Will Wade, NC State Motivated by Awkward Media Day Moment
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CHARLOTTE — Throughout the offseason, NC State men's basketball coach Will Wade stole the spotlight in the ACC with his bold promises of a competitive and reborn Wolfpack program. That 'Red Reckoning' as he's called it, took another step forward at the ACC Tipoff event Wednesday.
However, one moment added more fuel to Wade's growing fire during the press conference portion of NC State's availability. In the ballroom of the Hilton Charlotte Uptown, video boards lined the large stage set up by the ACC. Throughout the day, each team's coach and the players who joined them had their faces projected on the screens with their names.
Wade, Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams and ex-Tar Heel Ven-Allen Lubin walked on the stage in front of a fairly packed room. Immediately, members of the media began to murmur. Something was off. The screen with the photos, which had been accurate up to that point, displayed a photograph of a different player in Williams' place. It drew laughter from Williams and Lubin, but a different reaction from the team's head coach. Without even trying, the ACC gave Wade all he needed for another viral moment.
The Wrong Picture
Will Wade, Darrion Williams and Ven-Allen Lubin closing out ACC Tipoff.
— Jadyn Watson-Fisher (@jwatsonfisher) October 8, 2025
“Even though the picture’s wrong, he’s a good player. … When we’re done playing, everybody will know who Williams is. We won’t need a picture.” pic.twitter.com/jfv8iL7JMA
Earlier in the offseason, Wade stated that NC State was coming for everyone else in the ACC faster than they might've thought. He reiterated that sentiment once again Wednesday, with an extra caveat about the photo blunder.
"I believe we have one of the best teams in this conference, and I believe we have one of the best teams in the country," he said. "I think that we will be able to show that throughout the course of the season. By the time we're done playing, everyone will know who Williams is. We won't need a picture."
Putting the Triangle on Notice
Following the main press conference, Williams, Wade and Lubin moved to the room next door, with only a second to catch their breath after the initial press conference before being swarmed by more reporters. Wade, still bothered by the photo, sensed the opportunity to have another moment. He seized it.
"We've got a lot of work to do. Damn, the ACC can't even get our best player's picture right," Wade said. "You think that would happen to Duke or North Carolina? Imagine if Duke or Carolina's first-team All-ACC player ... didn't have his picture right. We've got a lot of work to do here at NC State to work our way up here. We obviously don't have a lot of respect."
Williams, a likely member of the preseason All-ACC first team, probably didn't need any extra motivation. He got it anyway. And so did his coach.
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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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