Amid Collapse Against Miami, Matt Able Stands Out
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RALEIGH — Blowing a seven-point lead in the final 62 seconds of the game left NC State trying hard to find bright spots. The devastating 77-76 loss to the Miami Hurricanes marked the second-straight loss for the Wolfpack, but unlike the Monday night throttling against Louisville, there were some highlights and key contributors.
The brightest star for NC State was freshman guard Matt Able, who broke out and scored a career-high 17 points in the loss. Wolfpack coach Will Wade rode the hot hand of Able in the first half and the freshman responded with the best outing of his young college career.
Making an impact even in a loss
What a bucket by the rookie. pic.twitter.com/SVEmBHWfsI
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) February 14, 2026
The physicality and toughness of Miami would heavily impact the play of most freshmen across the country, but Able handled it with ease. The freshman stood up to the heavy amounts of contact dished out by the Hurricanes and impacted the game defensively. That paved the way for his role on the other end of the court, as his defense forced Wade to leave him on the floor.
"I thought Matt was really good," Wade said. "He had a great first half, made some big plays in the second half. He's coming along. He's doing a good job... I'm really proud of him. He does play with some toughness. He does play with an edge. He's got some good stuff to him."
Able has a history with Miami. The talented four-star guard originally committed to play for Miami under head coach Jim Larrañaga, but Larrañaga retired before the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. The guard ended up with NC State after pulling his commitment from Miami. He didn't let the matchup take away his focus from what was more important, however.
"I was committed to Miami and it's a great school, but I'm really focused on NC State," Able said. "I was focused on the matchup at hand and it wasn't anything to me. I was treating it as another game that we had to prepare for. They're a great team, but I don't think anything was out of the ordinary."
The guard's comfort level has steadily increased throughout the year, now reaching a point where Wade is willing to ride some of the lows that come with playing a freshman like Able. He was the least of Wade's problems against Miami, as the guard kept the Wolfpack attached during the first half and buried a 3-pointer late in the period to give the Pack a five-point advantage before the buzzer.
15 of Able's 17 points came in the first half, as Wade leaned on a red-hot Paul McNeil in the second half. The talented duo couldn't prevent the late collapse, which Able diagnosed successfully after the loss.
"I think it's just a matter of wanting it more than them and playing more aggressively," Able said. "I think we did that at times, but sometimes we didn't."
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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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