His two older brothers, Frank Jr. and Charlie, both enjoyed limited collegiate success on the hardwood and played professionally in Europe.

During the offseason, Valvano began telling crowds at Wolfpack Club meetings that Gugliotta was beginning to blossom.

As a junior, Gugliotta began to show his star potential, averaging more than 15 points and nine rebounds per game.

Gugliotta was drafted in 1992 out of NC State with the sixth overall pick by the National Basketball Association's Washington Bullets.

In 1994, Gugliotta was traded, alongside draft considerations, to the Golden State Warriors for Chris Webber.

In 2004, Gugliotta signed with the Boston Celtics, and was traded with Michael Stewart and Gary Payton to the Atlanta Hawks for Antoine Walker.