Hubert Davis’ Tar Heels might not be the best men’s basketball team in North Carolina in 2025-26, thanks to a longstanding rival down the road.
North Carolina and head coach Hubert Davis are reloading their roster this offseason, striving to put a turbulent 2024-25 campaign behind the blue-blood program. However, they’ve arguably been outdone by the school’s crosstown rival, NC State, and first-year leader Will Wade.
Wade is riding high after guiding McNeese State to its first-ever NCAA tournament win and parlaying that into an opportunity with the Wolfpack.
He’s wasted no time settling into his new home in Raleigh, adding eight talented players during this recruiting cycle. NC State is set to look quite different this coming season, simultaneously making Davis and the Tar Heels look bad.
Will Wade is quickly building a Wolfpack squad that can challenge Hubert Davis’ Tar Heels for the best team in North Carolina
NC State landed blue-chip guard Matt Albe, the program’s first five-star prospect since one-and-done standout Dennis Smith Jr. committed to the Wolfpack in 2015. His signing came less than a month after Wade was hired, and he comes along with a strong group of transfers.
Clearly, Wade won over the McNeese State locker room, considering two transfers, guards Alyn Breed and Quadir Copeland, are following him to NC State. A knee injury limited the former to two games in 2024-25, though he averaged 17.5 points on .522/.500/1.000 shooting splits in the limited sample size. The latter was instrumental to the Cowboys’ March Madness victory over Clemson, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Terrance Arceneaux was a key reserve for a Houston squad that reached its first national championship game since 1984 this season. Head coach Kelvin Sampson relied on his versatility and athleticism for a group that finished first in KenPom’s defensive rating. Now, he’ll serve a similar role for Wade and the Wolfpack.
Moreover, Wade poached Tre Holloman from legendary coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State, a massive get for the Wolfpack. The rising senior took on leadership responsibilities for the Spartans last season, which shouldn’t be taken lightly. But he’s now headed to NC State and will look to help them return to the Final Four like they did in 2024.
NC State has more four-star transfers than North Carolina, thanks to Wade. Meanwhile, Davis and the Tar Heels are patching things up after RJ Davis exhausted his eligibility and five-star recruit Ian Jackson left for St. John’s.
