How NC State Handles Overreaction From Fans

RALEIGH — When Will Wade was hired by NC State to lead the men's basketball program into a new era, he promised that the Wolfpack would offer a "Red Reckoning" for college basketball and the ACC. That statement turned a starving fan base into one with expectations of a winner.

While the 15-6 overall start and a 6-2 record in ACC play, the best mark for the team since 2005-06, is not shabby by any means, even Wade doesn't feel that the team is where it needs to be. The morale of the fan base swung wildly throughout the first two months of the season, with each win and loss offering new opinions and challenges for the Pack to overcome.

Avoding the noise

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

For someone who often makes headlines with bold statements and confidence, Wade keeps away from the noise of the social media era. Admittedly, Wade's special assistant, Reed Vial, runs the coach's social media accounts for him. For someone often causing or receiving the noise, Wade avoids it very successfully. For his team, that's easier said than done, but the coach tried to instill that philosophy in his group as times got tougher.

"I'm oblivious to good or bad... But I try to tell our players to never listen to criticism from somebody you wouldn't take advice from," Wade said on the "Wolfpack Weekly" radio show. "If you're not calling them for advice, you shouldn't listen to anything they've got to say when they want to criticize you... When you've been criticized as much as I have, you don't care. I really don't care at this point."

Wade's star player, Darrion Williams, became the subject of heavy criticism as he struggled throughout the middle portion of the season. The continual coverage of Williams' issues and lacking production sparked a viral rant from Wade following the team's win over Wake Forest. While he claimed that the pressure and ire of the fan base never got to him, it's hard to imagine Williams being unbothered by the amount of attention he was getting. That's where Wade's strategy became key.

"With the players, it's probably a little bit harder on. We try to insulate ourselves from that," Wade said. "The way I look at it is when there's strong reactions, it means people care and people are invested... If nobody cares and nobody's invested... That's apathy and that's the worst thing you can have. We have high expectations here and our fans should be disappointed. I'm disappointed."

It all comes down to listening to the right people at the right time for Wade. Those expectations only get to players if they let them, in his opinion at least. On top of that, the more attention this team gets, the better off the program is in the future.

"I just tell our players all the time listen to the people that care, listen to the people who are there for you when you need something," Wade said. "... Everybody else, just block them out and keep it moving. But, I think it's great. People are invested. People care about NC State basketball... With that, there's extreme disappointment when we don't play to our capabilities and our standards.

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