NC State men’s basketball to rematch with Texas Tuesday night in First Four

Brennan Weiss and Daniel Susann • Mar 15, 2026

A March Madness basketball rolls across the court during the first round game of the NCAA Tournament against Vermont in Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday, March 22, 2025. NC State won the game 75-55.

Every basketball fan’s favorite time of year is here, kicked off by the Selection Sunday show. One by one, every March Madness tournament matchup is revealed, and fans get all week to be nervous or excited about their team’s first game.

After limping to the end of the regular season and winning one game in the ACC Tournament, NC State men’s basketball was deemed worthy of a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack has struggled to beat good teams, play defense and rebound down the stretch of the season, but can shoot the ball like few teams in the country.

As one of the last few teams on the bubble, the Wolfpack will have to play an extra game in Dayton in the First Four round, a trip that head coach Will Wade may have manifested.

“We’re a long way from the NCAA tournament,” Wade said when asked about the Pack’s path to the tournament after the Miami loss Feb. 14. “This team lost to Georgia Tech. Damn, you’re skipping way ahead. What about the NCAA tournament? Just hope we get to Dayton.”

Joining the Pack in that game are the Texas Longhorns, who beat NC State in November 102-97 — this game is a rare instance of a regular-season rematch in the First Four or First Round of the tournament. Both teams lost five of their last six games and struggled to contain the stronger offenses in their conferences. Texas shot 16-for-32 from 3-point range in the team’s first bout, and the Wolfpack have to guard the Longhorns differently if a change of fate is to come.

If NC State wins its rematch against Texas, it will take a flight to Portland, Oregon where a first-round game against the BYU Cougars awaits. Led by superstar freshman AJ Dybantsa, who leads the country with 25.3 points per game, the Cougars run a high-tempo offense that will give NC State’s inconsistent defense plenty of trouble.

If the Pack managed to get past BYU, it would likely face No. 3 seed Gonzaga in the round of 32. Gonzaga is ranked No. 6 in the NET with a 30-3 record out of the West Coast Conference. It would also be a quasi home game for the Bulldogs, who reside close by in Spokane, Washington. The No. 1 seed in the region is Big 12 champion Arizona, who sits second in the AP poll and has only lost two games this season.

NC State will face off against Texas Tuesday night, March 17 in Dayton, Ohio at 9:40 p.m. with a spot in the Round of 64 on the line.