What the Wolfpack's Loss to Stanford Means

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, find out what went wrong against the Cardinal and where the Wolfpack can go from here.

Mar 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Jeremy Dent-Smith (25) drives the ball around NC State Wolfpack guard Matt Able (3) during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The late-season collapse of NC State came as a surprise to many, as the Wolfpack rolled through the middle part of the conference schedule. The 85-84 loss to Stanford punctuated a stretch in which the Pack lost six of the final seven games in Will Wade's first season leading the program, with the momentum stalling just before the postseason got underway.

Postseason dreams aren't lost, but the Wolfpack is likely to face Stanford once again in a must-win game at the ACC Tournament. The program needs to correct many of the mistakes made in Saturday's loss to have a shot at moving forward, or else March won't last very long for NC State.

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Watch the new episode here

On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett breaks down everything from the Stanford loss, as well as the Wolfpack's situation moving forward, ahead of the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, which begins Wednesday for the Pack.

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Will Wade's thoughts on the Wolfpack moving forward

Feb 28, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade claps against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack's issues in close games continued against the Cardinal. NC State had the deficit cut to two points in the final 35 seconds, but a costly turnover led to Stanford winning a free-throw contest down the stretch. It was just another disappointing chapter for Wade, who took the blame for his team's poor efforts in the closing moments of so many conference games.

"We've had some lapses that have just really hurt us and we've lost quite a few," Wade said. "This is like the fourth game like this that we've lost. It's the difference between a good year and a great year or an OK year and a good year. We just haven't been able to close these out and at the end of the day, it stops with me."

Mar 2, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) reacts after scoring against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The struggles of Darrion Williams greatly contributed to the Wolfpack's issues down the stretch. When Williams scores 20 or more points, the Wolfpack wins. The team is 7-0 when the forward reaches that benchmark. Wade knows better than anyone just how important his star player can be, but getting through to him has proven difficult over the last month.

"We need him. We need him to play better for our team," Wade said after Williams scored four points against Stanford. "I need to do a better job of trying to reach him and getting him to play up to his capabilities, but certainly a tough day for him."

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