Paul McNeil Jr. Torches the Nets with Record-Setting Night for NC State
There are hot shooting nights, and then there’s what Paul McNeil Jr. did inside Reynolds Coliseum.
The sophomore guard out of Rockingham delivered a performance that won't just live in NC State lore - it etched his name into the ACC record books. McNeil buried 11 three-pointers, tying the all-time ACC single-game record and setting a new NC State mark, as the Wolfpack rolled past Texas Southern, 108-72, in their annual Heritage Game.
Let’s put that in perspective: only two other players in ACC history - Craig Dawson (Wake Forest, 2002) and Dennis Scott (Georgia Tech, 1988) - have ever hit that many threes in a single game. And McNeil did it in just 26 minutes of action.
A Night to Remember on Kay Yow Court
From the moment McNeil stepped on the floor, something felt different. He told the ACC Network Extra crew postgame that he knew it could be a special night after his very first shot. That confidence translated into a 47-point explosion, the most by an NC State or ACC player since Rodney Monroe dropped 48 on Georgia Tech back in 1991.
McNeil was locked in from the jump, scoring 26 points in the first half, including seven threes. He came out of the locker room and kept his foot on the gas, draining four straight from deep in the second half to tie the conference record.
Efficiency Meets Volume
It wasn’t just the volume of shots that stood out - it was the efficiency. McNeil went 11-for-17 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line. Add in a career-high 10 rebounds, and you’ve got a full-blown stat sheet takeover.
To put this in even sharper focus: McNeil had hit 11 total threes across NC State’s previous eight games combined. Then he matched that in one night.
And the best part? He had no idea he was chasing history until the final buzzer.
“I was just playing,” McNeil said with a smile. “It was fun. That’s all I could ask for.”
Chasing Legends
McNeil’s 47-point outing now ranks fifth all-time on NC State’s single-game scoring list, behind only the likes of David Thompson, who famously dropped 57 points against Buffalo State in 1974. Monroe, who previously held the school record for most threes in a game with nine (set in 1989), now watches McNeil take that crown.
It’s not the first time McNeil has lit up a scoreboard. Back in high school, he poured in 71 points for Richmond Senior in 2024, breaking a 74-year-old North Carolina high school record.
But this was different. This was on a college stage, in front of a home crowd, in a game honoring NC State’s rich basketball heritage.
After the game, the school commemorated the moment with a photo of McNeil holding a basketball marked with “47,” “11 3s,” the date, and his signature - a snapshot of a night that will be remembered for a long time in Raleigh.
What’s Next
With the win, NC State improves to 8-4 on the season. McNeil and the Pack now turn their attention to a Sunday showdown against Ole Miss (6-4) at Greensboro Coliseum.
Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET on ESPN.
If McNeil’s heat check carries over, the Rebels better be ready - because this sophomore just reminded everyone that he can catch fire in a hurry.