Wade Breaks Down NC State's Dramatic Victory Over SMU

NC State men's basketball entered a crucial part of the schedule when the calendar flipped to February, starting with Tuesday's matchup against SMU in Dallas. Head coach Will Wade knew it would take a lot for his team to knock off the Mustangs in their home gym, but the Wolfpack rose to the occasion, hanging on to win 84-83.

One of the players Wade brought with him from McNeese State, Quadir Copeland, showed just how talented a point guard he can be, notching a 16-assist, 10-rebound double-double. That performance left Wade speechless, especially given just how much the guard has grown. However, the focus for NC State and its coach remains a push to the NCAA Tournament and Tuesday was just another step.

What Wade said after the win

Foot on the gas 👏 pic.twitter.com/YpEKtRUkBw
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) February 4, 2026

The win marked NC State's sixth straight win in a true road game far from the friendly confines of the Lenovo Center, with all six of the victories coming against ACC foes. With that success comes the challenge of balancing confidence and urgency. The Wolfpack did both against the Mustangs, but there are still tests to come and there were still issues in the latest victory that need correcting.

"We want to be confident. We're 6-0 on the road in the ACC... We should have confidence from that," Wade said. "But, you have to have humility as well and the humility comes from... There's a lot of stuff that we can get better at. If we don't do a better job in our ball-screen coverage than we did tonight... If we're not humble enough to understand that we have to get that fixed, then we are going to get humbled on Saturday."

Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts on the court against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Much of any success the Wolfpack hoped to have against SMU was predicated on being able to slow down the three-headed guard monster of Boopie Miller, B.J Edwards and Jarron Pierre. While NC State allowed 83 points, Edwards and Miller weren't as effective as they normally are for the Mustangs, while Pierre still made the Pack pay several times in a 23-point effort.

"They're very talented. Their guards are as good as anyone's," Wade said. "... You've got three guys that shoot like 80% off of the bounce combined and shoot over 50%... Those three guards are as talented as any guards. I think (Corey) Washington is the X-factor. He made a couple of threes. We lost him a couple of times."

Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image created using a radial filter) NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) looks on before the first half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

None of the Wolfpack's success was possible without the truly remarkable performance from Copeland. Wade, who has admittedly been surprised by the guard's growth throughout most of the season, was once again blown away by the effort.

"I don't want to be like hyperbole, but I don't think I've ever had 16 assists, no turnovers, double-double with rebounds and assists," Wade said. "I'd have to think long and hard... Maybe if we'd have had better crowds in the Southland, he'd have done it for me last year, but I guess he likes playing to the crowd on the road a little bit."

Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) celebrates during the second half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The other aspect of the success, which helped Copeland greatly in his 16-assist outing, was the shot-making of the Wolfpack. NC State shot a torrid 44.4% from 3-point range, once again lighting up the opponent from beyond the arc. On nights where it shoots like that, Wade's team is near-impossible to defeat.

"Sixth game where we've made 16-plus threes. We get good looks," Wade said. "We felt like if we could move the ball, we kind of barraged them there. I think we hit three or four straight. There was a great pass from (Tre Holloman) to (Matt Able)... I thought that was a huge three... That kind of broke the dam."

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