Why Wes Moore Thinks NC State Is Moving the Right Direction
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RALEIGH — NC State returned to Reynolds Coliseum with an impressive victory over Georgia Tech, beating the Yellow Jackets 87-58 in front of the home crowd. The result pushed the Wolfpack to 2-0 in ACC play and to 8-4 overall and signaled some promising development compared to the early-season struggles in non-conference play.
Head coach Wes Moore was pleased with the progress his team showed, particularly on the defensive end. The Wolfpack held the Yellow Jackets to just 14 points in the second and third quarters combined, one of the best defensive performances of the year. A pleased Moore discussed Thursday's win with the media.
Moore's thoughts on the Wolfpack's performance through two ACC games
NC State's offense showed up early, something that troubled the Pack throughout the first month of the season. However, the team's defense flipped a switch between the first and second quarter was the aspect of the game that truly impressed Moore.
"We've really stressed it in practice and (we're) trying to hold them accountable," Moore said. "Transition defense... we didn't do a great job of tonight, to be honest with you, at times. Everybody is doing their job and playing with a lot of urgency and just making sure, trying to, you know, really concentrate on a few things in practice at a time that we need to do better defensively."
Moore added that when the team doesn't meet goals in practice, there is typically extra conditioning work. The coaching staff tried to incentivize defense as much as possible and make it more of a priority. That has allowed a young team that lacked experience playing together and failed to start the season in the way it wanted to gain some positivity, and more importantly, confidence.
"Maybe we've got a little confidence," Moore said. "We played a really tough schedule and lost a couple of tough ones that, as a coach, you lose one possession game, you know, you think of what I could have done, what I should have done, and so I'm sure the players have felt the same way."
The third quarter on offense summed up in 1:03 👇 https://t.co/QbgmanlaD8 pic.twitter.com/ATLl8xtxHX
— NC State WBB 🐺🏀 (@PackWomensBball) December 20, 2025
NC State doesn't have a single senior on the roster. That lack of experience concerned Moore before the season got underway and proved problematic in some of the difficult non-conference matchups against ranked opponents. However, Moore trusted the process with the group. Now, the Wolfpack appears to be on a different trajectory.
"I hope it continues, but it's been tough. We're used to winning," he said. "I know I scheduled a brutal schedule: top-ranked teams, a lot of road games.I know I scheduled a brutal schedule: top-ranked teams, a lot of road games... Hopefully, we can hold it together, then they're going to get a really nice break."
The ACC failed to start the season the way the leaders of the conference hoped it would, leaving the Wolfpack with a unique opportunity to get back in the mix as a potential contender. NC State only suffered one truly disappointing loss, falling to Rhode Island at home. The start to the conference schedule has Moore thinking that might've been a one-off.
"We hadn't been real good at Miami in the past, so I don't know if it had anything to do with it or not, but I was real proud of the way we went down there with confidence and a lot of urgency, and played really well," Moore said. "... Hopefully, it'll pay off these next couple of months when we're in ACC play and playing great teams every night."
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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