Wolfpack Poised For Another Key Frontcourt Visit

South Dakota State Jackrabbits forward Damon Wilkinson (34) passes the ball to a teammate during the second half against the Kansas City Roos on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings, South Dakota. Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wolfpack Poised For Another Key Frontcourt Visit

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Apr 30, 2026 6:00 AM ET

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RALEIGH — NC State men's basketball coach Justin Gainey took over a program that had very little hope of retaining any of its players from the 2025-26 season following the departure of former coach Will Wade. However, the new leader of the Wolfpack has diligently assembled a new group at his alma mater and continues to search for new dogs to add to his first pack.

The frontcourt was always going to be a priority at NC State, no matter who became the next head coach. In fact, it's been a priority for nearly every program around the country after everyone watched Michigan dominate the paint en route to a National Championship, taking over the nation and the Big 10. The Pack might not reach those heights in year one under Gainey, but the latest frontcourt target might help the team compete quicker than some might expect if he joins up.

Who is Damon Wilkinson?

Damon with a great move in the post & he's got another bucket!#GoJacks pic.twitter.com/kAP02CrQgD
— Jackrabbit Men’s Basketball (@GoJacksMBB) December 5, 2024

The Wolfpack will reportedly host South Dakota State sophomore center Damon Wilkinson for a visit Thursday, assuming the former Jackrabbit doesn't commit to another school before arriving in Raleigh. He averaged 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his second collegiate season, bringing his totals way up at a solid low-major program.

At 6-foot-10, Wilkinson possesses the positional size NC State is looking for, especially if it can play a little bit of the offense/defense game with the SDSU big man and its previous transfer addition, Kyle Evans, the nation's leading shot blocker out of UC Irvine. The Wolfpack could use a low-post operator, which Wilkinson could easily be after shooting 58.9% from the field last season.

Wilkinson would be a less athletic option than Evans, certainly. With the Jackrabbits, he leaned on his soft touch around the basket and a nice hook shot to do most of his damage, although he was often playing against undersized or inferior competition. That obviously wouldn't be the case in the ACC, should Wilkinson decide to join Gainey and the Wolfpack for his junior year.

Still, NC State needs frontcourt depth and there aren't many options around in the transfer portal at this point after the nationwide arms race saw ridiculous prices for big men earlier in the month. The Wolfpack missed on a couple of frontcourt pieces in Anton Bonke and Taylor Bol Bowen earlier in the process. Can it seal the deal and get the productive Jackrabbit on board?

This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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