Will Wade's Ultimatum Gets Key Performance From Arceneaux
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LAHAINA, Hawaii — No. 23 NC State needed to recover from an opening-round loss in the Southwest Maui Invitational, which sent it into the consolation bracket for the rest of the team's stay on the island of Maui. The disjointed loss to the Pirates left first-year head coach Will Wade asking more questions about his group than he had answers.
One of the pieces expected to be a significant contributor to Wade's first Wolfpack team, Houston transfer Terrance Arceneaux, struggled with an Achilles injury in the first few games of the season. According to Wade, he sat down with the guard and essentially made him one final offer. Arceneaux responded with his best performance in the Wolfpack's 81-70 rebound win over Boise State.
A heart-to-heart conversation
Throughout his rollercoaster of a career, Wade has earned a reputation as a coach who calls things exactly how he sees them and one who isn't afraid to speak his mind when he feels it is needed most. Before the Wolfpack left for Maui, he revealed Arceneaux would be available in the tournament, a major boost for a team needing some defensive help.
However, Arceneaux struggled in his return after missing two games. He played just seven minutes against Seton Hall, failing to score or defend with any effectiveness. This sparked a conversation between the coach and the player in the 24 hours separating the loss and the recovery win over the Broncos.
"We had a spirited conversation last night, me and him, and I told him, I'm tired of waiting around," Wade recalled. "You can either do it, or your ass needs to sit, and we'll just say your Achilles is hurt and we'll move on. But everything has been cleared. It's time to play."
Wade's ultimatum got through to Arceneaux. The athletic guard came out with a sense of urgency, as did the entire team, unseen from the Wolfpack at any point during the 4-0 start. The defensive tendencies that made Arceneaux an option in Kelvin Sampson's rotation in Houston came out, helping the guard finish with three steals and a pair of blocks.
Turning defense into offense like its nothing. https://t.co/xUwUyPn15z pic.twitter.com/nsWObAI3PR
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 25, 2025
Whatever injury woes Arceneaux dealt with early in the season didn't appear to hamper him on the offensive end of the court either. He scored a season-high 11 points and finished plus-10 for the Wolfpack in his 23 minutes of work off the bench.
"It was hard watching my guys out there playing, not being able to," Arceneaux said. "But I knew I had to sacrifice a couple games just to get where I wanted to be."
Arceneaux was a major part of the Wolfpack's improvement in dictating how the game flowed. Through much of the loss to Seton Hall, the group failed to be the aggressor and allowed Seton Hall to overwhelm the collective. Arceneaux's increased energy, particularly on the defensive end, was just what Wade ordered for a team that experienced its first wake-up call of the 2025-26 season.
Good to have you back, @TArceneaux21.
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) November 25, 2025
11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 blocks in 20 minutes pic.twitter.com/r0Wrcx8DHY
As for the situation moving forward, Arceneaux's role will still be as a bench player. With Tre Holloman, Paul McNeil and Quadir Copeland likely firmly entrenched in starting roles, Wade will utilize Arceneaux as a sixth man alongside freshman guard Matt Able. However, one game didn't prove much in the coach's eyes for Arceneaux.
"He's got to play, and he did a good job today, and now we've got to do it consistently because we've got to turn it around and do it again tomorrow," Wade said after the win. "We've got some work to do on that, and hopefully we can get him to flip it around and have a little bit of consistency to him."
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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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