting on Vanderbilt off Hillsborough Street and trying to find a way to make some money. The red-and-black shirts caught on, and fans began wearing them to games.
Then Debbie Yow stepped in, and Howell said he got “the text message of doom” and had to shut it down because it was impermissible benefits. He said they were required to donate close to $3,000 to Make A Wish.
Thornton said he remembered Howell’s old hustle and used it to underline how much has changed. Where players once had to worry about a Bojangles sandwich, he said, today some are making 500k, 600k, 800k or even millions.
He also described a recent basketball camp experience with Levi Watkins, saying that when he asked where the players were, he was told they could not even be paid enough because of NIL. Thornton said the old camp money, around 800 to 1000 dollars for a week, is nothing now.
The conversation also turned to how different the lifestyle is for players now. Thornton said he used to leave Case with a to-go box, stash food for later and look for cheap options like Taco Bell or Wendy’s if he had any money and a friend with a car.
Then he joked about the current scene, saying, “Now you walk into Capital Grille (steakhouse)… DJ Burns in here. What?”
He also remembered seeing Allen Breed driving away in a 600,000 dollar car after a game.
Jay, the host, then raised the question that hangs over all of NIL: whether all that money creates distractions for 19-, 20- and 21-year-olds who might be thinking more about cars, shopping and going out than basketball.
In Other News...
NC State Just Got A Huge Answer From Paul McNeil Jr
Paul McNeil Jr. has given NC State a major boost by choosing to return for his rising junior season, a decision that matters even more because he remains one of the Wolfpacks best shooters and most dependable perimeter options. New coach Justin Gainey has already pointed to McNeils offseason growth and the way he has handled himself around the program, while GM Patrick Stacy has emphasized how rare McNeils shooting efficiency is and how much his presence helped the team last season.
For a roster still taking shape under a new staff, keeping a player with McNeils profile is the kind of answer that steadies everything around him. Gainey has also made clear that McNeils role has expanded beyond shot-making, with the guard emerging as a voice in the room and a player the staff is leaning on for more than just points, which makes his return feel like one of the more important developments of the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Finally Got Some Answers About Its 2026 Offense
NC State has spent the offseason piecing together what its 2026 offense might look like, and the picture is finally starting to come into focus. The Wolfpack will have a mix of familiar pieces and portal additions to work with, led by quarterback CJ Bailey and running back Duke Scott among the returnees, while the staff also brought in help at receiver and elsewhere to fill out the depth chart.
Victor Snow gives that group a useful starting point after arriving from Buffalo with the strongest profile among the incoming offensive transfers, and Davion Gause adds another layer of competition in the backfield. The bigger question now is how all of those pieces fit around Bailey and the returning core, especially with several players bringing different levels of experience and production into the same offense. [Read more 🡒]