Biggest Takeaways From NC State's Loss to Texas
In this story:
No. 23 NC State dropped to 5-2 in the 2025-26 season with a 102-97 loss to the Texas Longhorns and head coach Sean Miller. The Wolfpack took the lead during the second half, but couldn't stop the offensive onslaught from the Longhorns at all.
The loss ended the Wolfpack's run through the Southwest Maui Invitational with a 1-2 record. Given the 4-0 start and the excitement around the program before it headed to the Hawaiian island, it was a disappointing trip filled with some major concerns, especially on the defensive end.
Final from Maui. pic.twitter.com/74BS8R9pQD
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 27, 2025
NC State guard Quadir Copeland called the loss a rude awakening for the Wolfpack. The team will certainly get more pressure from first year head coach Will Wade to perform at a higher level on the defensive end moving forward.
On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, get the full breakdown of the loss for the Wolfpack from host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett.
Watch the episode here
Key Takeaways
DIESEL. pic.twitter.com/KrzCB7pWGD
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 27, 2025
Lubin's breakout
Ven-Allen Lubin started the season quietly in the four games at the Lenovo Center, but came alive in the final two games in Maui. At times, he was the best offensive option for the Wolfpack against the Longhorns, battling inside despite giving up size to Texas center Matas Vokietaitis.
The North Carolina transfer used his creative footwork to create room and finished with authority at the rim. He was on the receiving end of some quality passes as well, particularly early in the second half. Lubin rocked the rim with a thunderous slam to cut the Longhorn lead to just four points just before the under-16 media timeout. Lubin's 23 points were a season-high.
Lubin scored in double-figures in all three games on the island, coming close to double-doubles in two of the three games as well.
No stopping Jordan Pope
NC State’s defense failed to contain veteran guard Jordan Pope. The Prolific Prep product ripped the cords on his first four 3-point attempts, but the Wolfpack made very little adjustment with him defensively in the first half. It was the latest strong individual performance against the Wolfpack defense, which allows certain shots based on analytics.
Pope paced the Longhorns in the first 20 minutes, helping them go up by as many as 15 points. Texas went into the halftime locker room with a 10-point lead, primarily because of the guard’s performance. He finished with 17 points in the first half and made a total of five 3-pointers before the buzzer sounded. He scored 28 before the final buzzer sounded, making seven threes.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @WolfpackOnSI and @SennettTucker for more episodes of the NC State Insider Podcast.
Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
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.
Follow SennettTucker