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NC State lands commitment from Finnish G Jayme Kontuniemi

image_6483441 (3)by:Noah Fleischman•05/23/25•

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Jayme Kontuniemi
(Photo courtesy of Jayme Kontuniemi)

NC State’s international recruiting class continues to grow. The Wolfpack landed a commitment from Drive Academy (Finland) guard Jayme Kontuniemi on Friday afternoon, TheWolfpacker.com has confirmed.

Kontuniemi took an official visit to Raleigh last week before he made his decision to commit to NC State over the likes of a pair of junior college programs. He has four years of eligibility and is expected to be a walk-on for the 2025-26 season.

“Coming from out here in the North, it feels surreal to be able to be on calls and be seen, and really be recognized at that level,” Kontuniemi said after his visit. “The amount of appreciation I have for the coaching staff at NC State is unimaginable.”

NC State coach Will Wade was Kontuniemi’s primary recruiter, while assistant Adam Howard played a key role as well. They were able to show Kontuniemi the close-knit bond that the entire program had, which seemed to help secure his commitment.

“The relationship between teammates and the coaching staff, they were really big on making it seem like we were a big family,” Kontuniemi said. “That’s really important to me. Being on a team that everybody is working for one goal — to make the team win and to have the best possible turnout — was the biggest part they were trying to sell to me.”

Kontuniemi averaged 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in the European Youth Basketball League last season. He is expected to be a developmental piece of the Wolfpack’s future, joining a freshman class alongside Tampa (Fla.) Sagemont Prep four-star guard Matt Able, Arden (N.C.) Christ School four-star forward Mikey Wilkins and Congolese center Paul Mbiya.

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