NC State Head Coach Justin Gainey returns to the program after having played for the Wolfpack in’96-’00 under former coach Herb Sendek. 

Gainey appeared in 128 games during his career, making 103 starts. He was a stalwart on defense, and his 190 career steals rank fifth in program history. 

Coming Back Home

His hiring was significant not only for his deep ties to the university but also for his extensive experience as a coach at the Division 1 level (20 years). Gainey was one of the most sought-after assistants and spent the last five seasons at the University of Tennessee under Rick Barnes. 

Gainey’s Wolfpack begins regular-season men’s basketball play when they host Campbell tomorrow night. 

State went 2-0 in its exhibition games this preseason, beginning with a 77-73 win over Mississippi State on Oct. 18 and a dominating 130-66 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 24. 

Laying the Foundation

Gainey has been encouraged by how strong his team’s bond has become over such a short period of time, which became more apparent during the MSU contest.

NC State had to battle to take the lead after being down 65-71 to the Bulldogs with 2:50 left in the game.  The Wolfpack went on a 12-2 run, with Paul McNeil Jr. (G) and Preston Edmead (G) leading the team with 16 points. 

“We’re at a timeout, and I look over at Paul McNeil sitting in my seat and hearing his message to the guys. Everybody locked in,” Gainey said. “When I saw that, I didn’t know what the outcome of the game was going to be, but I felt good about what we had been doing from day one. What we had been messaging, what we had been building from a culture standpoint.” 

Gainey helping to rebuild a strong culture within the program is a critical step in laying the foundation for the team’s future success. Having a player like McNeil buy in will rub off on the rest of the team. 

McNeil is only one of three returning players to the roster. Last season, he tied a program record with 105 made three-pointers while leading the conference with a 42.7 three-point percentage. 

Ven-Allen Lubin (F) also returns after leading the ACC with a 66.8 shooting percentage. 

These two players, in addition to Zymichal Wilkins (F), represent 33.3% of its scoring, 30.9% of its rebounding, 10.9% of its assists, and 28.0% of its minutes played from last season. 

They’re an important core for Gainey, who looks to establish State as a serious contender within the ACC. 

Staying Hungry

The Wolfpack were selected to finish 8th in the conference preseason poll behind teams such as Duke, Virginia, UNC, and Clemson.

However, polls don’t mean much once the season gets underway. And Gainey realizes the work that is required for State to reach its goals this season. 

“In all of those games, we know we didn’t play our best basketball,” Gainey said. “We have a long way to go from a developmental standpoint and just getting better, cleaning up a lot of different things… We’re always going to be a hungry group. We’re always going to be looking at ways where we can get better.” 

NC State and Campbell will meet for the 14th time on Monday, with State leading the series 12-1. 

Tip-off for NC State vs. Campbell is set for 7:30 pm on the ACC Network Extra.