Three-star guard Kingston Whitty commits to NC State, becomes Justin Gainey’s first prep addition

When NC State head coach Justin Gainey stood at the dais for his introductory press conference on the second floor of Lenovo Center earlier this month, he made in-state recruiting a top priority for him and his staff to lay the foundation for the program. 

The former Wolfpack standout point guard — and High Point, N.C., native — always found talent in his home state throughout his career as an assistant coach. By being at the helm of NC State, Gainey thought he could take his recruiting around North Carolina to an even higher level. 

“I thought I did a pretty good job at pulling some talent out, but we’re going to recruit the state hard and heavy,” Gainey said. “We want to be dominant in the state of North Carolina in recruiting, and then we’ll build out from there.”

Gainey didn’t waste time in staying in state to build his inaugural roster in Raleigh. The Wolfpack picked up a commitment from Arden (N.C.) Christ School three-star point guard Kingston Whitty, the first prep addition of the Gainey Era on Tuesday.

Whitty, who was previously committed to West Virginia before parting ways with the Mountaineers earlier this month, picked NC State after his unofficial visit this weekend. He’s the second Christ School product on the Wolfpack roster, joining redshirt freshman forward Zymicah Wilkins, a four-star prospect and the No. 70 overall player from the 2025 recruiting cycle.

A 6-foot-2, 165-pound creator, Whitty posted a standout senior season with 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while leading the Greenies in the EYBL Scholastic League.

Whitty put together an impressive performance at the John Wall Holiday Invitational at Raleigh Broughton this past December. He helped Christ School win the Watson Bracket with 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 steals and 4.0 assists per game, earning MVP honors in the process. The final game of his school career was a masterpiece. Whitty dropped 32 points on 13-of-19 shooting with 8 rebounds and 2 assists against longtime power Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy.

Before arriving in the state, Whitty spent his junior year at Atlanta Holy Innocents’ Episcopal. He averaged 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 18 minutes across 25 games played. 

Whitty turned heads on the Under Armour Association circuit last spring and summer with 18.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest with Pro One.

Now, Whitty joins an NC State backcourt led by Hofstra transfer point guard Preston Edmead and Santa Clara transfer shooting guard Chrisitan Hammond. The two veterans are expected to find their way into the starting lineup, while Whitty is a capable reserve at both spots heading into his freshman campaign.