NC State’s Will Wade Returns to Maui with Fresh Approach
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RALEIGH — Will Wade was the first to admit he handled a trip to the Maui Invitational very differently when he led the LSU Tigers to the event in 2017.
"I used to be all basketball the time," Wade said. "... I'm much more of a softer version of me. When I went last time, I didn't even see the ocean. I didn't even know where the ocean was."
Eight years later, Wade is set to take No. 25 NC State, off to a perfect 4-0 start in his first year as coach, back to the islands for the iconic Feast Week event with a new mindset. It will be the first national stage he'll take as the alpha of the Pack and first since his fall from grace in Baton Rouge. Much will be different, but mostly by design.
Having Fun on a Business Trip
Unlike Wade in his last trip to Lahaina, the Wolfpack will know where the ocean is. In fact, they'll spend some time on the water, according to Wade. The coach said the staff rented a boat and will take the team on a cruise on the Saturday after they arrive. However, the fun and games come with a caveat.
"We do want to make sure they have a good experience and... That we have some time to have some fun," Wade said. "But look, it's a business trip."
Off to Maui! 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/Ixo7NGwm9y
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 21, 2025
While the old Wade is mostly gone, the aspects that made him one of the brightest coaching stars in the sport during his time at LSU still pop up here and there. He also understands how the nature of college basketball has changed, especially from a roster standpoint. That makes trips like this one even more valuable.
"Even if we go back, we're only doing it one time with this group," Wade said. "Let's enjoy it. Let's have as much fun as we can around those sorts of things."
The team will go to a dinner off-site after the cruise Saturday night, then participate in the tournament's luau event on Sunday at the team hotel.
Much of Wade's change as a coach has come from his ability to control what he can control. The roster was tailored as perfectly as general manager Andrew Slater and assistant general manager Patrick Stacy could make it for Wade to tinker with. In an event where his team will play three games in three days on an island farther away from Raleigh than Europe, it's easy to get distracted.
"You've got to narrow your focus into what you're doing. You've got to be in the moment that you're in," Wade said. "... When we get there, we've got to watch the sun go down. Then we've got to eat and we've got to go to bed at a certain time and we've got to get up for practice and... You've just got to wear a lot of different hats and I think our guys are used to that."
That carefully crafted group hasn't played the exact brand of basketball Wade is looking for to this point, but that's not unexpected in November. Wade is passionate about precision and obsessive about attention to detail. His team isn't there yet, but his trust in them is real.
"If I didn't trust our guys, I wouldn't be doing it," Wade said. "... I know when it's time to be business-like, they'll be business-like. When it's time to have fun, they'll have fun."
The Wolfpack will get things going in the Maui Invitational against Seton Hall in Monday's opening round. That game is set to tip off at 2:30 P.M. EST.
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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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