Wade Offers Thoughts on Notre Dame Ahead of Saturday Matchup

RALEIGH — In its last game out, NC State fell to No. 11 Virginia by 29 points. Will Wade and the Wolfpack are in desperate need of a bounce-back effort on the road, with the team headed to South Bend, Ind., for a matchup against Micah Shrewsberry's Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

A win over the Irish is important for many reasons for the Pack, while Notre Dame is fighting to stay in the ACC Tournament field. Wade joined the "Wolfpack Weekly" radio show for his weekly appearance on Thursday, offering his thoughts on the Irish and what they bring to the table ahead of the Saturday matchup.

Wade's thoughts on Notre Dame

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

Even in a season that's been far from ideal for Shrewsberry and the Fighting Irish, Wade's respect for the Notre Dame coach hasn't wavered. The two relatively new members of the ACC faced off back in the day in a game Wade remembers fondly, so the Wolfpack coach knows just what Shrewsberry can bring to the table from a coaching standpoint, even if his team is behind schedule.

"Coach Shrewsberry is an unbelievable coach. I coached against him when he was at Penn State," Wade said. "He's a phenomenal coach. He's as good an Xs and Os basketball as there is in our conference and in the country ... They've been decimated by some injuries, but they still play extremely hard."

Feb 21, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Micah Shrewsberry reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The injuries Wade referenced are abundant. They have been so bad that Shrewsberry joined the fold during his team's 44-point loss to Duke on Tuesday, leaving the press conference with crutches and a walking boot. The coach joined key players like Markus Burton and Jalen Haralson, the Irish's leading scorers, on the injury report. Even without those players, Wade still pointed out that the team is talented.

"Their big kid, No. 33 (Carson Towt), he plays as hard as any player in the country," the Wolfpack coach said. "I think he may play football next year, from what I've heard. He leads the ACC in offensive rebounding. He averages 3.5 offensive rebounds a game ... Really good player. They play extremely hard. They haven't mailed it in or anything like that ... It's going to be an incredibly challenging game."

Feb 14, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jalen Haralson (10) watches during warmups before facing Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The status of Haralson is still up in the air. If he does play, he poses a major threat as one of the best backcourt players in the ACC. For Wade and the Wolfpack, his in-and-out status and injury problems make preparation somewhat difficult, but the strategy is fairly simple and settled.

"We're going to prepare as if he's going to be ready to play," Wade said. "I think he was close to playing against Duke from what they were saying. You give him another half of a week, I certainly expect him to play. They're fighting to get in the ACC Tournament. They have a lot that they're playing for. They have a lot that they're trying to accomplish."

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