Getting to Know the Latest NC State Men's Basketball Additions

Christian Hammond, a guard transfer from Santa Clara, has something in common with his new head coach in Gainey. Both played for veteran coach Herb Sendek, with Gainey playing under Sendek when he led the Wolfpack in the 1990s. Now, it'll be a reunion of sorts for Sendek and Gainey through the talented guard.

The second guard the Pack added was Hofstra's Preston Edmead. Both of his older brothers played Division I basketball (Wagner, North Carolina A&T and Merrimack), but Preston is the first in the family to reach the high-major level.

The Wolfpack is getting a true glue guy, both by self-proclamation and by individual performance, in Boise State transfer RJ Keene. His Twitter bio reads "glue guy," meaning he will inevitably be a fan-favorite in Raleigh despite never filling up the stat sheet in a traditional manner. He also has a relationship with one of his new teammates and former NC State forward Darrion Williams.

That new teammate is former Texas Tech and Washington State forward Eemeli Yalaho, who is set to join the Pack after his best collegiate season with the Cougars in Pullman. Yalaho, Williams and Keene all met up for a trip in San Diego not long after the 2025-26 season ended for the three players.

Darius Adams was recruited by Gainey when the latter was still coaching at Tennessee, so there was an existing comfort and relationship that drew the former McDonald's All-American to Raleigh. While his first collegiate season didn't go as well as he'd hoped, Adams should be in a position for significant growth working under Gainey.

The other frontcourt addition, joining Yalaho, was the nation's leading shot blocker during the 2025-26 season. Kyle Evans is a remarkable athlete at 6-foot-10 and could change NC State's defense quickly.

List of new Wolfpack players

Find all the social media info for NC State's newest faces right here.