What Does Will Wade Think of SMU?

RALEIGH — Sitting at 7-2 and in third place in the ACC standings, the schedule is about to get a lot tougher for Will Wade and NC State men's basketball. The tests start on Tuesday, as the Wolfpack heads out to Dallas to face the SMU Mustangs in the first of a few crucial Quadrant 1 opportunities down the stretch.

SMU (15-6, 4-4 ACC) is in year two of the Andy Enfield era after he took over the program following a lengthy stint with USC. The Mustangs have been very tough to beat at home, losing just one conference game in their building so far this season. What does Wade expect from SMU on Tuesday?

Wade's SMU thoughts

NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade yells down court Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The threats from SMU start with the elite guard play. Boopie Miller, Jason Pierre Jr. and B.J. Edwards represent one of the best backcourt trios in the nation, all averaging 14 points or more through three months of the season. For NC State to have a chance in Tuesday's game, Wade knows slowing down the offense from those three will be key.

"Their guard play is tremendous... Their ability to make really tough shots and just dictate the game with their guards," Wade said Monday. "... They've got really good personnel. They give them space and they let them boogie and they've got very good players."

The standout of Enfield's stable of guards is Boopie Miller, who transferred over from Wake Forest. Miller showed his breakout talent early in the season and accumulated some wild highlight reel plays with his shot-making ability throughout the team's 15-6 start. Miller will certainly be one of the most difficult defensive assignments for the Wolfpack all year long.

"He does a great job operating out of the pick and roll," Wade said. "He's a small guard... Anytime you're a small guard, you have to be able to shoot it and he can really shoot it. He shoots... 53% from mid-range, shooting 37, 38% from three... He's a really talented player. He was a good player at Wake Forest... His high school coach is one of my best friends."

In Saturday's win over Wake Forest, the Wolfpack struggled to contain star Demon Deacon guard Juke Harris, who scored a career-high 31 points in the loss. That performance put Wade's antenna up early with SMU coming next, as the defensive effort was lackluster at times and could lead to major problems against a deeper, more talented Mustang squad.

"We're going to have to guard a lot better than we did on Saturday," Wade said. "We gave up 19 middle drives on Saturday to Wake Forest. They missed some stuff at the rim. They missed some open threes off the middle drives. If we give up 19 middle drives to SMU, they'll score 120 points on us."

NC State MB — Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack players huddle during the second half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Wade and the Wolfpack are set to tip off against the Mustangs at 9 P.M. EST on Tuesday at Moody Coliseum in Dallas.

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