Former Rival Gives Wade, NC State Vote of Confidence
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North Carolina State has had a turbulent basketball season as it tries to find its footing and stabilize itself under first-year head coach Will Wade.
The Wolfpack has looked like one of the strongest teams in the ACC at times and sometimes incredibly befuddling in the very next game. That was the case this week as it dropped a game at Georgia Tech over the weekend but found a way to knock off No. 18 Clemson on Tuesday night, all with their NCAA Tournament hopes constantly fluctuating.
Tyler Hansbrough hasn’t given up on Will Wade and NC State just yet.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 21, 2026
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Belief in Will Wade and a Signature Win
Even with all the uncertainty and inconsistency, one former rival still believes the Wolfpack can make some noise because Will Wade fits what NC State needs to lead its program.
"The one thing you can say about Will Wade is he's going to compete, and he's going to talk a lot of smack, and that's what that fanbase wants," former North Carolina Tar Heel Tyler Hansbrough said on the Field of 68 Podcast Tuesday night. "... His start at NC State wasn't the cutest, just because we know what he's capable of, and everyone expected right away for everything to be clicking on all cylinders."
It certainly hasn't been clicking on all cylinders, but Tuesday's win was a big step in the right direction. NC State needed a signature win to pad its postseason resume, and it had very few opportunities on its ACC schedule. The Wolfpack pounced on one of the first opportunities it got, displaying a great response and claiming Wade's first top-25 victory with the program in the process.
"They needed a big win," Hansbrough added. "They needed something to give them confidence. ... They did what they had to do to win on the road in conference play, which isn't easy to do."
NC State's X-Factor
The former Tar Heel also believes the Wolfpack can reach a new level if senior forward Darrion Williams steps up his game.
"He really hasn't found his stride, and if he's just going to keep getting better and better, I think [NC] State could be an issue [for opposing teams]."
Williams hasn't shot as well as he'd like lately and has received plenty of criticism over recent weeks, but he's shown signs of life -- scoring at least 17 points in three of the last four games. The Wolfpack won all three and lost the fourth, further implying that this team can only go as far as Williams and Wade can take them.
NC State has good KenPom numbers, sitting right behind Duke and Virginia, and has a more favorable schedule than most ACC teams the rest of the season. Reaching the NCAA Tournament is still a battle, but with Wade's guidance, NC State has a good shot to turn things around.
Hansbrough sees the progress and potential, even as a former rival. It's now up to the Wolfpack to prove him right.
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Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.