Wade Reflects on Wolfpack's Progress at the End of Non-Conference Slate

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Nearly two months before Sunday, NC State head coach Will Wade sat in the same seat at the First Horizon Coliseum after his team narrowly escaped defeat in an exhibition matchup against South Carolina. In that moment, he stated his team had a long way to go if it was to reach the lofty goals he established during the offseason.

The Wolfpack ended the non-conference portion of the regular season with a 76-62 win over Ole Miss, clinching a 9-4 record through the first two months. The first two months didn't go according to plan in the way Wade envisioned. Sunday's victory marked the first of the season against a power conference opponent.

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Wade challenged his team to be better after Wednesday's win over Texas Southern. The Wolfpack, at least for a half, answered that call. Being back in Greensboro allowed Wade to take stock of just how far his team has come while also assessing how much farther they need to go to be a factor when the calendar turns to March.

Watch Wade's press conference

The bar remains high

Will Wade and NC Stat — Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack huddle with head coach Will Wade during the second half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State's season ran into speed bumps when the Wolfpack headed to the Southwest Maui Invitational. After the loss to Kansas, the Wolfpack's hopes of making the NCAA Tournament took a significant hit. But the group showed progress in the last week before the Christmas holiday. Still, the bar remains high.

"We've gotten better. We're not where we need to be. We’re not where we want to be, but we're better than we were," Wade said. "... But look, we've made progress, but they all count from here on out in the ACC, and we've got a lot of work ahead of us within the league."

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade looks on before the first half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

While Wade and the Wolfpack's win over the Rebels helped get the Pack its first victory over a P4 opponent, the resumé still needs work. NC State will need to be comfortable being uncomfortable from a metric and resumé standpoint throughout the ACC campaign. Wade knows that better than anyone else in the program.

"There's no relief," he said. "We've got 18 league games and zero relief. We've got to play better than we played today. We've got to get better every day, and so, no... I'm happy we won. It's great, but we get back on the 26th, we've got massive amounts of work that we've got to do. We’ve got massive amounts of improvement that we have to make. You always want to try to win double-digit non-conference (games). We fell short of that."

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