‘It was my dream school’: Inside Khamil Pierre’s unique offseason transfer to NC State

As NC State sophomore guard Zamareya Jones sat on the dias at ACC Tipoff inside the Hilton Uptown Charlotte in early October, her eyes lit up when posed a simple question: “Who on the team maybe the media aren't talking enough about but you think after a couple of games everyone is going to know this name?” the conference moderator asked on the league's media day.  Jones, a fiery guard with a knack of scoring on all three levels, was quick to respond. She didn’t pick a returning player from the Wolfpack’s Sweet 16 finish a year ago, rather Jones chose to highlight Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre.  “A lot of people know she came from Vanderbilt, but I don't feel like she got the recognition she really needed at Vanderbilt,” Jones said, “so I feel like her coming here, she's definitely going to show people she's like that.” Pierre, who earned preseason All-ACC honors going into her first season at NC State, believed she’d be spending this season at Vanderbilt, just like she did for the previous two years. But a tumultuous summer changed those plans, altering the course of her career in the process.  Now, after averaging 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds on 49.8 percent shooting from the field in her breakout sophomore campaign with the Commodores as one of the SEC’s best, Pierre is set to be an integral part of the Wolfpack’s quest for a national championship.  Her journey to NC State, however, wasn’t a smooth one. It came with bumps in the road, including questioning her future in the sport, but the star power forward is ready to shine in Raleigh. “I think a lot of people will have their own opinion on you, and almost make you doubt yourself, but I think in my time in the SEC if I figured out anything, it’s that I’m more than capable, regardless of what people think,” Pierre, a 2024-25 WBCA honorable mention All-American, told The Wolfpacker.com in an exclusive interview.  “Obviously it’s just business out here, but that’s why I’m excited to come to a new conference because I understand I was able to perform at a very high level in the top conference, so I’m very confident that it will translate here.”