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RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men’s basketball team plays its first of two exhibition games ahead of the 2026-27 regular season Sunday when it faces Mississippi State inside the First Horizon Center in Greensboro.
Tipoff against the Bulldogs is scheduled for 4:000 p.m.
There will be no television or streaming option, but Voice of the Pack Matt Chazanow and analyst – and former Pack great – Chucky Brown will call the action on the Wolfpack Sports Network.
Welcome Home, Justin Gainey
– Justin Gainey was announced on March 31, 2026 as the 22nd head coach in NC State men’s basketball history.
– A former NC State lettermen, Gainey appeared in 128 games during his NC State career, making 103 starts. His 344 career assists ranked among the program’s top 10 when he graduated and currently stands 15th in school history.
– Known for his relentless defensive presence, Gainey recorded nine steals against Virginia on March 10, 2000, a number that still ranks second for a single game in program history and remains the ACC Tournament single-game record.
– He finished his career with 190 steals, fifth-most in the Wolfpack record books.
– Gainey ranks 12th all-time at NC State in games played (128), while his 103 starts and 3,835 minutes played both rank sixth in program history.
– Gainey brings 20 years of Division I coaching experience to his new role, including 14 years at the power conference level.
– He has spent the previous five seasons at the University of Tennessee, including the last four as Associate Head Coach under Rick Barnes.
– Gainey helped the Volunteers log a 134-48 (.736) record and reach the NCAA Tournament each season that he was on staff. During his tenure, Tennessee totaled four Sweet 16 berths and three Elite Eight appearances, as well as a pair of SEC titles (2022 tournament, 2024 regular season).
Pack Tracks
– Sunday will mark the first of two games in Greensboro for the Pack in the next two months. NC State will play rival North Carolina in the Tobacco Road Classic in Greensboro on Tuesday, Dec.15 in the First Horizon Center at 7 pm with the game televised on ESPN2.
– NC State only brings three players back from last season (Ven-Allen Lubin, Paul McNeil, Jr., and Zymichah Wilkins) and just two of those three appeared in a game, but the two players that played last
season that are back both set program records and led the ACC in individual offensive statistics.
– Junior guard Paul McNeill, Jr., last season tied a program record with 105 made three-pointers last season while his 42.7 three-point percentage led the ACC.
– Graduate forward Ven-Allen Lubin set a program record and led the ACC with a shooting percentage of 66.8 percent. Lubin’s field goal percentage ranked third in the NCAA last season and is tied for the fourth best single season field goal percentage in ACC history.
– Transfers Christian Hammond (Santa Clara) and Preston Edmead (Hofstra) both averaged double figures last season and led their teams to the NCAA Tournament.
– Graduate forward Kyle Evans led the NCAA in blocked shots (115) and blocks per game average (3.3) last season. He was a first-team All-Big West selection and Big West Defensive Player of the Year.
– Darius Adams is a transfer from Maryland who was a McDonald’s All-American in 2025. He started 28 games for the Terps last season and averaged 10.8 points per game.
NC State Series with Mississippi State
– Mississippi State and NC State have only met once in their history and it was 101 years ago during the 1925-26 season.
– The Bulldogs entered the Pack’s season with a 32-29 win in Atlanta in the Southern Conference Tournament.
– The 1925-26 NC State team finished with a record of 20-4.