When Will Wade took the reins of the NC State men’s basketball program, he was hired with a clear vision of restoring and elevating the Wolfpack’s legacy. He is doing just that. Wade brought with him over a decade of winning experience, starting from his early days as an assistant at LSU.
Wade’s philosophy since day 1 has been to develop talented players, unleash a fast-paced, attacking offense, and build a culture of camaraderie. One thing that Wade has made equally evident is that he is not there for slow progress. His plan for NC State is bold and aggressive. And if his early moves are any indicator, the Wolfpack is in for a great year.
Will Wade Is Reconstructing the Wolfpack 1 Player at a Time
Will Wade is hitting the transfer portal and recruitment trail aggressively. He’s throwing the full playbook at it. In just over a month, despite having only one returning player from last season’s roster, Wade has cobbled together what looks like a ready-to-roll nine-man rotation.
The Wolfpack’s social media even gave him a shoutout for the same. They took to X and created a “He’s Cooking” meme. Now, with eight new faces joining sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr., Wade is evidently brewing something.
Who are the eight new faces joining in? Let’s take a closer look at the new core Wade has brought to Raleigh.
Matt Able | High School
The first piece of Wade’s master plan is a high school sensation, Matt Able. Able is a Tampa native and is a five-star recruit according to 247Sports. He ranks among the top 30 players nationally across multiple major services. And why wouldn’t he? He, after all, in his senior season at Sagemont Prep, was nothing short of explosive.
Able had an average of 20.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 steals, and 2.9 assists per game. Matt Able led his team to a Florida 1A state championship. Meanwhile, his shooting stats stand at 43% from the field, 40% from deep, and a deadly 94% from the free-throw line. Wade believes Able is just scratching the surface of his potential, and that should scare NC State’s opponents.
Zymicah Wilkins | High School
Next up on the roster is Zymicah Wilkins, a 6’8″ powerhouse who helped Christ School, a well-known name in the NCISAA 4A circuit. Wilkins ended his senior year with 19 points, pulling down 10 boards, and 5 assists in the state championship game.
The four-star forward averaged 15.5 points and 8.3 rebounds on the season. ESPN even ranked him as the No. 56 overall player in the Class of 2025 and the No. 2 player in North Carolina.
Terrance Arceneaux | Houston
Terrance Arceneaux is coming off a Final Four run with Houston. At 6’6″, Arceneaux proved himself as a key contributor off the Cougars’ bench, averaging 6.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 20 minutes per game. But his journey has had some periods of struggle.
Arceneaux faced an Achilles injury but managed to become a valuable rotation player for a team that reached the national championship game. A two-time high school state champ and former top recruit, Arceneaux picked NC State over Virginia, excited to link up with Wade’s vision.
Tre Holloman | Michigan State
Tre Holloman is another big-time addition and is leaving Michigan State behind for the Wolfpack. He was a key piece of the Spartans’ Big Ten championship squad. The 6’2″ combo guard averaged 9.1 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 rebounds while shooting 37.3% from beyond the arc.
Over three seasons and 106 games in East Lansing, Holloman established himself as a steady floor general and clutch shooter. Now, with his final year of eligibility, he bringing all he has got to the Wolfpack.
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Quadir Copeland | McNeese
Familiar faces matter, and Will Wade is bridging one of his own with him from McNeese State. Quadir Copeland, the 6’6″, 200-pound point guard, made a name for himself in the Southland Conference and will be joining the Wolfpack. His ability to run the offense and create mismatches against smaller defenders is going to be a big boon for the Wolfpack.
At McNeese, Copeland showed that he is tough and versatile. And his skills will be just as dangerous at NC State with the fast-paced system that Wade has. His loyalty to Wade’s program is a testament to the coach’s strong player relationships and it bodes well for NC State’s locker room chemistry.
Alyn Breed | McNeese
Alyn Breed is a tough-nosed veteran and is joining NC State after a standout season under Will Wade at McNeese. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 11.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He also had a shooting stat of 41.5% from beyond the arc and 80.3% from the free-throw line.
Breed is the definition of defensive menace. At McNeese, Breed was routinely tasked with shutting down the opposition’s best perimeter scorer. This helped McNeese finish top 10 nationally in scoring defense.
Before McNeese, Breed played three seasons at Providence, where he made 60 appearances and started 16 games in the rugged Big East. That battle-tested experience, combined with his deep knowledge of Wade’s system, makes Breed a plug-and-play weapon who can contribute on both ends of the floor from day one.
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield | Louisville
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield is a former five-star legend from IMG Academy. He is 6-foot-10 and weighs 240 pounds. Huntley-Hatfield had career highs at Louisville last season. He averaged 7.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 25.7 minutes per game while shooting a career-best 54.1% from the field.
Huntley-Hatfield was originally a top-25 national recruit. He started 30 of 31 games for the Cardinals in 2023-24, recording four double-doubles and finishing among the ACC’s top 20 rebounders. His soft hands, improved footwork, and ability to stretch the floor with a developing mid-range game give NC State a true two-way force inside. Wade, who heavily recruited him during his Tennessee days, now gets another shot at unlocking Huntley-Hatfield’s full potential.
Jaquan Scott | Florida International
Jaquan Scott is 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds and is an interior bruiser with finesse. He is coming off a career-best season at FIU. At FIU, Scott averaged 9.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. And Scott did all of it while shooting 55.2% from the field and 70.6% from the free-throw line.
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Scott showed he could stretch the floor, too, hitting 15 threes at a 31.3% clip last year. He ranked second on FIU in rebounding and first in field-goal percentage, earning Conference USA Honorable Mention honours. His ability to guard multiple positions, crash the glass, and finish strong at the rim makes him an ideal glue guy in Wade’s fast, physical system.
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