Early Thoughts on Miami From NC State's Will Wade

RALEIGH — For NC State coach Will Wade, the 9-3 start to league play in the ACC is right where he hoped his team would be when he took the job a little under a year ago. Now, the final push has arrived and it begins with a critical matchup against a confident, talented Miami Hurricanes squad that comes to the Lenovo Center to see the Wolfpack on Saturday.

Miami, also under a new head coach, Jai Lucas, quickly rebuilt through the transfer portal and entered the ACC schedule as a serious contender for an all-important top-four spot in the standings. The top four has always been a goal of Wade's in year one and now the Hurricanes stand directly in his path.

What does Wade think of Miami?

Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts on the court against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Allowing the 41-point loss to snowball into a losing streak would be highly problematic for Wade and the Wolfpack. Miami is more than capable of making that happen, entering the matchup with an identity that could cause major problems for NC State, particularly when rebounding the basketball and defending.

"They're big, they're physical, they play to their strengths," Wade said of the Hurricanes. "Coach Lucas does a great job. They have an identity and play to their strengths. Their strengths are how tough they are, how physical they are, getting that ball in the paint."

In terms of personnel playing to those strengths, Wade believes Lucas has assembled a perfect cast of characters in getting that done. The seamless fits of several transfers propelled the Hurricanes to their 19-5 start, sticking to that identity as consistently as possible.

"(Malik) Reneau is able to drive it down there with his left hand," Wade started. "Sheldon Henderson is able to drive it in there with his right hand. Big (Ernest Udeh Jr.), he gets a bunch of lobs, a bunch of layups, bunch of stuff around the rim. (Tre) Donaldson is a good player."

Jan 24, 2026; Syracuse, New York, USA; Miami Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas reacts during the second half against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

NC State's last game on tape wasn't exactly intidimating, as the Wolfpack was run out of the gym in Louisville before it even got its feet on the ground. Wade is well aware of the last impression his team made and will be looking to avoid such a disastrous start against Miami. However, he's aware of what the Hurricanes will be looking to do in Raleigh.

"They're going to be big. They're going to be physical. They're going to try to punk us," Wade said. "If they watch the film from Louisville, they're going to be salivating, ready to come after us. We're going to have to be a lot tougher, more physical than we've been for sure."

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