Immediate Observations and Takeaways From NC State’s First Four Loss

DAYTON, Ohio — NC State arrived at the First Four somewhat surprised to be there. Will Wade and the Wolfpack felt as though they had done enough to earn a spot in the field of 64, but a play-in matchup stood in the way against a familiar foe in the Texas Longhorns. A season loaded with expectations ultimately ended disappointingly for the Pack, as it lost 68-66.

Wade's group fought for 40 minutes, but the game acted as a microcosm for the many issues that plagued his first season in Raleigh.

Avoiding the early deficit

It was about as bad a start as NC State could’ve asked for, allowing three straight 3-pointers to the Longhorns. It immediately echoed back to the 16 made triples in the first matchup between these two at the Maui Invitational, prompting the Wolfpack to up its intensity even more on the defensive end. The Pack opened the game shooting 2-for-10 on the other end.

A season ago with Texas Tech, Darrion Williams averaged 21 points per game in four NCAA Tournament games with the Red Raiders. He scored 10 of the Wolfpack’s first 12 points against the Longhorns, doing everything he could to keep the Wolfpack in striking distance. It allowed the rest of the team to catch its breath in the first half, still adapting to the NCAA Tournament feel.

NC State’s half-court defense clamped up after the early success for the Longhorns, with Texas going without a field goal for over five minutes. Eventually, the foul battle tilted toward the Wolfpack and allowed it to cut the Longhorn lead to one point just before the end of the first half. Texas shot just 29% and made eight field goals in the first 20 minutes.

Going to the hole

The Wolfpack quickly established what it wanted to do offensively: get to the basket. However, things weren’t working as well as Wade would’ve liked them to in the first half, with the team missing 10 of its 16 layup attempts. However, the fouls started to pile up on Texas late in the half, something NC State wanted badly after having success with that in the ACC Tournament.

Senior guard Quadir Copeland was visibly frustrated after some early misses, but committed to the cause and continued to attack through the teeth of the defense repeatedly. With the defense collapsing on his drives, he was able to either commit fully to a shot or spray it out to open teammates.

NC State held a 20-8 advantage in the paint with over 16 minutes left in the second half when it took its first lead since the first basket of the game. Maintaining that onslaught in the post was the key for the Wolfpack if it wanted to walk out of Dayton with a win.

Without foul calls, this strategy wasn’t nearly as effective. The whistles came in waves for both teams, which made it far more difficult for NC State to get to the free-throw line consistently in the second half. Still, Copeland and the rest of the group stuck to the principle and attacked over and over again. The team finished 32 paint points to 28 for the Longhorns.

Rebounding and fouling issues

Mar 17, 2026; Dayton, OH, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Nic Codie (10) shoots the ball defended by NC State Wolfpack guard Tre Holloman (5) in the first half during the first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Controlling the glass was an issue for the Wolfpack all season long. It showed up at the worst possible time in the NCAA Tournament against Texas. The Longhorns bludgeoned NC State, particularly as the Pack tried desperately to pull down defensive rebounds, with Texas coming up with 15 offensive rebounds on the night.

Those issues with getting possessions led to foul trouble as well. Ven-Allen Lubin picked up four fouls early in the second half and Musa Sagnia fouled out of the game with over nine minutes to play. As the Longhorns continued to extend possessions, it was clear NC State was running out of time to go ahead.

Life on the line

Mar 17, 2026; Dayton, OH, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade coaches in the first half against the Texas Longhorns during a first four game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

NC State trailed by five with just under four minutes to play. The Wolfpack's NCAA Tournament life was on the line in that moment. The difference between an incredibly disappointing first campaign under Will Wade or the start of a potentially magical run was marked by those five points. With all of the NCAA Tournament experience on the roster, the Pack needed to find a way.

After trailing by as many as nine, a flurry of threes from Paul McNeil and Williams got the Longhorn lead down to a point with just over 20 seconds to play. Texas crumbled against the Wolfpack's press and NC State got the ball back with 20.3 seconds on the clock. Tre Holloman caught the inbound pass and attacked the rack, drawing a foul with a chance to put his team up one with two makes. He split the pair, tying the game.

Texas guard Tramon Mark drew Holloman in a one-on-one matchup on the other end. He buried a mid-range jumper to give the Longhorns a two-point advantage with a second on the clock. In the blink of an eye, the Wolfpack's season ended.