Why Darrion Williams Sat Late Despite Scoring 20

RALEIGH — The offensive struggles of November and December for Darrion Williams appear to be a thing of the past, as NC State's star forward looked like the confident player the Wolfpack was hoping for throughout most of Saturday's 96-78 win over Wake Forest. Williams continued to be a champion of the Wolfpack's road-warrior spirit, shooting the ball very well in the victory.

However, the Texas Tech transfer sat out the majority of the second half, playing just 24 minutes total in the game. Head coach Will Wade explained after the game that the NC State staff wanted to use some caution, as Williams was dealing with a minor injury not believed to be serious.

The injury update

Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) celebrates during the second half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Just days after his 23-point outing against Syracuse, Williams appeared to be en route to another impressive performance. Factors unknown to those watching the game from afar were at play, however. Before the game, Williams was not listed on NC State's ACC availability report for any reason, but there were clearly some concerns about a minor injury for the forward.

"His Achilles was tight and it was kind of going up to his calf," Wade explained after the win. "We could've played him; he was cleared to play, but as long as we had the double-digit lead, there was no need to do anything compromising."

The performance from Williams

Picking up where he left off in the first ... 4th three of the day for D-Will.

Pack +19 pic.twitter.com/Q00KVdtLew
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 31, 2026

Part of the reason Wade was able to sit Williams for such a large chunk of the second half was the play of Williams himself. The forward racked up 20 points in his 24 minutes of work, burying five 3-pointers for the second-straight game. Before this week, Williams made five or more shots from beyond the arc just once, as he buried six triples in the team's November win over UNC Greensboro.

The corner three was a powerful asset for the talented forward. Williams parked himself in the corners a handful of times and allowed Quadir Copeland to attack Wake Forest's unique defense before the point guard zipped passes back out to Williams with space to fire away. His consistent shot-making helped NC State shoot out to a big lead in the first half, with the Pack heading to the locker room leading by 18.

Wade didn't seem too concerned about the status of his centerpiece forward beyond the Wake Forest win. NC State has a few days to recharge before a critical road trip to Dallas to face SMU on Tuesday. The Pack will need Williams to continue his torrid shooting if it wants a shot at stealing a road win over the Mustangs.

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