Was Vanderbilt transfer F Khamil Pierre’s addition a 'miracle'? NC State coach Wes Moore thinks so

NC State coach Wes Moore was critical of his offseason adventures in the transfer portal. He and his staff brought four forwards and wings on campus for official visits, but were only able to land one through that process: UConn guard Qadence Samuels.

A lot of it had to do with his desire to retain nearly his entire roster from last season’s run to the Sweet 16, so when it came time to adding outside talent, NC State was outbid on a consistent basis. Moore, the Pack’s 13th-year coach, said he wasn’t a great general manager, but it seemed like God was looking out for him this summer. 

NC State, which had just 10 players on its roster, wanted to find one more forward to add to the mix. Moore initially thought he’d have to look in the international ranks with a month left before the first day of classes in Raleigh. But then, by a stroke of possible luck, one of the top young forwards in the nation was available: Vanderbilt’s Khamil Pierre, who averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds last season.

Pierre, who flirted with entering the transfer portal this offseason, left the Commodores program earlier this month by surprise to nearly everyone in the nation. Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph announced the move July 1, calling it “best for Khamil and our program to go in different directions.” She never went into the portal, instead, decided to apply to schools on her own, becoming a walk-on so she would be immediately eligible to play this season.

NC State was one of the handful of schools that Pierre applied to. She was admitted and quickly decided that the Wolfpack was the right program for her to continue her collegiate career. Pierre officially committed to NC State on July 15, exactly two weeks after she departed Vanderbilt’s program, and signed with the Wolfpack the same day.

“I think the good Lord looked down on me and said, ‘OK you dumb butt, you totally messed up this portal thing. Here, let me help you out a little bit,’” Moore said with a laugh Wednesday. “Khamil’s somebody we recruited out of high school and had a good relationship with. … I think pretty quickly she made it clear that she wanted to be at NC State.”

Since it wasn’t the usual transfer recruiting process, Moore and his staff couldn’t talk to Pierre until she was admitted to NC State. But as she looked at her potential options, the ability to play significant minutes with the Wolfpack appeared to be a major selling point in her decision-making process.

Pierre, an All-SEC freshman team selection in the 2023-24 campaign, was the perfect fit for NC State. The Wolfpack lacked depth at the forward spot with only junior Maddie Cox as the other option. Adding Pierre, a proven scorer and rebounder to the mix, was divine intervention, Moore believed. 

“It wasn’t a very long, drawn out process,” Moore said. “It was a miracle the way it all worked out.”

Pierre, who also considered the likes of Michigan State and North Carolina among others, felt Moore and the Wolfpack was the place to be for her.

“Coach Wes has built a great culture at NC State,” Pierre told On3’s Talia Goodman. “It’s become one of the powerhouses in the ACC, and I’m excited to be part of such a strong program and coaching staff.”

While Pierre will have to earn her role once she arrives on campus ahead of the first day of classes on Aug. 18, she projects to start in the front court. The 6-foot-2 forward is athletic and has a high basketball IQ, possessing a unique trait of more assists (68) than turnovers (58) at the forward position this past season. Pierre also scored in double figures in 31 of her 32 games with 16 20-plus-point performances as a sophomore at Vanderbilt.

Add in the fact she is a “walking double-double,” as Moore referred to her — she posted 17 double-doubles last season, the 15th-most nationally– , and Pierre is expected to be a seamless fit in what NC State likes to do on the floor.

“She’s a dog. I thought when we lost to LSU in the Sweet 16, I felt like we were lacking a little bit of that inside getting boards, defending,” Moore said. “I think she’ll do that well. She’s able to score the ball as well. … We had a great need for that position. I just think it’s a perfect fit. We like to spread the floor, attack and let them play. I think Khamil will be really good in that system.”

Although Pierre hasn’t arrived on campus yet, she has already started building relationships with her future teammates. The former Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023 is the second such player to earn the award on NC State’s roster, joining freshman guard Destiny “Ky’She” Lunan, who won it this past season. Pierre can bond over that with Lunan, while she has also had several FaceTime calls with electric sophomore guard Zamareya Jones.

“She’s an amazing person,” Jones said of Pierre. “We have a great bond already, so we’re just ready for her to get here to work together.”

NC State felt like it lucked out with Pierre. No matter the circumstances of how she became a part of the Wolfpack, Moore and the rest of the program is eager to add her elite skill set to the roster. 

After all, the team is looking to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament in the upcoming season. And Pierre, who would have easily been among the top transfers available if she entered the portal earlier this year, has likely raised the Wolfpack’s ceiling and floor for the 2025-26 campaign. 

“We’re excited about getting her over here,” Moore said. “[She’s] exactly what we needed. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with her.”