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Looking At Virginia's Perspective After Beating NC State

The Cavaliers are, in many ways, what NC State fans wanted Will Wade's first team to look like.
Tucker Sennett|
Nov 28, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom looks on from the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Nov 28, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom looks on from the court during a stoppage in play in the second half against the Queens University of Charlotte Royals at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — While NC State coasted through its first game in ACC play and beat Wake Forest, No. 21 Virginia battled bitter rival Virginia Tech in a triple overtime loss on Wednesday. When the Wolfpack and the Cavaliers met Saturday, Virginia looked like a team with serious urgency, while Will Wade's group came out sluggish and dug a deep hole.

The loss felt particularly frustrating for an increasingly unsettled Wolfpack fan base, as Virginia hired Ryan Odom to turn its program around and look to be meeting those goals early in the season. While Wade has improved the Wolfpack, the building is still happening. Even Odom believes NC State is coming, but Saturday didn't mark the arrival.

Odom on the Wolfpack

Odom's Virginia group showed tremendous discipline throughout the win over the Wolfpack, often beating NC State at its own game. The Cavaliers applied pressure after makes, exhausting the Pack as it tried to battle back from the 20-point first-half deficit. Every time it felt like Virginia was getting sped up, one of the top scorers responded with a clutch basket.

"The theme of this game for us was just being disciplined... And I thought our guys did a nice job of forcing some misses and being disciplined early in the game to block out and come up with rebounds so that we didn't have to face their stout press the entire first half," Odom said. "I think that was certainly helpful for us getting off to a good start, and the confidence just kind of kept brewing from there."

Will Wad
Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade looks on before the first half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Odom admitted that Wade's group wasn't at its best in the Saturday matchup, helping Virginia grow that lead. However, the Wolfpack did not go quietly in the second half, cutting the Cavalier lead to just eight points at one point, but Odom's players never felt flustered. The Virginia coach received a technical foul after arguing a late whistle, which ended up galvanizing his group.

"This is a really good basketball team in NC State and they have talented guys and an awesome coach, and we knew they were going to come at us," Odom said. "The key was how are we going to respond when they do, and I think the response was excellent. Let's meet toughness with toughness..."

Wade and Odom will meet again later in the season, with the Wolfpack hunting for revenge in Charlottesville after falling in the Lenovo Center. Saturday might've just been the start of a rivalry between two of the new faces in the ACC, with Odom throwing the first punch.

"We have a ton of respect for coach Wade and NC State," Odom said. "Certainly, that was not their A-game (today)... I've watched enough film to know they're really, really talented."

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

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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