Wes Moore finally lands a portal addition.
Not for lack of trying, Wes Moore has struggled to find help through the portal this offseason. NC State has a need on the wing for at least one player who can help fill Madison Hayes’ shoes, and the program perhaps found that answer with the commitment of Qadence Samuels.
Samuels is a former top-50 prospect with two years of eligibility remaining. Incidentally, she played against Zoe Brooks in high school, and one of her better performances in a UConn uniform happened to come in Raleigh:
Samuels had a solid freshman season off the bench in 2024, averaging five points in 12 minutes per game while shooting 33.7% from three. Her playing time pretty much disappeared in 2025, though, and she struggled with the brief time she did get on the court.
Her arc so far isn’t all that different from Madison Hayes’ first two years, actually. Samuels’ athleticism and quickness are obvious plusses, and those attributes make her an excellent defender. As far as NC State’s issues heading into next season are concerned, that’s a fine place to start.