NC State · Preseason expectations
What to expect from NC State in 2026–27
The starter projections, graded all season on the projection tracker. Below: what the two exhibitions showed.
Starter projections
Exhibitions are not graded.
Exhibition signals
Exhibition
NC State 77, Mississippi State 73
October 18 · vs. Mississippi State
Exhibition NC State 130, Lenoir-Rhyne 66
October 24 · vs. Lenoir-Rhyne
| Player | Starter projection PPG | Exhibition PPG | Exh. MPG | Exh. FGA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul McNeil Jr. | 14.9 | 19.5 | 28.5 | 12.0 |
| Ven-Allen Lubin | 12.4 | 17.5 | 24.5 | 4.5 |
| Preston Edmead | 11.0 | 9.0 | 22.5 | 5.0 |
| Darius Adams | 9.0 | 11.5 | 28.5 | 8.0 |
| Christian Hammond | 8.0 | 6.5 | 22.0 | 5.5 |
| Eemeli Yalaho | 6.3 | 7.5 | 16.5 | 3.0 |
| Kyle Evans | 4.8 | 4.5 | 14.5 | 3.5 |
| Kingston Whitty | 4.0 | 14.0 | 15.0 | 5.0 |
| Robert Jurkovic | 3.0 | 8.0 | 11.5 | 3.5 |
| Zymicah Wilkins | 2.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 4.0 |
| R.J. Keene II | 1.5 | 4.0 | 9.5 | 2.5 |
- Same starting five in both games: McNeil, Edmead, Adams, Lubin, Evans.
- Leading scorer: Paul McNeil Jr., 19.5 PPG in 28.5 minutes.
- Biggest minutes swing: Kingston Whitty, DNP, then 15 min.
- One appearance: Whitty (vs. Lenoir-Rhyne), Hall (vs. Mississippi State), Brim (vs. Lenoir-Rhyne), Emuobor (vs. Lenoir-Rhyne).
- Bench minutes: 6 and 8 reserves played in the two games.
All numbers are recorded by hand from the official gopack.com box scores linked on each game page.