5 Memorable Moments From NC State's 2025-26 Season
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RALEIGH — The last three weeks have been memorable for NC State men's basketball for all the wrong reasons. A surprise trip to Dayton, Ohio, to play in the First Four rather than the round of 64, a shocking resignation from the head coach, and a coaching search defined March for the Wolfpack, rather than the glory many other programs are experiencing.
While the Will Wade era ended with bitterness and betrayal, the season itself had some incredible moments. Whether fans hated it or loved it, they watched throughout the team's 20-14 season, living and dying with every result. Before ushering in Justin Gainey as the next head coach of the Pack, it's time to close the chapter on a bygone era.
Quadir Copeland's stunning double-double
It's not often you see a double-double without 10 points being scored. That's what senior guard Quadir Copeland did in the Wolfpack's 84-83 road win over SMU on Feb. 3. His 16 assists and 10 rebounds left Wade completely speechless, as he ran the offense to perfection. He scored just seven points in the victory.
"I don't want to be like hyperbole, but I don't think I've ever had 16 assists, no turnovers, double-double with rebounds and assists," Wade said. "I'd have to think long and hard... Maybe if we'd have had better crowds in the Southland, he'd have done it for me last year, but I guess he likes playing to the crowd on the road a little bit."
Paul McNeil goes off in Reynolds Coliseum
PAUL MCNEIL JR. HAD HIMSELF A NIGHT 🤯 @PackMensBball
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) December 18, 2025
🐺 47 PTS
🐺 11 3-PT FGM (school record)
🐺 10 REBS pic.twitter.com/izHEggHb0O
NC State men's basketball plays just one game a year in historic Reynolds Coliseum, donning the old "STATE" uniforms, which created some controversy later in the season, in front of just 5,500 fans. Those few people who showed up were treated to one of the most impressive shooting performances by a player all season.
Sophomore guard Paul McNeil rained down 11 triples, a new school record, and scored 47 points in a monster win over Texas Southern. After getting limited playing time as a freshman, McNeil announced his arrival in that Dec. 17 win.
The Bedazzled Belt
Ven-Allen Lubin sporting a belt around his neck in the postgame press conference. @WolfpackOnSI pic.twitter.com/0eKcx9CSs2
— Tucker Sennett (@SennettTucker) February 18, 2026
Ven-Allen Lubin became the first player to directly transfer between North Carolina and NC State during the 2025 offseason, joining Wade's program as one of the top additions out of the portal. There was back-and-forth, mostly from Lubin's teammates, about how the forward was misused in Chapel Hill.
When the Tar Heels finally came to Raleigh on Feb. 17, Lubin excelled, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal against the Tar Heels. He came into the postgame press conference sporting a bedazzled belt, throwing some shade in the direction of UNC freshman Caleb Wilson, who wore a similar belt after most wins for the Tar Heels.
Surviving in Clemson
It took longer than Wade hoped, but NC State finally got a ranked win, knocking off No. 18 Clemson on the road in Littlejohn Coliseum on Jan. 20. The game went to overtime, but the Wolfpack trusted the play of Darrion Williams down the stretch, even as he battled through a cold shooting stretch.
Williams buried a three and dished a perfect assist to Lubin to give NC State an advantage early that Clemson couldn't overcome in the extra period, outlasting the Tigers, 80-76. It was the team's first Quadrant 1 victory and likely will go down as the best win of the Wade era.
Hiring the future
Sometimes, the most exciting part of a season is looking ahead to the future. NC State hired its next head coach, Justin Gainey, just before the Final Four, meaning it did "technically" happen during the 2025-26 season. Given the vitriolic reaction to Wade's departure from the program, it seemed right to include Gainey's arrival as a highlight.
Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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