Further Observations From NC State's Win Over Wake Forest
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RALEIGH — Will Wade and NC State hosted Wake Forest in the opening matchup of the conference schedule on New Year's Eve, dispatching the Demon Deacons 70-57 behind one of the stronger defensive efforts of the season so far.
The Wolfpack (10-4, 1-0 ACC) picked up another key Quadrant-2 victory with the result against Wake Forest (9-5, 0-1 ACC) and carried some of the momentum it built up during the final week of the non-conference slate. Wade's postgame fireworks regarding star forward Darrion Williams distracted from other aspects of the game, as the press conference went viral in the final hours of 2025.
Observations from the win
That’s an INSANE pass, @OfficialDW03 🤯 pic.twitter.com/tAxfWYb2Em
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 1, 2026
Williams impacts winning
While there's no need to revisit Wade's passionate defense of the Texas Tech transfer, the coach wasn't wrong in some statistical aspects of the argument. While Williams' scoring slipped over the last month, the forward found other ways to impact winning for the Wolfpack, as evidenced in his performance against Wake Forest.
Over his last five appearances, Williams averaged four assists, up from his season average of 3.5. There's a trust that exists between Wade and the forward that doesn't necessarily exist between the coach and other members of the roster. When Williams is on the floor, NC State is +164 on the season, the third-best on the team behind Paul McNeil and Quadir Copeland. As Wade said, the shots will fall eventually, but for now, Williams isn't hurting NC State.
The eight-man core is here to stay
Before breaking for the holidays, Wade wanted to figure out who to trust in the rotation as ACC play was right around the corner. The eight players who got significant minutes against Wake Forest are likely to be the consistent core for NC State moving forward, with Musa Sagnia, Matt Able and Tre Holloman supplementing the starting five off the bench.
"I'm not happy with everything I saw, but the rotation is no longer an issue," Wade said.
Only eight players were on the floor for 17 minutes or more. Houston transfer Terrance Arceneaux was not among the group, as his fight for playing time and confidence continues to be uphill.
The final two spots were taken up by Able and Sagnia, both freshmen who brought an edge on the defensive end in different ways. The former arrived in Raleigh with lofty expectations and showed flashes of brilliance in the early stages of the season, but the freshman growing pains are still apparent. In 18 minutes against Wake Forest, Able scored nine points and had a steal.
"We've got to continue working with Matt," Wade said. "... He does some really good things when he's out there... There's going to be ups. There's going to be downs. As long as he keeps working, stays after it, he's going to be fine... College basketball is hard."
DIESEL ROCKING THE RIM. pic.twitter.com/FrcxxRdBN8
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 31, 2025
Points in the paint without size
In 11 of the first 14 games under Wade, the Wolfpack won the paint points battle. Before the season, there were external concerns about NC State's size, or lack thereof, and whether the team would be able to overcome issues with that against larger teams. While Wake Forest was another undersized team, Wade's group proved through the first third of the season that it wouldn't be a consistent issue.
The Wolfpack outscored the Demon Deacons 38-24 inside, as Wake Forest struggled mightily to convert at the rim. If NC State can keep that trend rolling and pair it with improved shooting from beyond the arc, the Wolfpack could be a force to be reckoned with in the ACC.
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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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