NC State sophomore guard Paul McNeil plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

NC State will be looking to replace its leading scorer heading into next season. Sophomore guard Paul McNeil plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after two seasons in Raleigh — one apiece under head coaches Kevin Keatts and Will Wade, according to a report from ESPN.

McNeil signed with the Wolfpack as their top-ranked recruit in Keatts’ final class in 2024, ranking as a top-60 prospect nationally and the country’s No. 18 small forward. He saw minimal action as a freshman, averaging 8.7 minutes per contest in 24 games in what turned out to be Keatts’ last season leading the program.

Instead of transferring out, the Rockingham (N.C.) native opted to stay on with Wade and Co. and emerged as one of the ACC’s premier shooters. McNeil started 32 of the team’s 34 games, and led them 13.8 points per contest.

He knocked down a school-record 105 3-pointers, shooting nearly 43% from behind the arc. At the charity stripe, he shot better than 82% and was a key cog behind NC State’s 18-6 start to the season. McNeil scored at least 15 points on 13 different occasions and poured in 47 points and 10 rebounds in a December win over Texas Southern.

That night, he hit 11 of his 17 3-point attempts — a program record. At the prep level, he holds the North Carolina state high school single-game scoring record with 71 points.

But with Wade leaving for LSU and a third new staff coming to Raleigh for what would be his third season, McNeil will instead hit the open market. The 6-foot-5 scoring machine is expected to be one of the top guards available and will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next stop.

McNeil the latest to exit NC State program after coaching change

He becomes the fifth NC State player planning to enter the portal over the past week, joining freshman early enrollee Cole Cloer, standout freshman guard Matt Able, sophomore forward Colt Langdon, and walk-on Jayme Kontuniemi.

Able — along with McNeil — is expected to be highly sought-after in the portal. The former is also testing the NBA Draft waters after a breakout freshman season. Able signed with the Wolfpack as a top-25 prospect in the 2025 class, spurning offers from Miami, Stanford, Xavier, Baylor and more to play for Wade.

Coming off the bench in all 34 games, Able averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest in his first year at the college level.In ACC play, he bumped up to 9.2 points per game while shooting 42% from the field and 36% from behind the arc.