Damon Stoudamire's Perspective on Beating NC State

RALEIGH — After a week of rest, there were some concerns about NC State's readiness and momentum in Saturday's matchup against Georgia Tech. Unfortunately for Wolfpack coach Will Wade, those concerns proved to be correct, as Damon Stoudamire led his Yellow Jackets to a shocking 78-74 upset in the Lenovo Center.

Stoudamire's side played with more fight than NC State did, and both Wade and his players were the first to admit that. The Yellow Jackets sensed a lack of urgency and also needed to recover from a blowout loss they suffered on their home court earlier in the week to Pittsburgh.

What Stoudamire said about the Wolfpack

Damon Stoudamire and Lamar Washington — Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Lamar Washington (1) chats with head coach Damon Stoudamire during the second half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech was always going to be on edge when it took the court against the Wolfpack on Saturday. Stoudamire's team entered the matchup riding a three-game skid in conference play, quickly losing any hope for an already tumultuous season. Still, Stoudamire was careful about not underestimating the Wolfpack and Wade, even after they sat out for an entire week.

"We looked like Pitt when they came in there and beat us... NC State is a really good team and you've got to keep playing," Stoudamire said after the win. "We took their best hits and we were able to come out on top."

One of the most impressive aspects of Georgia Tech's win over the Wolfpack was the defense the Yellow Jackets played against the best players for the home team. Stoudamire's team held Darrion Williams, who scored 20-plus in the two road wins last week, to just seven points. He shot 2-of-11 from the field and never seemed comfortable.

"The biggest thing for me... The game came down to... I thought Jaeden Mustaf did about as good a job as I've seen on Darrion Williams, not only this year, but when I watched them before," the coach said. "He was physical. He was tough. He didn't back down. He didn't go for pump fakes and the biggest thing, he didn't put him at the line."

NC State's perimeter offense was a disaster down the stretch of the loss. The Wolfpack never got quality looks from outside with any consistency. The Yellow Jackets wanted to turn Williams into an inefficient, back-to-the-basket scorer. They also wanted to turn Paul McNeil into a driver as much as possible. The Wolfpack sharpshooter made just three shots from beyond the arc, scoring 11.

"We didn't overreact to a lot of things," Stoudamire said. "Copeland, he's a really good player... But we were going to live with anything he did outside the paint... And let him shoot the three... The biggest thing was that guys took on the challenge."

Damon Stouadmire — Jan 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets head coach Damon Stoudamire looks on during the second half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

One point the opposing coach made about his team's defense actually shined a light on a problem NC State has run into in some of its losses. The Wolfpack lacks a closer and true bucket-getter, falling into offensive ruts. No role player has been able to alleviate pressure consistently in situations like the one the group faced on Saturday. In Stoudamire's mind, that was by design.

"A lot of times, you know how basketball goes," he said. "When your best players are uncomfortable, usually your role players play the same way."

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