NC State Enters Crucial Final Week of Non-Conference Schedule

RALEIGH — NC State failed to secure a win over No. 19 Kansas, falling heartbreakingly. The Wolfpack lost 77-76 in overtime and dropped to 7-4 after the first few weeks of the Will Wade era, prompting some fans to express concern about the early trajectory of the season. However, the first-year coach provided no feelings of panic after the latest loss.

The Wolfpack is still in a decent position to make noise in the ACC schedule. It has one week to earn two more non-conference victories, one of which could be a valuable neutral-site opportunity against a weak opponent from the SEC.

What the week holds for the Wolfpack

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) looks on during the first half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

While the loss to Kansas was a disappointing end to NC State's chances to get a win over a ranked opponent in the non-conference slate, that portion of the schedule didn't end with the defeat. First, the Wolfpack takes on Texas Southern in the annual Reynolds Coliseum game. The Pack will turn back the clock and play in a gym filled with the history of a program that once existed in the upper echelon of the ACC.

Texas Southern, part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, started its season dismally, but also played a very difficult schedule. The Tigers lost games to ranked opponents like Gonzaga and Vanderbilt, while also facing Texas A&M and Minnesota to round out a grueling non-conference slate. NC State shouldn't have much trouble with the Tigers, but it will need to remain on alert.

Do your thing, @unoducat.

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— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) December 14, 2025

NC State's lead defensive assistant, Brandon Chambers, spent time as an assistant for the Tigers, spending three seasons with Texas Southern at different periods of his career. During his time there, TSU won the SWAC Tournament twice and reached the NCAA Tournament in both of those seasons, winning a First Four game in one of those years. For Chambers, the matchup marks a full-circle moment of sorts.

After the tune-up game against the Tigers, NC State faces another power conference opportunity, this time at a neutral site. The Wolfpack won't head far when it faces Ole Miss at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday. The Rebels mark NC State's final non-conference power conference opponent, coming from the SEC, and will be a key benchmark for the metrics before league play.

Dec 6, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Chris Beard watches from the bench in the second half against the St. John's Red Storm at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Ole Miss began its season similarly to NC State, losing four games to power conference foes. However, the Rebels' rough stretch came all at once as they went on a four-game losing streak over the last two weeks. Head coach Chris Beard needs to get things going in a hurry to turn his team's season around, while Wade expressed patience to an extent.

"Time is running out. I'm not hitting the panic button... But there is an urgency about what we're doing," Wade said after the Kansas loss. "We've scheduled these games and we haven't won them, and we've also played the toughest non-conference schedule in our league by a pretty wide margin, but we haven't won the games. That is just a fact. But our team is good enough to win a lot of these games."

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

The Ole Miss game could make or break the rest of NC State's season in some ways. The Rebels don't look like a team capable of competing in the upper echelon of the SEC and could harm the resumé of the Pack as the year moves along, should they beat Wade's group. Wade avoided calling the Kansas game a must-win, but it's easy to wonder if his stance changed when thinking about Sunday's matchup, especially after the missed opportunity against the Jayhawks.

"It's like I told the guys. The results right now are lagging from our work; the results haven't shown on the scoreboard yet," Wade said. "But, we were massively better than we were 10 days ago when we left Auburn. The team is a lot better... Now, you can splinter when you're taking on water on these losses like this, but I don't believe this group will."

As it currently stands, the Wolfpack appears to be in line for over 10 Quadrant 1 and Quadrant 2 opportunities the remainder of the year, beginning with Ole Miss. The time to kick things into gear arrived after the KU loss. Can Wade and the Pack do it?

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