5 Things Texas Longhorns Fans Need to Know About NC State

The 2026 NCAA Tournament is officially set in stone, and the Texas Longhorns have a chance to compete a national championship, starting with their matchup against the NC State Wolfpack in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday.

This will be the second time that the two teams meet in the 2025-26 season, as they previously faced off in the fifth-place game of the Southwest Maui Invitational in Hawaii in November, a game that the Longhorns came out of victorious, 102-97.

Both teams have been riding the struggle bus as of late, only winning one of their last five games. With how the Wolfpack have been performing and based on their production from last game, here are some things to take note of as the two teams fight to move one step closer to a national title.

Paul McNeil Jr. Can Be Dangerous

NC State Wolfpack guard Paul McNeil Jr. (2) reacts after scoring a basket against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half at Lenovo Center. | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr. has been the silver lining in terms of offense for the team in the season, pacing the team with 13.9 points over the course of the season.

McNeil has not shied away from showing his offensive tendencies, especially during the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament that saw him drop 26 points in NC State's loss to Virginia.

However, when kept under control, it can prove beneficial for teams, such as the Duke Blue Devils when they held him to just nine points in their win over the Wolfpack or the Louisville Cardinals, who held him scoreless in a landslide 118-77 win.

NC State Will Put Up Points

NC State ranked 32nd in the entire country in terms of points with 83.7 per game over the course of the season.

They have shown they are capable of scoring as high as 113 points (win over Florida State), as well as 108 points (win over Texas Southern), but can also be held in check with lows of 61 points (loss to Virginia).

Don't Let NC State Get Open Beyond the Arc

That right there is a big reason they were so bountiful with their offense; their efficiency from downtown.

The Wolfpack made 38.8 percent of their long-range shots, the best in the ACC Conference and the 12th-best in the country.

Be Smart With the Ball

The Wolfpack also led their conference in steals with 8.1 per game, so it would be in Texas' best interest to limit the number of free possessions they give the team Tuesday night.

Don't Count on Their Mistakes

On the contrary, the Longhorns may want to up their aggressiveness for a better chance in the game, because the Wolfpack averaged 9.2 turnovers per game, another statistic that they led the ACC in and placed top 15 in the country in.

The two teams face off in the Round of 64 Tuesday night at the UD Arena in Dayton at 8:15 PM on truTV.