NC State guard Paul McNeil Jr. met with the media at the ACC Tip-Off in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he discussed his decision to stay at NC State, the upcoming season, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
What was it like going through the process and ultimately deciding to return to NC State?
I wanted to get that feel again and see what it was like. Obviously, it was a bit stressful, talking to other people and getting in touch with other coaches.
But obviously, it's going to be an interesting year because it's going to be harder work and getting more work done.
Do you feel like your game is ready for that next step? You've been known as a shooter and a scorer, but you clearly have the potential to become a go-to guy. How ready do you feel?
I'm definitely ready. All glory to God, but I feel like my work ethic is going to show a lot.
Since high school, I've always been a scorer. When you get into college, you might have a different role. If you want to play, you've got to understand your role and understand what the coach wants you to do.
If it's just shoot threes, Coach, I've got you. If it's three-and-D, I've got you, Coach. If it's pass-the-ball, I've got you.
I feel like it's already instilled in me. It just hasn't come out yet. It's going to come out soon.
How much have you gotten to know Coach Justin Gainey?
I feel like I've been with him throughout this. He's been a man, a family man. He's been a genuine person.
Obviously, when we're on the court, we have to do certain things. But I'm more appreciative of how he carries the team. We're all very positive with the team.
We're always showing up for Coach Gainey, and Coach Gainey is always showing up for us. That's my big thing. We're always going to make it work.
How important has it been for you to develop as an all-around player, so you're not seen as just a shooter but also as a shot creator and someone who can create gravity for other players?
It means a lot. I did a lot over the summer and put in a lot of offseason work.
Even from my freshman year with Brett Nelson, and then last summer, we kind of harped on that. You'd rather be an all-around scorer than just a shooter.
Now we've got Riley Collins. Riley is a phenomenal trainer and a phenomenal person, too.
How much has Riley Collins helped keep that going for you and keep you motivated? He's an assistant coach, but he's also somebody who's there for you personally.
Obviously, he's got a pretty good game, too. He can play ball, too.
I feel like he's been around a lot of great players and pros. I tell my guys, it's just wisdom and knowledge. Give it to me.
He understands the game. He understands spacing. He understands what you've got to do as an offensive player.
What has it done for your mindset to have to adjust to several different coaches, cultures, and systems?
It builds you up as a person.
Many coaches teach the same things. You understand the bigger picture and gain knowledge. It's real day-to-day now.
It does hurt as a kid, as a young kid, when coaches leave and teammates leave. They're people you've really built relationships with.
But that's how life works. It's going to make you a better person.
You can tell you have joy in you. You seem happy. What's it like being here, and what gives you that type of joy?
We're all here. Even y'all being here, that's a blessing in itself.
You can't be mad at it. It's what we all kind of wanted in our lives. I can only be grateful.
There are a lot of kids who wish they were in this position, and they're not. They don't know where they're going with this.
I'm speaking not only for myself but also for the university; I'm speaking for the kids who can't be here also. The low-major kids—kids who want to play basketball or be in college—I'm speaking for them too, not just myself.
It's great. You've got to be joyful.
Was NC State joyful when you told them you were coming back?
It was definitely joyful. It was definitely fun.
I didn't realize how many people really wanted me to come back here. I went back on campus and started taking pictures and talking to people. I didn't really realize that.
I was like, "Dang, this is kind of crazy." It was amazing.
There's a sense of gratitude from NC State fans. This will be your third coach, but you've stuck it out. What does it mean that they appreciate you not only for your talent, but also for your character and loyalty?
I was raised with loyalty. It shows my loyalty to the school.
I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Obviously, if things hadn't gone as planned, I might not be here. But it just felt different.
I didn't want to leave them behind or make them hurt more than they were already hurting.
It definitely shows my loyalty to the school here.
How deep is this team? Is it like Noah's Ark — you've got two of everything?
Yeah, definitely two of everything. We've got a lot of guys.
We've got Preston Edmead, who shoots lights out. Christian Hammond shoots lights out.
A lot of people talk about Darius Adams. Darius is going to show people. He's going to show the world. He's going to be right next to me.
We've got Zymicah Wilkins, who didn't play his freshman year. He's going to take a big step forward.
We've got Robert Jurkovic. A lot of people are going to talk about Rob. Rob can shoot the ball.
We've got a lot of guys who can shoot the ball.
We've got Shah Hall. Shah is so athletic and can block shots.
We've got a lot of good guys.
I think we're going to be pretty good.
Shoutout to my freshman, Kingston Whitty. He's got guys like me, Preston, and Christian to help him throughout the year, so he can learn and become a better player this year and next year.
At the end of the day, he's also got to come into his own.
It's the same thing with Jacari Brim. Jacari is good. He's always in the gym, always working, and always getting treatment, showing how it's supposed to be done. He's really good.
We've got a lot of experience, too. We can use that to our advantage. I think it's going to work out for us, especially with R.J. Keene II being there.
With Justin Gainey beginning his head-coaching career, do you feel a responsibility to put your best foot forward so he can get off to a good start? It's not just about your career but his, too.
I want him to have a great season. This is going to be his first year. There's probably a lot of pressure on him.
Coach knows I said, "We've got your back, dawg."
We're together. We're so connected. Don't worry about anything.
When you fall, we fall with you, and then we pick you back up. When we fall, he can pick us back up.
We're all in this one, man.
I want him to know that we love him. We love him to death, man.
He's been an assistant coach all those years. This is his first actual head-coaching job.
We've got to make it right for him.
