Wolfpack Faces Dangerous Liberty Team in Key Midweek Matchup

RALEIGH — Will Wade and NC State men's basketball find themselves at a crossroads in the 2025-26 season, Wade's first leading the Wolfpack. At 6-3, the Pack must get some key non-conference wins before the grind of the ACC conference schedule gets underway just before the start of 2026.

The next obstacle for the Wolfpack comes in the form of the Liberty Flames, a talented group from Conference-USA that will arrive at the Lenovo Center for a Wednesday matchup. The Flames are the first opponent of the week, marking the final opportunity to fine-tune things before NC State hosts No. 19 Kansas. However, Ritchie McKay and the Flames pose their own set of challenges.

What challenges does Liberty present the Wolfpack?

Mar 20, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Liberty Flames head coach Ritchie McKay watches practice at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

A major topic of conversation surround the Wolfpack program over the last two weeks has been the 3-point defensive strategy. In the last two losses for NC State, the Wolfpack's opponents have combined to shoot 28-of-54 from beyond the arc, roughly 51% from three. The loss to Texas was particularly concern given the Longhorns' struggles from 3-point range entering the game.

Those numbers will be put to the test again by the Flames, who enter Wednesday's game shooting 42.5% from beyond the 3-point line, good for fifth in the nation according to KenPom. Liberty plays a fairly slow brand of basketball, averaging 18.7 seconds per possession offensively. NC State has been a mixed bag against teams that take their time, falling to Seton Hall but beating Boise State, both in the Maui Invitational.

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) 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

Liberty's defense isn't particularly stout, which is part of the reason the Flames play at a much slower pace. The program ranks 161st in defensive efficiency, well behind NC State's "weak" defense, which ranks 83rd. Both teams can score in bunches, meaning Wednesday could be a serious shootout between the two programs.

Five members of the Flames average double-digit scoring totals. The group is led by sophomore guard Brett Decker Jr. The sophomore averaged 19.6 points through the first eight games and is shooting an absurd 58.7% from 3-point range. Given NC State's struggles to contain strong 3-point shooters before the game, Decker could be in for a massive performance.

Decker is joined in the backcourt by senior JJ Harper, a Division-II transfer. Harper brought his shooting stroke to Lynchburg, accompanying Decker as another sniper from beyond the arc. He will arrive at the Lenovo Center shooting 52.6% from three.

How NC State can attack Liberty

Pace will be the name of the game for the Wolfpack. NC State needs to speed the Flames up to get them off schedule, forcing them to play from behind. In Liberty's loss to Bradley, it turned the ball over 15 times and never had a chance to establish its offense with consistency and rhythm.

Then there's attacking in the paint. While UNC Asheville wasn't the high-powered offense Liberty is, the Bulldogs were a solid 3-point shooting team that relied on scoring from there to stay in the fight against the Wolfpack. However, NC State made a halftime adjustment and attacked inside with great consistency, scoring 40 paint points in the win.

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) looks down before the first half of the game against UNC Asheville Bulldogs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Similarly to UNCA, the Flames don't present any sort of size threat, as they play four guard lineups frequently around 6-foot-7 forward Zach Cleveland, who averaged nine rebounds a game. Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin is coming off a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double against the Bulldogs. Lubin found open space with ease and punished UNCA around the rim, something he could do against the Flames as well.

Because Liberty is such an efficient offense, they do not attack the offensive glass with strength or consistency. If the Wolfpack can find a way to disrupt their flow, perhaps with a similar full-court pressure effort to the one against UNCA, it shouldn't face much resistance when it has to come up with defensive rebounds. In turn, the Wolfpack can get out and run with its more athletic guard options.

NC State must avoid being shocked by a salvo of 3-pointers by the Flames. A loss to a team currently listed in Quadrant-3 of the NET rankings would be very problematic for the Wolfpack moving forward. A win could help carry some of the momentum Wade and his players talked about after beating UNCA into a crucial matchup against the Jayhawks.

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