NC State didn’t just keep Paul McNeil Jr. this offseason. It kept one of the most important pieces of its future.
That became clear again this week when Justin Gainey talked about the rising junior’s growth, not just as a scorer, but as a voice inside the program. McNeil, who broke out in his sophomore season and quickly became one of the most coveted names in college basketball, is now being asked to do more than light it up from deep. He’s stepping into a leadership role, and Gainey says he’s embraced it.
“Paul has been amazing. Like, he has been amazing this offseason, you know.
Obviously, you know, a good player, a great player. But just his leadership, him wanting to lead, the conversations that we have at night when he texts me or he calls, “Hey, Coach, I think the team is feeling this.” , or “Hey, Coach, I think we need to, you know, go go-karting and do some things.”
Like, he’s been amazing. And so that relationship between him and me has just continued to grow.
And he wants to be pushed. He wants to be coached hard.
And he doesn’t want to be treated differently than any of the guys. And we’re not going to do that.
But it’s been fun, but it’s still continuing to grow because, you know, although we have been through some adversity together, right, practice and stuff, games are different. Right?
The season is different. And so we’re building that foundation.”
That’s a big shift for a player who already did plenty of damage on the court last season. McNeil averaged 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 43.3% from the field, 42.7% from three on 7.2 attempts per game, and 82.4% at the line.
He made 105 threes, tying the NC State single-season record, and finished with 23 double-figure scoring games. His biggest outburst came against Texas Southern, when he dropped 47 points and hit 11 threes.
For NC State, keeping the Rockingham native was one of the biggest wins of the portal season. McNeil briefly entered the portal after Will Wade’s departure, and there was real outside pressure to pull him away. He was reportedly offered over $4 million to follow Wade to LSU, but he passed on that deal and stayed in Raleigh.
That decision looms large now, because the Wolfpack are going to lean on his scoring again this season. The encouraging part for NC State is that McNeil doesn’t sound like a player coasting on what he already proved. Gainey’s comments point to a player who wants more responsibility, more coaching and more ownership.
The same tone showed up once the media got a look at workouts after Gainey’s presser. McNeil was active, vocal and clearly involved throughout the session, reinforcing the idea that this isn’t just talk.
NC State basketball GM Patrick Stacy also made the case earlier this month that McNeil’s value goes beyond the box score.
“You’re not going to find a bigger Paul McNeil fan than myself. I think Paul is a special, special jumpshooter, but on top of that he’s just a special player.
He’s the only player in college basketball to make 3s at the volume he did last season, at the accuracy he did. So at 43% or better with a turnover rate under 5%.
No one has ever done what he did last season. So when you talk about efficiency and making the team better, Paul’s the one.
We were 15 points better when he was on the floor last year per 100 possessions. So obviously, keeping Paul was huge.”
Now McNeil has the production, the buy-in and the responsibility. NC State already knows he can score. The next step is seeing how far he can carry the Wolfpack while leading like one of the program’s centerpieces.
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