Immediate Takeaways From NC State's ACC Tournament Loss to Virginia
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CHARLOTTE — NC State got another chance to beat Virginia, a team that owned the Wolfpack throughout the regular season in two meetings, winning both by double-figures. While Will Wade's team showed more fight and controlled the flow of the game for a while, it couldn't make the right plays at the right time to beat the Cavaliers in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, losing 81-74.
There was frenetic energy in the Spectrum Center on Thursday, with NC State trying to create some more chaos in the conference before the start of the NCAA Tournament, having likely punched a ticket with a win over Pittsburgh in the second round in Charlotte.
Staying attached
NC State struggled to keep things within striking distance in the two regular-season matchups against Virginia, as the Cavaliers suffocated the offense and made the Wolfpack pay on the other end of the floor. There was a far better defensive urgency from State to start the game, something that persisted throughout the first half.
The teams traded blows, but it felt as though the Pack controlled the flow of the game for a major portion of the first 20 minutes. A big reason was the group’s ability to handle the physicality of Virginia far better than it did in the first two games. Even with Darrion Williams off the court for an extended period after picking up a third foul, the Wolfpack only trailed Virginia by one.
Eventually, the levee broke for the ‘Hoos. They burst ahead to a 10-point advantage in the middle part of the second half, riding a 9-0 run to the lead. The Wolfpack offense stalled as the shots started to bounce the wrong way, while the defense struggled to get timely stops. NC State needed to find some sort of stopgap, at least temporarily, to keep in contact with Virginia.
Virginia did what NC State needed to and hit the timely shots. The Wolfpack lacked the same success it had in the paint during the first half, struggling to get anything clean. The Pack had it within five points in the final two minutes, but had to play the foul game to keep within reach.
Knock-down McNeil
Just call him Mr. Clutch 👌 pic.twitter.com/UuCgjbtMgm
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) March 12, 2026
The Cavaliers found a rhythm offensively in the first few minutes of the second half. On Wednesday, sophomore guard Paul McNeil said the Wolfpack just needed to hit shots to have a chance to beat Virginia. He took that upon himself, canning a pair of triples on back-to-back possessions, going on a personal 6-0 run to keep his team in the fight.
McNeil battled on both ends, searching for answers as his team went cold from the field in the second half. Trailing by 10, the Wolfpack needed an answer desperately. With hands in his face, the sharpshooter rose through the trees from the top of the key and banged his fourth 3-pointer of the game.
McNeil finished the game with 26 points, knocking down a total of six 3-pointers. The Pack's top shooter felt like one of the only reliable scorers down the stretch for NC State, something that signified his growth as a player under Wade in just one season.
Wade wants it badly
The Wolfpack coach was as fired up as he’d been all season long on Thursday. He patrolled the sidelines looking for every possible advantage for his group, knowing it would take everything he had to finally get his team over the hump against Virginia. He and Virginia coach Ryan Odom entered the league together, both holding ties to VCU.
Odom’s project in rebuilding the Cavaliers surged ahead of Wade’s Raleigh turnaround during ACC play, but the Wolfpack proved that the standard wasn’t quite as far ahead as it looked during the regular season. Every possession felt life and death on Thursday, which wasn't always the case before March. Wade embodied that spirit better than anyone in the Spectrum Center, even as his team struggled in the second half.
Wade was increasingly frustrated by his team's defensive lapses down the stretch, as he could only as the Cavaliers buried shot after shot down the stretch. The 3-point shooting was of particular annoyance, as he exclaimed after a Sam Lewis triple sunk his team down by double-digits.
Final word
NC State must await its NCAA Tournament fate while the ACC Tournament moves forward, but it should feel more comfortable about the trip to the Big Dance after acquitting itself well in Charlotte. There's work to be done in the 2025-26 season, but it will have to wait until Selection Sunday after losing to Virginia.
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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