WATCH: Around Raleigh With Coach Wade: Paul McNeil (with transcript)

NC State Men’s Basketball released their next episode of Around Raleigh With Coach Wade yesterday. Coach Wade sat down with Guard Paul McNeil, who is the only player who returned from last year’s roster. You can read the transcript below, and watch the video underneath.

WW: Welcome back to our next episode of Around Raleigh. We’re here with Paul McNeil. It’s really around NC State today. We’re back on campus today. We’re at the Bronze Wolves, right across from the Free Expression Tunnel, right next to the Talley Student Union.

Thought that was appropriate for Paul. He’s as NC State as it comes, from Richmond High School, right down the road. Somebody who loves NC State, committed to NC State early on, stayed with us through the coaching transition here. We’re really, really excited to have Paul with us.

Talk a little bit about your high school career. Specifically, I know, in between your sophomore and junior years, your high school coach would bring you in the gym and basically lock you in the gym. That’s how you became a good shooter. Talk a little bit about the impact that he had on you, and how it was growing up.

PM: Being a young freshman, I didn’t really know the way of building confidence. My coach really believed in me. He told me that, you know, just take how ever many shots you want to take, you’re going to live with it. That really helped me build my confidence.

Helped me build my confidence. I was shy. I was so humble. I was quiet, but he always believed in me. I also had my AAU coach down there. Helped me build my confidence. During that transition, it was just kind of hard for me, because I didn’t want to be called selfish or whatever, but I had to learn the way that I wanted to be the man. I’m trying to be the man, so I got to do what the man do.

WW: They give you a lot of credit for, that’s why you’re such a good shooter now, is that you basically just locked the doors in the gym. Nobody could get in. It was you and coach, and the basketball. How did that shape you into becoming the shooter that you are?

PM: I think they fully understood who I was and what I was trying to do. Our school didn’t stay open for so long, so I had to close the gates. The janitor would always open it up for me and let me come in.

Mr. Anthony, shout out to Mr. Anthony. They were just understanding of who I was, and what I was trying to do. They let me be free.

It really helped me be the basketball player I am today.

WW: Let’s talk about that 71-point high school game. Let’s go through that. Did you, you know, eat your Wheaties or something before the game? What was different on that night? What was going through your head as you were getting them buckets?

PM: It’s the preparation. That’s a lot of buckets. Your body’s got to be really ready for it.

I’m not saying I was expecting it, but during the game, I was just feeling hot. The year before that, I’d seen the record last year and I wanted to break it. When that game came, that team just had to get 71 dropped on them. .

It was nothing really planned. Just having that mindset, preparation, listening to my music, coming in, you know. I was really focused. I really liked feeling it that night, so it kind of just happened.

WW: I’ll say this. I mean, you absolutely love this place, and you have a great pride about this place. You’ve talked to our team about that. That’s one reason that, you know, I was excited that you chose to stay with us. I could tell in that first team meeting the pride you have about NC State, but talk about, you know, why you chose to come here and kind of how you developed that sense of pride in the Wolfpack.

PM: I really felt we were underdogs, man, and we was really disrespected, you know what I’m saying, and as a man, you have pride and an ego, and you don’t want to be disrespected in nowhere you go. I want us to really take that next step, to that next level.

I feel like when you came, and the staff came, and the new environment came around, it was going to be best for us to really get to that top, but making my decision to come here was kind of, it was kind of tough, but easy at the same time, because I knew I wanted to go.

It was close to home for my people to catch the games, because my mom never really caught none of my basketball games. I’m in college right down the road, I knew she could catch most of the games, so that really played a big factor in why I committed here, and the culture here. We go to the football games, basketball games, the softball games, baseball games, like the culture here was just amazing, so I wanted to stay.

WW: Yeah, you tell everybody. He’s been talking up this ECU football game. He’s been telling me about all the tailgating and everything, so we’re going to see if it lives up to the hype. He’s been talking it up now, so it’ll be good.

We’re looking forward to beating ECU. We’re looking forward to the football team getting off to a good start. Let’s talk, you know, transitioning to NC State your freshman year. Struggled early on, like most freshmen do, but then the last 10 games of the year, you’re playing as well as anybody in the conference. Let’s talk about that transition into your freshman year, and then what allowed you to really come on strong those last 10 games, and we certainly hope that can be a springboard into this sophomore season.

It was really just the transition, the game speed. High school’s more slow.

The way we played was 94 feet, picking it up, you know. I never really played 94 feet, so a lot of things I had to adjust to, had to learn, and it was really frustrating, because I was really trying my hardest, and it really wasn’t working for me. It was kind of frustrating and hard. You get down to yourself. It was really hard for me conditioning-wise.

I wasn’t really in shape, but I got in shape. Learning the plays, a lot of plays you’ve got to learn, a lot of switches. We were doing defensive concepts.

I understood my role, but it got to a point where I really had to say, ‘I really want to play. This is what I really want to do,’ and the last 10 games was really just like a showing that I can really play at this level. My confidence was getting back right and building, so really just being dedicated and really working to get what I needed, so the coaches could see that I was really working.

I really, really wanted to play.

WW: You’ve been working hard this summer. You’ve changed your body a little bit, and, you know, your shot’s looking good. Talk about your work this summer. and what our fans can expect to see from you for this sophomore campaign based on how hard you’ve worked this summer, and all the dedication that you put in.

PM: The offseason’s really been good for me, just getting my body stronger and better, just doing what I need to do. When I was lacking, you know, I feel like I’m not lacking any more.

I’ve been working real hard. I’m really proud of what the staff has done for me, and what God really has offered me to do what I do. It’s going to be a fun season.

WW: It’s going to be great. You’ve worked extremely hard this summer. We’re really proud of Paul and all the work that he’s put in.

He’s going to take right off from where he was at the end of his freshman season, and really excited to follow his growth this sophomore year, and to see a whole season like those last 10 games.

Thank you so much for joining us on this episode of Around Raleigh.

P2 talks about his high school career, his record-breaking night, and the work he’s put in this offseason.

Episode 8 of Around Raleigh with Coach Wade is live! pic.twitter.com/OhIoce2Y9M

— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) August 19, 2025