NC State Has a Bit of an Identity Issue

While the Wolfpack is 18-7, coach Will Wade believes his team doesn't have a solid identity to lean on.

Feb 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) and head coach Will Wade react during the second half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

RALEIGH — NC State enters a crucial matchup against Miami with an 18-7 record overall and a 9-3 record in ACC play. To say the first season under Will Wade has been a success would be an understatement so far, but there's a lot of work left to do for the coach himself to call it an overall success.

Part of Wade's issue with the way the season has gone to this point is his team's lack of identity. The Wolfpack doesn't play Wade's usual brand of basketball, which usually focuses on one player as the go-to scorer, while other players chip in from role-playing spots. This version of NC State is a balanced group that scores in bunches when the 3-point shot is falling.

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The identity crisis

NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade talks to an official Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Saturday's matchup against Miami put the issue of identity at the front of Wade's mind. The Hurricanes, also in their first season under a new head coach in Jai Lucas, play a distinct brand of basketball, using physicality to dominate the paint from a scoring and rebounding standpoint. Those are things the Wolfpack doesn't do well, leading to a discussion of identity on the "Wolfpack Weekly" radio show on Thursday.

"We have an identity. It's if we make jump shots or not," Wade began. "We made three threes in Louisville and we got our doors blown off, so our identity is more around jump-shooting than offensive rebounding... Stuff that you'd particularly like your team's identity to be around, but Miami has it."

Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts on the court against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

It's not abnormal for teams to be built around shooting the basketball. What makes it problematic for NC State is the fact that the team struggles with consistency. One cold shooting night snowballed into the 41-point loss at Louisville that Wade referenced. It's been an adjustment for Wade to deal with his team's demeanour, even in preparation and personality.

"The way we prepare, the way we do things, it's much more loosey goosey than I would like," Wade said. "I like regiment, discipline, structure. We're very loose. That's just kind of the personalities we have. When it's like that, you kind of ride the wave and we've been riding the wave. As a coach, I didn't want to interrupt that; we'd won six in a row."

Dec 3, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade directs his team during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

If Wade can get the level of buy-in he believes he needs from his team, the Wolfpack could finally reach its peak potential. While he didn't seem confident in that happening, he indicated that the team's preparation ahead of the Miami game had been far more regimented and structured than in weeks past.

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