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Will Wade Breaks Down the Win Over Boston College

NC State's head coach was surprised by his team's offensive performance against a stout Eagle defense.
Tucker Sennett|
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade during the second half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade during the second half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — Hitting the road for the first time in league play can tell truths about teams that might've been unknown to that point in the season. NC State coach Will Wade hoped that a trip north to face Boston College might help his team show the urgency and talent he knew it was capable of displaying.

While Tuesday's win was imperfect in many ways, there were a number of positives for Wade and the Wolfpack to take away from the quiet gym in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. NC State got two of its most important offensive players going on a night without Tre Holloman, who sat after sustaining an ankle injury in the loss to Virginia.

While problems still exist for the Wolfpack, Tuesday's win felt like a corner was turned in many ways. The defense remains inconsistent, but the emergence of Darrion Williams and more flow on the other end of the court had the Wolfpack looking like more of a contender, albeit against a dismal opponent, than it looked like at home against Virginia.

What did Wade have to say?

Before the game, Wade expressed his concerns with how NC State would handle Boston College's stout perimeter defense, which forced opponents to shoot 27.7% from beyond the arc before the NC State game. The Wolfpack shot 13-for-22 from 3-point range, with Williams burying four on his own. The Pack's coach seemed surprised his team had such success against the Eagles on that end.

"BC's defense is one of the best ones we've played," he said. "... A great defense. We just made a concerted effort to get (Williams) the ball, which we haven't done in other games for whatever reason. We've gone away from that, but he makes the right play when he gets the ball... It really wasn't anything about their defense. We try to... Get different matchups and put different people on our players."

Will Wad
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

Boston College made the inexplicable decision to guard Williams with one defender through most of the game, allowing him to operate freely with his back to the basket, something he hadn't been able to do much of during his cold stretch. As for the end of the court, NC State once again found itself struggling to contain a secondary star for the other team, as Fred Payne scored a career-high 24.

"First half, we did a better job of protecting the paint. Second half, they just drove us and we fouled them," Wade began. "Payne had a great game. We do that every game... Somebody gets a career high. He played really well. We did a pretty good job on (Donald Hand Jr.) for the most part, which was really important."

Will Wad
Dec 3, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade directs his team during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

The tale of two halves for NC State's defense was at the front of Wade's mind. The Eagles tied the Pack in the second half, with both teams scoring 39 points after scoring just 32 in the first half. Boston College never let the Wolfpack pull away, which will ultimately hurt Wade's squad in the metrics moving forward. However, the NC State coach thought the defensive effort was better.

"The second half defense is away from our bench, so as a staff, we can't communicate as much," Wade said. "They shot 52% in the second half. The first half wasn't perfect, but it was a little bit better than that... I thought our guys did communicate pretty well for the game. I thought we had pretty good energy... Especially in a different environment than usual in the ACC. That presents some challenges."

During the pregame radio show, Wade mentioned that he was taking the "restrictor plate" off of freshman guard Matt Able. The four-star recruit was dealing with the growing pains of adjusting to college basketball over the last month after popping with flashes of greatness in the Maui Invitational. Boston College offered a chance for Wade to let Able off the chain more and he took advantage, scoring 11 points.

"I thought Matt played pretty well," Wade said. "He shot it well from three, which was great to see. He's a hard worker, really, really tough kid, great kid. Very proud of him. This is his dad's alma mater, so it meant a little bit more to him and the family."

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

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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