How Wolfpack Responds Will Define Its Top Four Fate

RALEIGH — When he was hired and introduced as NC State's new men's basketball coach, Will Wade promised that his team would compete for a spot in the top four of the ACC standings in his first season at the helm. A six-game league win streak catapulted the Wolfpack into position to do that, but its hopes took a hit with a 41-point loss to No. 24 Louisville on Monday.

Now, Wade and the Pack face yet another crossroads moment of sorts in a season full of them so far. NC State finds itself clinging to third place in the conference with a 9-3 record. Will it be able to respond one more time and finish the season strongly?

Getting off the mat

Feb 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts during the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

While dejected and disappointed by such a lopsided loss to the Cardinals, the alarm bells didn't ring loudly for Wade. It marked the third game in less than a week for his team, including a short Saturday-to-Monday turnaround in which the Wolfpack played a physical Virginia Tech team before heading to Kentucky to face the Cardinals. He took responsibility for the performance.

"We just didn't play to our capabilities tonight. That's on me as the coach," Wade said. "I didn't have us prepared. I didn't have us as ready as I thought we were and that's on me, not on those guys. Those guys, for the most part, tried to do what we asked them to do and I didn't have a very good plan. I didn't have a very good pulse of our group tonight."

This isn't the first critical moment for the Wolfpack to respond. Earlier in conference play, NC State dropped an ugly game to Virginia at home. It responded by beating two of the weaker teams in the ACC on the road in Florida State and Boston College. Then came the disappointing Georgia Tech loss, which sparked the latest furious run through the ACC that saw the Pack fly up the standings into the top four. That's why Wade isn't overly concerned.

"It's not like the season ends tonight. It's one loss," Wade said after the latest loss to Louisville. "It's an embarrassing loss, it's a terrible loss, it's poor. But, it's one loss. It's not like you get three losses for tonight. We probably should, but you don't."

The ebbs and flows of the ACC also make it so losses like the Wolfpack's can quickly get overlooked and forgotten. Take Tuesday, for example. Just days after knocking off No. 4 Duke, the 11th-ranked UNC Tar Heels hit the road to face a Miami Hurricanes squad desperate to stay in the NCAA Tournament mix, as well as the top four mix. Miami never relinquished its lead and beat UNC.

All year long, NC State has played with its back against the wall in different ways. First, there was the lack of a Quadrant 1 victory. The Wolfpack solved that with the road win over Clemson, a defining moment in the season. Then, there was the issue of not stringing together wins in a row. Six wins in a row came shortly after that issue was brought up by Wade. Responding is in the DNA of this Wolfpack team.

"We can find a way to move forward and I think we'll be judged on how we respond and how we move forward from here," Wade said. "I think our team has been good with that all year and hopefully, we'll continue to do that."

The Pack suffered just one losing streak, if you can even call it that, of two games all the way back at the end of November. It started at the Maui Invitational, where State lost two of three games, including its final consolation bracket matchup against Texas. Then, Wade's team hit the road to face Auburn in one of the toughest environments in college basketball. The Wolfpack responded with a pair of wins after that.

Will Wade and NC Stat — Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack huddle with head coach Will Wade during the second half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State will put its ability to respond to the ultimate test on Saturday, as it hosts the very Miami team that just secured a monster win over UNC on Tuesday. Wade trusts the fabric of his team to withstand such an ugly moment in the season. He'll find out if that trust is well placed soon.

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