Wade Needs NC State to Stop Being Consistently Inconsistent

RALEIGH — NC State dropped its second game of the ACC schedule to No. 21 Virginia, as the Cavaliers went into the Lenovo Center and blitzed the Wolfpack 76-61. It marked another missed opportunity against top-level competition, something that ate at Will Wade after the game.

The Pack came out of the gate sluggish at best and found itself overwhelmed by Virginia's shooting and aggressive defense. However, this was just another chapter of an issue that has plagued the Wolfpack throughout Wade's first season as the head coach of the program; The team is consistently inconsistent, especially against the better opposition.

Defensive frustration

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts during the first half of the game against the Liberty Flames at the Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State's defense is one of the more hot and cold units in college basketball. At times, the switch-heavy scheme combined with full-court pressure makes teams totally melt for stretches of games. However, Virginia, a more disciplined and experienced group, suffered no such issues, instead picking apart the Wolfpack no matter what adjustments Wade and his staff made.

"The first half, we weren't switching one through five; we were keeping our bigs on their bigs to try to rebound it. They were putting us in rotation, and that's how Sam Lewis was able to get loose," Wade said. "... The second half, we did switch, which put us in some tougher situations."

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📺@espn

🔹⚔️🔸#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/f5vufgNZWA
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 3, 2026

To make matters worse, the top-level competition NC State faced throughout the first 15 games of the season all had success against the defense. In the losses to Texas, Auburn, Kansas and now, Virginia, the Wolfpack defense allowed three of those four teams to shoot 50% or better from the field.

Not rising to the occasion

While some individuals, like Quadir Copeland and Paul McNeil, have been relatively consistent, it's the fact that the team still doesn't seem to be in sync for stretches of every game that seems to be frustrating Wade the most. The Wolfpack roster was constructed almost entirely out of the transfer portal, but two of the three steadiest options, Alyn Breed and Copeland, came with Wade from McNeese State. They know the standard, but most of the roster hasn't caught up.

"We demand consistency daily... For whatever reason, we haven't been able to put it together in our high-level games," Wade said. "At the end of the day, we're judged on our high-level games and we haven't done that like we need to."

Final. pic.twitter.com/J6fmB8BbO7
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 3, 2026

Wade, far more dejected and muted when compared to his viral postgame press conference from Wednesday, hasn't given up hope. The signs of a better team remain within the Wolfpack. At one point, NC State stormed back to cut the Virginia lead to just eight points, but the defense slipped again and the Cavaliers pulled away. The solutions exist, but now it's a matter of execution.

"We've got to keep working at and eventually the dam will break at some point if you keep working," he said. "But we're not there yet."

While he hasn't been afraid to call out his team after poor performances earlier in the season, Wade didn't pin the Virginia loss on any of his players. Darrion Williams' struggles continued, as he scored just seven points and finished with the worst plus/minus on the team, but Wade remained resolute in his opinion of the Texas Tech transfer, while also taking responsibility for his team's issues.

"I think that a lot of guys struggled on our team today. I don't want to pin it on any one person. If you pin it on one person, it's me," Wade said. "I didn't have us prepared. I didn't have us playing how we're capable of playing."

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