Unfiltered Reactions To NC State's ACC Schedule Reveal

On the latest episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, we give our initial reactions to Wolfpack men's basketball announcing the conference schedule.

Mar 10, 2022; Tampa, FL, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Will Wade against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Will Wade and the rebuilt NC State men's basketball finalized the schedule for the 2025-26 season on Tuesday afternoon, as the ACC announced the full slate of conference games beginning in January.

The Wolfpack will play 18 ACC games, down from 20 over the past few seasons, following a rule change to help accommodate the additional schools added to the conference in 2024. NC State will host both Duke and North Carolina, but won't travel to either's notable home court for games in 2026.

On the latest episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, we give our initial thoughts on the Wolfpack's first league schedule under Will Wade.

Watch the episode here

To help introduce his new team to Wolfpack fans, Wade hosted several episodes of a series called "Around Raleigh." The coach has interviewed several players so far.

Wade sat down with another one of the only returners from the 2024-25 season. Sophomore guard Paul McNeil is back for another season in Raleigh.

The former four-star considered leaving, but Wade convinced him to stay with the program as a crucial piece moving forward. In his freshman season, McNeil averaged 4.2 points but started to show promise down the stretch.

Here are some of McNeil's most notable quotes from the segment.

On his high school career and becoming a good shooter

• McNeil: "Being a young freshman, I didn't really know the way of building confidence. My coach believe in me. He told me to just take however many shots you want to take, you're going to live with it. That really helped building my confidence."

On his 71-point game as a high schooler

• McNeil: "That's a lot of buckets. Your body has to be ready for it. I'm not saying I was expecting it, but during the game I was just feeling hot. The year before, I'd seen the record last year and I wanted to break it."

Mar 1, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Paul McNeil (2) dribbles against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

On why he felt a connection NC State

• McNeil: "I really felt we were underdogs and we were really disrespected. As a man, you have pride and an ego, and you don’t want to be disrespected anywhere you go. I want us to really take that next step, to that next level."

• "I feel like when you came and the staff came, and the new environment came around, it was going to be best for us to really get to that top, but making my decision to come here ... It was kind of tough, but easy at the same time, because I knew I wanted to go."

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