Head coach Will Wade’s honeymoon with NC State men’s basketball is over.
The future is bright under Wade, but the Wolfpack finally hit its first rough patch under his guidance. Falling 102-97 to Texas, NC State dropped an opportunity to salvage the Maui Invitational for its second loss of the week.
The Pack’s identity is quickly forming, for better and for worse. NC State (5-2) is proving to be an electric offense that can score from anywhere. However, defensively, the Pack is a mess. The Wolfpack prioritizes taking away opportunities for opponents to score in the paint, at the expense of its 3-point defense. Tonight, the Longhorns (6-2) capitalized on that strategy and buried 16 3s, while shooting 50% from deep.
In an era where players grew up watching Steph Curry from the Golden State Warriors, teams that give up 3s will get burned. Tonight, NC State was one of those teams.
With the 3-point defense non-existent all night, the Pack found itself behind the eight-ball. Worsening matters, the Wolfpack’s leader, senior forward Darrion Williams, finished with just 10 points against the Longhorns. Tasked with being the bus driver for this team, Williams fell short when the pressure was on.
The Pack also wasted opportunities on offense by shooting just 71% from the free-throw line. The only thing that a team is fully in control of without any opposing interference is free throws — yet NC State left point after point at the line. In a five-point loss, missing eight free throws has to sting for the Pack.
Despite the bad, there were some positives for the Wolfpack. Senior guard Quadir Copeland pieced together an inspired effort to try to carry the Pack to victory. Racking up 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting, the McNeese State transfer played his best game for the red-and-white. However, there’s only so much that one player can do to help a team, especially when the star is lagging behind.
Aiding Copeland, sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr. also posted a strong outing with 20 points. Hitting challenging 3s at timely moments, McNeil’s growth is visible and critical for the Wolfpack as they try to lean on offense to win games.
Moving forward, NC State will have to make changes. The season is at an early crossroads with games versus Auburn, Kansas and Ole Miss on the horizon. The Maui Invitational is in the books and will go down as a disappointment, only capitalizing on one of three opportunities to add to the Pack’s resume for the postseason.
The key for NC State is how the team responds. Any team can thrive when they’re facing inferior competition and cruising to wins. However, the teams that succeed find ways to respond from adversity and disappointment like this week. For NC State, that means cleaning up the defense and finding consistent offense from its stars.
Next up, NC State will stay on the road at Auburn in the ACC-SEC Challenge. The game is set for 9:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3, with TV coverage available via ESPN.
