NC State’s VCU Escape a Timely Lesson Before Maui
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RALEIGH — Will Wade bluntly addressed how he felt about No. 25 NC State's 85-79 win over the visiting VCU Rams in the bowels of the Lenovo Center on Monday.
"We were very fortunate to win," he said.
The Wolfpack survived an onslaught from 3-point range by the Rams in the second half. It also helped VCU with 17 turnovers, granting the Rams countless extra possessions as they fought back from an early deficit.
Monday's win marked the Wolfpack's first real test in Wade's tenure. The Rams were picked to win the Atlantic-10 conference prior to the season. Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. put together a competitive roster with pieces from high-major programs with the intention of immediately competing. The win was valuable for NC State in more ways that just moving to 4-0.
"It's a Quad 2 game for us at home," Wade said. "I don't know why we wouldn't do it. You want to test yourself. You want to play. You want to play good teams. I think everybody acts like VCU is not some charity program. This is a real program. They win 20-plus games every year, 22, 25 games every year."
The Value of the Win
In the first three games of the season, the Wolfpack held an average margin of victory of ~39 points. Feeling the pressure of an opponent with a chance to win might benefit NC State in the long run, especially given the upcoming schedule with more Quadrant 1 opportunities to come in the Maui Invitational. The Wolfpack's star Darrion Williams believed the team needed a game like Monday's.
"I think it's good that we had a close game before... We start this stretch and before we get into conference," Williams said. "Because most conference games are going to be close, and being in a six-minute game with a close contest is good for us."
Williams became accustomed to playing in high-pressure situations during his time with Texas Tech. Between countless close games on the road in the highly-competitive Big 12 and the run to the Elite Eight with the Red Raiders a season ago, he knows the value of playing close games early in the season. He rose to the occasion with 28 points, but continued to hold himself to a higher standard, just as his coach would want him to.
"I think it was more of a collective effort than me putting the team on my back," Williams said. "I had some bad turnovers down the stretch that could have cost us the game, but my teammates had my back and we came out with it."
While he would've preferred to win more comfortably, Wade built NC State's schedule out very intentionally. While the first three opponents weren't at the same level of VCU, each one was strong in one area that would expose one issue or another for the Wolfpack. With some of those problems identified, Wade can really get to work.
"We're just going to continue to step up in competition. This was just the first step... So, it's just a natural progression," Wade said. "We scheduled (NC Central), and then we scheduled UAB, who's traditionally been really good. They just beat High Point. Then we scheduled Greensboro. Then we scheduled VCU. So, we're trying to progress up and I think this was a good test."
Building to Maui
While the iconic Maui Invitational doesn't have a field as strong as usual due to the addition of the Players Era Tournament to the Feast Week festivities, there will be some Quadrant 1 opportunities for the Wolfpack.
NC State is set to open up the tournament against Seton Hall on Monday, which is off to a 5-0 start and looks to be an improved Big East foe. Other potential landmines include USC, now led by Eric Musselman, Texas, and a uniquely built Arizona State squad with just one loss on the season to No. 13 Gonzaga. The win over VCU should have the Wolfpack ready for the challenge.
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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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