6’10 Forward James Scott, from Ole Miss, is entering the portal and NC State is expected to make a push

If you’ve been following along, this is the guy we’ve been hoping would enter.

NEW: Ole Miss forward James Scott is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports.https://t.co/RR569GROeG pic.twitter.com/1kKBwpA2Mk

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 23, 2026

In the first installment of our portal updates, we mentioned that if 6’10 forward James Scott enters, NC State would likely be in line for his services. We reiterated that just this past week.

Scott was at Louisville two years ago and was all but a member of last year’s Wolfpack before Ole Miss jumped in at the last second. We were told the staff loved him, and his underlying metrics were the perfect fit an ACC 4 man.

Now, at the last possible second, he’s back on the market, and the Wolfpack has an open slot at the 4 after landing Preston Edmead and Christian Hammond (as their guards) along with Kyle Evans at center.

I expect NC State to jump in here pretty fast and become one of the many suitors Scott will have.

Last year didn’t go according to plan for the 6’10 rising senior. Ole Miss was a mess all season long, and Scott was only getting 17 minutes per game after getting over 23 at Louisville. This was interesting, as the metrics were pretty clear that Scott was a guy who profiled to break out with increased playing time.

Scott was playing limited minutes, and Ole Miss was one of the bigger disappointments in the nation, but they eventually found their footing in the SEC Tournament and made a nice run, losing in the semis to Arkansas after winning 3 games in 3 days.

So what was the difference?

James Scott suddenly started logging major minutes. Over that winning streak, he averaged 29 minutes, which coincided with him grabbing 41 rebounds over that span.

It’s also worth noting that Paul McNeil Jr has a longstanding relationship with Scott.

Stay tuned, there will definitely be more to this story.