NC State signee Paul McNeil ‘ready’ to join the Pack this summer
GREENSBORO, N.C. — After dazzling gyms all over the state of North Carolina for the last four years, NC State signee Paul McNeil did it one more time at the Josh Level Classic on Saturday night.
McNeil, a four-star guard and the No. 52 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking, took the court alongside other elite talent from the state, and he dropped 17 points with four rebounds and three assists in front of a lively crowd inside Grimsley High’s gymnasium. While he will still play in the East-West All Star Game later this summer, McNeil’s high school career has come to a close.
The next stop? Moving in at NC State in late June.
“I’m very excited, man,” McNeil said of finally joining the Wolfpack. “When I committed, I was a youngin. Now, I’m older, so it’s that time to get right.”
The Richmond (N.C.) Senior High standout finished his high school career with 2,429 points, 863 rebounds and 391 steals in his four-year varsity career. McNeil averaged a career-best 31.7 points a game during his senior year, highlighted by his state record 71 points in January.
McNeil broke the 73-year-old record on 28-of-49 shooting, including a 10-for-26 mark from behind the three-point line, in the Raiders’ 118-52 win over Lee County. That dominant effort all but cemented McNeil’s legacy in the North Carolina high school basketball history.
“It was just something special,” Richmond coach Donald Pettigrew told TheWolfpacker.com at the time. “I’m so happy for him. He came with that mindset where he’s going to score, be ready to play. It was just something special to see. We don’t realize how amazing it is. It’s unreal.”
While McNeil’s name sits atop the state record book for his all-time performance on the court, that is not what he wants to be remembered by moving forward. Instead, McNeil hopes his time at his local high school is documented as representing his hometown.
“I tried to be the hometown hero,” McNeil said. “You can stay at your high school, stay at your public school and you can get highly recruited. Coming where I come from, small town, small county, it’s a blessing.”
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Now, McNeil will be able to represent Richmond 90 miles up the road at NC State when he takes the court during the 2024-25 season. He will be one of two true freshmen — three-star guard Trey Parker is also set to arrive in Raleigh — on a veteran-laden team.
The 6-foot-6 small forward will be surrounded by a talented bunch on the floor, including most of the core pieces from the Pack’s Final Four run. While there is a group of experienced transfers also arriving on campus with McNeil, he does not view them as competition, rather he wants to pick their brains.
“It’s great just knowing that we’ve got great wings coming in, good mentors to help us out, that’s great for the team,” McNeil said. “We need the older guys. They have that experience. They can give me wisdom and knowledge. I can use that and come out better.”
There will be plenty of competition for playing time on the wing, a spot McNeil will slide into when he dons a Wolfpack jersey for the first time. But he carries a simple mindset for his freshman season: be a great teammate.
“I want to be the greatest teammate I can be,” McNeil said. “Listen to the guys, listen to the coaches [and] be a great kid.”
With his arrival date to Raleigh looming, McNeil wore a big smile thinking about his future. He wants to continue the Pack’s upward momentum, and McNeil has the skill set to do so.
“It’s great, man,” McNeil said. “I’m ready.”
