NC State men’s basketball just made one of the most quietly important hires in college basketball. While the national spotlight remains on head coach Will Wade, the Wolfpack’s reported hire of Oklahoma City Thunder scout Andrew Slater as its general manager signals something bigger: NC State is going all in on the modern era of college hoops.

In 2022, Duke men’s basketball sparked a new era in college basketball when it became the first program to hire a GM, setting off a wave of innovation in roster building and program management. Since then, it’s become clear that if a school wants to compete at an elite level, having a general manager is no longer optional — it’s essential.

Slater brings more than a decade of experience as a scout and has built one of the deepest contact lists in basketball, spanning college, AAU and high school programs. He’s widely regarded as one of the most connected and hardest-working people in the industry.

“Getting a guy like Andrew Slater to come into the mix and to leave the NBA, to leave arguably the premier front office in the NBA, it’s a big deal,” said Miles Masercola, co-owner of NCAA-certified scouting service HoopState. “To people in the basketball industry, this shows the seriousness that [Wade] and NC State are operating with as we approach this coming offseason.”

A college general manager operates much differently than one in professional sports. In the pros, the GM runs the show — hiring and firing coaches while building the roster. In college, the GM reports to the head coach and supports their vision for the team.

The responsibilities vary depending on the school. Some programs have their GM focus on the best ways to spend NIL, while others may be more concerned with raising booster money. But they all keep up with the ever-changing NCAA rules and regulations, along with state and federal regulations, while keeping their coach one step ahead.

At NC State, Slater will focus primarily on evaluating high school and college players, identifying potential transfer portal targets and building relationships with coaches and programs. He’ll work closely with Wade to target the right fits and anticipate roster needs.

“It’ll be kind of a chief strategist type role,” Wade said. “He’ll certainly be heavily involved in the recruiting and then the strategy of putting the team together and how all of the parts and pieces fit together.”

Slater’s most valuable asset might be his relationships. During his time as an independent scout, he built strong relationships with people in the industry across the country.

“There isn’t a single person that I trust more with information or that I think has a more powerful contact list, to be honest with you,” Masercola said.

Slater’s also built his relationships on trust. When people come to him with information, it’s always accurate. Masercola said that’s because he operates in an ethical manner in a space that is largely unethical.

“A lot of the time, people don’t hit Slater with BS because they know he’s going to filter it out and they’re going to lose credibility with him,” Masercola said. “The level of honesty that these people are giving him is as high as they’re giving anybody.”

Slater’s deep network and strong eye for talent will allow Wade to focus on his team throughout the season. With Slater handling scouting and projecting the team’s NIL needs, Wade can count on having everything he needs lined up when the offseason arrives.

That’s what makes Slater such a vital piece of NC State’s rebuilding efforts. Gone are the days of a core group sticking together for three to four years. Instead, rosters are rebuilt annually, and Slater will be crucial in identifying the new pieces year after year.

“You’re no longer building a program, just building a team every year,” Wade said. “So you just got to build the best team you have, and then turn around and try to keep as many of those guys, and then go build the next best team you can the next year around the guys that you’re able to build on this year.”

In today’s era of college athletics, it does come down to money at the end of the day. While Slater has more expertise in the scouting and relationship-building side of things, he will most certainly be making sure NC State’s allotted NIL and revenue-sharing funding is spent wisely.

“We’re going to be competitive,” Wade said. “Are we going to have the most? No. But that’s not what we need. We’ve got to be competitive, and that’s on me to spend it properly and the general manager to allocate the resources properly. That’s what we’re going to do.”

Slater’s hire may have flown under the radar, overshadowed by Wade’s high-profile arrival. But to those in the know, it’s a power move. It’s proof that NC State is serious about becoming a national basketball force once again.