First-year NC State basketball head coach Will Wade landed a major piece through the transfer portal last week, securing former Texas Tech standout forward Darrion Williams. Williams becomes the Wolfpack’s seventh transfer addition, joining a 2025-26 recruiting class that also features four incoming freshmen.
“This move makes them a preseason top 25 team, in my opinion,” said The Field of 68’s Rob Dauster on Tuesday morning, highlighting the impact of Williams’ arrival. A few hours later, Dauster followed through on that assessment, slotting NC State in at No. 25 in his updated preseason rankings.
Meanwhile, it’s notable that NC State’s Tobacco Road rival, North Carolina, didn’t crack Rob Dauster’s top 25 at all. The Tar Heels face growing skepticism about their roster heading into next season, as fifth-year head coach Hubert Davis has seen the departure of several key contributors and has yet to secure a transfer ranked higher than No. 36 this offseason.
As for the ACC landscape, Dauster sees NC State as the third-best team in the conference. He has Louisville slotted at No. 5 and Duke at No. 8 in his rankings, underscoring the rising stock of the Wolfpack under Wade.
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