This Makes NC State's Matchup Against No. 19 Kansas So Important
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NC State is still searching for the first signature win of the Will Wade era. Saturday's matchup against No. 19 Kansas is a massive opportunity to get it, as the Wolfpack welcomes the Jayhawks and head coach Bill Self to the Lenovo Center with a sellout crowd expected.
With a win, NC State could massive improve its standing nationally and potentially work its way back into the AP Top 25, improving the hopes for a deeper run into the NCAA Tournament come March.
On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett takes you through what makes this matchup so important for the Wolfpack, but also why it isn't the end-all, be-all result that some have made it out to be.
Watch the episode here
Wade's thoughts ahead of the matchup
Some described the Kansas game as an opportunity for the Wolfpack to reboot its first season under Wade. The coach doesn't feel the same way. The season isn't decided in December and Wade knows that better than many coaches.
"It's an opportunity to play a really good team at home," Wade said Friday. "If we win tomorrow, great. If we lose tomorrow, there's still 20 games left. There's a lot of games left. It's a long season. I don't look at tomorrow as some sort of reboot or must-win or anything like that, but it's certainly an important game."
After the 85-45 win over Liberty in the buildup to the Kansas matchup, Wade claimed his team would need to perform much better if the group wanted to take down the Jayhawks. He doubled down on that statement during his Friday press conference and indicated that one aspect the Wolfpack improved during the win over the Flames needs to keep showing signs of getting better.
"I'd like to see our defense continue to get better. I thought we played with more edge, more purpose against Liberty," he said. "Liberty is a great program with great players, but guarding Liberty is a lot different than guarding Kansas... Look, the results aren't going to be the same... From a numeric standpoint, but I'd like to see the same sort of effort, the same sort of flying around that we saw."
Should NC State take care of business in front of the jam-packed Lenovo Center, the energy around the Wolfpack will be as big as it was heading into the season.
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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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