NC State men’s basketball head coach Will Wade made headlines for months after his hiring with his bold claims and promises, at that time, were unsubstantiated. But one statement was well warranted after his squad tied the program record for made 3-pointers in a single game in his first game at the helm.
“We got good shooters, we’re gonna let that thing fly.”
It’s no secret that the game of basketball has moved further and further away from the basket as teams opt for more 3-pointers than long-range jumpshots inside the arc. However, for the last decade, the Wolfpack has struggled to keep up with the times, remaining in the low-to-mid 30s in 3-point percentage.
But Wade has changed the game. Last season, the Wolfpack didn’t have a single player who shot over 40% from the arc; this year, it has four. By bringing in players like senior guards Tre Holloman and Quadir Copeland, senior forward Darrion Williams and retaining sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr., Wade built the team specifically for the modern era.
“It’s amazing just having shooters out there and making my game so easy,” Copeland said after the Pack’s win over Ole Miss. “People talk so much about my assists, but at the end of the day, these guys are the ones making the shots.”
The Wolfpack’s 3-point shooting isn’t just good, it’s elite. There are just seven schools in the country — two Power Four teams — that shoot 40% or better from beyond the arc, and NC State is on that list. Not just that, but the Pack is one of 15 teams averaging 11 3-pointers or more per game.
In its most recent outing, the Pack scored a whopping 113 points in a road domination of Florida State — the same team that lost to then-No. 6 Duke by just four points. When looking at the final box score, you could point to NC State’s domination of the rebounding margin or Williams finally breaking through his scoring slump as key reasons for success.
However, one metric stands out amongst the rest. Of the Pack’s 38 made baskets, half of them were from beyond the arc, tying its program record in made 3-pointers for the second time this season and also tying an ACC record for most three-pointers by a single team in an ACC game.
Now, it’s all fun and games when NC State is hot from 3-point range, but sometimes it can shoot itself out of contests. In its last three losses against then-No. 21 Virginia, then-No. 19 Kansas and then-No. 20 Auburn, the Wolfpack shot well below its average from beyond the arc, shooting 25%, 26% and 33% respectively.
Mistakes were forgivable earlier in the season, but now, in the heart of its conference schedule with big matchups against No. 22 Clemson, No. 20 Louisville and No. 14 UNC-Chapel Hill looming, there is little room for error.
But the Wolfpack has bounced back from shooting slumps from two of its best shooters — McNeil and Williams — and arguably come out better for it. After an eight-game drought from beyond the arc, McNeil erupted for a program record 11 3-pointers against Texas Southern and then knocked down another six against Ole Miss, showing the Pack can be a threat from the perimeter on any given day.
With its prolific shooting, the Wolfpack’s ceiling could be as high as a deep NCAA Tournament run, but the floor could be as low as a first-round exit, barring a complete collapse in which the red-and-white misses the postseason altogether.
