Crunch Time Has Arrived For NC State Men's Basketball
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RALEIGH — After missing the 2025 ACC and NCAA Tournaments just a year after winning the conference title and reaching the Final Four, Will Wade has NC State men's basketball back in the mix to play in the postseason. With just a few days before March, it's officially crunch time for the Wolfpack, which has four games to prove just how strong it is compared to the field.
That process starts on Tuesday, as NC State faces No. 11 Virginia on the road for a chance to add another highly valuable Quadrant 1 win to its resumé just a few weeks before Selection Sunday. There's no doubt that the Wolfpack should be a tournament team. Now it's about proving it.
How can the Wolfpack prove itself down the stretch?
Compete with the elite
One easy way for the Wolfpack to differentiate itself from other teams in a similar realm, according to bracketologists, would be to compete and even beat two highly-touted opponents that remain on the schedule. That's easier said than done, of course, but NC State showed it could hang with some fellow top 25 NET teams, falling to Kansas in overtime and beating a diminished UNC squad.
Obviously, Virginia is up next, but No. 1 Duke is scheduled to meet the Wolfpack in Raleigh on March 2 in an ESPN Big Monday bout. Wins in either of those games prove Wade's team is ready to compete in March against the best of the best. Even if NC State can't hang on in either game, simply finding a way to battle and stay in the fight would accomplish the same goal.
No more slip-ups
The Wolfpack has a handful of disappointing losses on the resumé, most notably a Quadrant 4 loss to Georgia Tech from earlier in the league schedule. Notre Dame and Stanford are the other two opponents left for NC State aside from the ranked foes and both are limping across the finish line, Notre Dame more than the Cardinal.
Wins in those games should keep the Pack in the hunt for a top-four seed in the ACC Tournament, which would ensure a double bye in that event. NC State showed it can lose focus against anyone numerous times earlier in the slate. There's no room for similar errors in those two games.
Walking the line
Wade urged his team to walk the line between overconfidence and self-belief with caution during the Wolfpack's six-game win streak that vaulted it into a competitive position within the conference standings. That sentiment still applies, especially after beating North Carolina already. While that was an important win, it shouldn't define the season for NC State.
Riding the highs can carry a team to new heights. Just ask Kevin Keatts and the 2023-24 Wolfpack. This team can't rely on blind faith and absurd shot-making. Wade would be the first person to tell you that he lives in reality. But even reality can be bent in March. Finding the balance between playing as if you're entitled to win or like you have nothing to lose could be the defining factor for this version of NC State.
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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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