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NC State Continues Hosting In-State Talent on Unofficial Visits

The Wolfpack brought in Myers Park forward Thomas Vickery for an unofficial visit earlier in the week.
Tucker Sennett|
Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack ball during the second half of the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack ball during the second half of the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — NC State men's basketball finds itself in a transitional state for the second straight offseason, but the new regime is starting to get its feet under it after a month at the helm. First-year head coach Justin Gainey went to work, quickly assembling a solid staff and then bringing in a host of talented transfers to pair with some key returners for the 2026-27 season.

While competing right away is important for Gainey and the new transfer class, building for the future is also at the forefront of the new coach's plans. That was made evident by not one, but two high-profile high school visits (both unofficial) over the last week. One of those players was Myers Park (N.C.) forward Thomas Vickery, a fringe four-star. What does his visit mean for the Pack?

Building for the future and the present

Hosting both Vickery and five-star forward CJ Rosser in the same week indicates that Gainey wants to make good on his promise that the Wolfpack will try to dominate in-state recruiting as much as possible as long as he's running things. Keeping players in Raleigh and in the state can be a programmatic goal that Gainey can hang his hat on for as many years as he's leading his alma mater.

As for Vickery as a player, he's floated in between three-star and four-star status, landing as the former with Rivals and the latter with 247Sports. As a junior at Myers Park, Vickery really started to gain some traction nationally, averaging 18.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in the 2025-26 campaign. Those numbers put him on the map for many programs around the country, including Gainey while he was still at Tennessee working for Rick Barnes.

Justin Gainey
NC State men's basketball coach Justin Gainey speaks during his introductory press conference on April 1, 2026. | Courtesy of NC State Athletics

Vickery received an offer from Will Wade and the previous NC State staff, but they weren't the only program to take a strong look at the forward. Vickery also holds offers from Clemson, Cal, Wake Forest, Tennessee, Mississippi State and Virginia, among some other programs in the area. It's unclear where else the rising high school senior has visited unofficially at this point, but getting him to Raleigh represents a nice win for Gainey and the new staff at NC State.

Whether there's strong interest for the 2027 forward remains to be seen, but Vickery felt like the Wolfpack might be worth taking a closer look at before he enters the final stages of his recruiting process. Only time will tell if the visit manifests into anything larger.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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