#1 recruit, #3 class. N.C. State is here.

A wise philosopher once opined: Real G’s move in silence like Lasagna.

Will Wade and staff might be assembling the best pasta bake in the country.

It’s been difficult to follow Wade’s recruiting focus this offseason. They've kept things close to the vest. Silently, methodically, this group has been seemingly linked to every portal recruit and none of them at the same time.

Many people who root against N.C. State - and some that root for them - have confused a lack of public information for a lack of effective work taking place behind the scenes. Takes like this one continue to age like year old milk exposed to the sun in the Sahara:

Out of that silence emerged a clear big name that State was in great shape for: P.J. Haggerty.

At the start of last week, it seemed like a lock that Haggerty would end up in Raleigh, so much so that multiple media members and outlets posted public predictions. It also seemed probable that Darrion Williams was Kansas bound - this 247 ​article​ published at 11 AM on Thursday described Williams as a strong Jayhawk lean that was likely to be locked up soon.

~7 hours later, seemingly out of nowhere, State lands Williams. The top guy on their board, bar none. The number one player in the portal according to EvanMiya.com.

If you’d like to continue to poke fun or doubt what’s happening in Raleigh, feel free, but this isn’t little Ole N.C. State any longer.

There's having a good first offseason. Then there's this.

For State fans, Darrion Williams is the kind of recruit that has traditionally been inaccessible.

The guy that pops into the portal or comes through the high school ranks, and you think “Man, he’d be a hell of a fit here, but there’s literally no way.” Not this time.

Williams’ standing as one of the top transfer recruits this cycle stems from a well roundedness in his game that is rarely seen. He is very good at most every aspect of the game of basketball:

A 99th percentile type of player. State doesn’t get these dudes.

In the Trinity Road Times discord, Alec described "D5" as a true offensive hub - an excellent analogy.

At 6’6 and 230 pounds, he’s a sturdy wing who can slide anywhere in the lineup 1-4. Whatever you’ll ask of him, he’ll do:

• Can serve as an offensive initiator. Thrives in pick and roll/pop situations - as the facilitator or the scorer

• A career 38.5% three point shooter who excels at catch and shoot opportunities

• Can operate in the post with his back to the basket, looking to both score and pass

  
  

There's a highlight from Texas Tech's tournament run this year where D5 hits the DJ Burns special - backing down his defender into the mid post, tossing the ball out to adjust his position, and then reposting into a hook shot over a defender. I teared up a little watching.

His success on offense certainly stems from ability, but also from understanding. Williams has a phenomenal feel of angles and momentum in matchups against defenders.

Back to the basket, pick and roll situations, in transition - he’s got a deep bag of tools to score depending on the situation. And if you sell out on stopping him from scoring, he’s going to find a way to pass out of it and create something for a teammate. You should read more on D5's game in Alec's breakdown here.

The lone knock on D5 is his athleticism - he’s not the fastest or quickest, definitely not off the bounce. You won’t see him blow by any defenders on the way to the rim. He’s got two dunks in his college career, which is…odd, but not the end of the world by any means.

There is so. Freaking. Much. This guy does on offense. He’s not an incredible defender, but is replacement level or better in most categories. His rebounding and steal rates are respectable, and he’s not going to hurt you in a defense like Wade’s that is so focused on switching.

D5 is immediately the most productive player State has had in Raleigh since T.J. Warren in my opinion. Not talented - guys like Dennis Smith still exist - but certainly nobody with the production and on court impact of a guy like Williams.

This is a real photograph

There's three bigger picture themes I come back to on why this pickup is so impactful:

#1 - Williams makes everyone on this roster better.

The best players in basketball serve as a force multiplier for those around them. The versatility you'll get from Williams will unlock so much from everyone else.

You're hoping to see Terrance Arceneaux improve on his 33% 3-point shot - that gets easier. Snipers Jerry Deng, Paul McNeil, and Matt Able? When their defenders help off of them and onto Williams, they're getting open looks. Putting an assist creator like Tre Holloman - and/or Quadir Copeland - next to Williams gives you two elite creators, on the perimeter and in the paint.

Then there's leadership. D5 has been to multiple NCAA tournaments and was the reason Tech made the Elite Eight last year. Suddenly, this team full of "dogs," as Wade calls the guys he's looking for, has a potential starting line up of guys that have won NCAA tournament games.

You win in college basketball in 2025 by stockpiling talent, preferably older talent. Check and check.

#2 - N.C. State is serious about competing at the highest level.

Can you imagine telling yourself on March 1st that State would add Darrion Williams to its roster? That it would have the resources to do that, and add enough around him to amass the 3rd best transfer portal haul in the country?

Word on the street is that Williams really liked Kansas, and might've silently committed to them. Kansas is the premier Adidas basketball program, resourced as well as anyone, and they had a bigger need on their roster than State. None of that mattered in the end!

This is a shot across the bow to the rest of the college basketball world. There's not a recruit out there that's unrealistic for State any longer. We haven't put a year of results together with Wade and we're already doing this.

I was curious what Will Wade's hire would do for State's NIL funding. I knew there'd be an uptick, but how much? Well, enough to land an elite class featuring Darrion Williams is a great sign.

You don't land D5 alongside the talent in this class without organizational buy-in and competency. Competency might be a funny word to use here, but with how much dysfunction exists in athletic departments and programs today, this is a legitimate development to be excited about.

One person I spoke with who operates in the agent world said "Will Wade gets what he wants." There are no unrealistic recruits for State anymore.

#3 - From the basement of the ACC, to its Class.

I was confident Will Wade would do extraordinary things on the recruiting trail. I did not expect this type of nuclear success so quickly.

State has now put together the 13th best portal class according to 247. It’s sitting at #3 according to Evan Miya’s analytically driven portal rankings. This class has five players in the top 140 of his transfer portal rankings. It also includes 5 star high school recruit Matt Able, guys like Alyn Breed and Jerry Deng that have high level traits and upside, and international guys like Paul Mbiya who push the ceiling for this team even higher.

Wade looked into a camera 59 days ago and made a promise. That it wouldn’t take long to flip this thing around. That we’d be competing in the NCAA tournament. You could almost hear a collective gasp from the fan base when those words were spoken. That’s big talk for a guy who just got here.

From where we sit today, making the NCAA tournament seems like an afterthought. State has pieced together one of the top four rosters in the ACC. It has an enticing blend of proven production and high upside players up and down the lineup.

Of course, championships are not won in May, and we can talk about these things as fans with the understanding that the work is just beginning. Chickens cannot be counted before they hatch.

However excited we are about N.C. State basketball and Will Wade’s impact, I’m not sure we’re fully processing and giving enough credit for it. The Wolfpack were the doormat of the ACC in 2024. They’re a threat to win the ACC and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament today.

As I talked about a few weeks ago, patience is a virtue. Good things usually take time. There are a single digit number of teams that have done better than what State has done in the portal, and that number might be smaller in hindsight once we see how the next few days play out.

Time has passed, and this team looks scary. The warning shot has been fired. State is here to compete right now.