Germantown High School (Miss.) junior Sam Funches, one of the earliest to receive an offer from NC State basketball head coach Kevin Keatts on the 2026 recruiting trail, recently set up four upcoming visits. The Wolfpack program doesn’t appear among them, as the 6-foot-11, 220-pound center has locked in trips to Cal, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Gonzaga.

However, there’s no doubt that Keatts and his cohorts remain active in the race.

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On Monday, Funches told HS Top Recruits that NC State is one of five suitors that has been to Germantown to check in on him recently, along with Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Jacksonville State, and Cal. Plus, he’s expecting to see Baylor at his school at some point this week.

Funches, who became an official NC State basketball recruiting target over a year ago, recently dropped to four-star status at No. 36 overall and No. 3 among centers on the 247Sports 2026 Composite. He debuted at No. 10 in the rankings around this time last year.

While NC State hasn’t picked up its first 2026 pledge, the Wolfpack staff now enjoys legit momentum on the 2025 trail after securing its second prize in the cycle, Christ School (N.C.) four-star big man Zymicah Wilkins, during his official visit in Raleigh over the weekend.

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Stay tuned to NC State Wolfpack On SI for more NC State basketball recruiting news.