Reacting to NC State's Dominant Win Over NC Central

NC State men's basketball began the Will Wade era in style, beating NC Central 114-66 in front of a packed Lenovo Center crowd. With anticipation reaching an all-time high in the week building up to the game, the Wolfpack met the expectations of a fan base desperate for a winner.

Several members of the Pack finished the game with double-digit scoring outputs and Wade showed his passion for all 40 minutes of the blowout win.

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett shares his reactions to the impressive win and the vibes of the program after one game under Wade.

Watch the Episode

Want to know what Wade's thoughts on the game were? Find out from the man himself below:

Wade Quotes

Welcome to the Will Wade Era 👏

NC State won its season opener 114-64 over NC Central. Seven players scored in double figures for NC State as they tied a school record with 19 made three-pointers, and shot 62.9% overall for the game@PackMensBball | @PackAthletics | #GoPack pic.twitter.com/N7O4N9Jb1d
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) November 4, 2025

On the performance of Preseason ACC Player of the Year Darrion Williams

"I thought Darrion did a great job. One thing, we were a little jittery, but that's what you want your senior, your best player, to do is settle us in. And him hitting those two threes allowed us to settle in."

"Darrion being able to make those shots and get us going as a senior leader, I thought that was really critical for us being able to settle into the game and have enough of a cushion where those other guys could relax and settle in and then we could get going."

Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State player Darrion Williams answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

On freshman guard Matt Able's Wolfpack debut

"I thought Matt was good. One of the biggest things, he was much improved defensively tonight. I was really proud of his defensive focus, his defensive effort. He had the steal and the dunk. He was better with picking his spots to gamble and he's going to be a great player."

"He was awesome tonight, but I think by the middle of January, he's going to be one of the best players in the country, one of the best freshmen in the country for sure. He's just going to keep getting better, so it was great for us to be able to play him extended minutes tonight. He just needs minutes."

5 points in 20 seconds ... and he's ONLY a freshman. pic.twitter.com/kKOZmSfGvn
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 4, 2025

On bringing back some traditions to the program including the throwback jerseys

"We wanted to be careful in picking the right stuff to honor the past, and that was a lot of the discussion at some of those meetings, was making sure that we picked stuff that can tie some of our fans together."

"Because now you've got folks who grew up in that era who now have kids, and we want those kids to be able to experience some of the same things that their parents experienced. Instead of just sharing stories, they can see it now."

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