Almost 11 months ago, head coach Will Wade gave his famous introductory press conference, where he described a ‘reckoning’ not just for the ACC, but for college basketball.

“This is not a rebuild,” Wade said during his first stand at the podium. “We’re gonna be in the top part of the ACC next year, and we’re going to the NCAA Tournament.”

A month ago, NC State men’s basketball lost to Georgia Tech in one of the conference’s biggest upsets, falling at home to a team that didn’t have a road win. The loss left fans questioning Wade’s promises, wondering if his claims set the bar too high or if the ‘Red Reckoning’ was even real.

But on Saturday, Wade and the Wolfpack (18-6, 9-2 ACC) proved that the Red Reckoning isn’t just alive, it’s thriving after a convincing 82-73 victory over Virginia Tech (16-8, 5-6 ACC).

“I love what Will is doing,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. “I really like the team. I like their pieces. They’re going to play the way they play.”

The victory marks the Wolfpack’s sixth-straight regular-season conference win, the longest streak since the 1973-74 season. The 9-2 conference record sits the Pack at fourth in the ACC and, barring a total collapse, a tournament lock.

It’s as if Wade simply saw the future before anyone else, and he knew exactly what the Pack needed to succeed.

Every reckoning needs a leader, and nobody has been more fit for the role than senior guard Quadir Copeland. During the Pack’s win streak, Copeland has averaged over 15 points and 10 assists per game. With a 21-point, 10-assist performance against the Hokies, Copeland has secured a double-double in each of the last three games. The Wolfpack’s emergence has been a direct result of Copeland’s elevation in play.

“At the end of the day, this is my last shot,” Copeland said. “It’s my last chance to do it the right way, so there’s no excuse behind it. I knew I had to tweak some things. I knew I had to fix some things with myself. I just made sure I took that step.”

Copeland doesn’t just elevate himself; he elevates those around him. He’s the guy you trust with the ball in his hands, knowing he’ll make the right play and find the open man. He’s the first guy to celebrate a teammate’s bucket or defensive stop, and the most verbose person on the court at any given time.

“The best thing he does is he gives other people confidence,” Wade said. “All that talking, he gives the rest of your team a lot of confidence, a lot of juice. It’s more about harnessing it and moving it in the right direction, which he’s been better at this past year.”

Wade knew NC State needed a true shooter to help sway the momentum, so he kept sophomore guard Paul McNeil Jr. — the only returning scholarship player from last season. McNeil has been at the forefront of NC State’s air raid offense, and his ACC-leading 43.5% accuracy from beyond the arc has turned the Wolfpack into the conference’s most efficient 3-point shooting team.

Virginia Tech came into Raleigh with the best 3-point defense in the ACC, but was unable to stop McNeil as he scored 21 points and hit four shots from beyond the arc. From riding the bench for most of his freshman season to becoming one of the biggest long-range threats in the nation, McNeil’s development has played a massive role in the Wolfpack’s recent success.

“This is what I prayed for,” McNeil said. “It’s all I ever wanted. I feel like this is my time to show what I can do, and Coach is believing in me.”

It’s great to be one of the best offenses in the conference, but all of that means nothing without a strong defensive performance. The Hokie’s top two scorers on the season — Amani Hansberry and Ben Hammond — couldn’t develop any offensive momentum in the opening 20 minutes, shooting a combined 1-of-16 from the field in the first half. The key wasn’t the Pack’s usual defensive stars, Copeland or redshirt junior guard Terrance Arceneaux; it was senior guard Tre Holloman.

“Shoutout Jig, it was because of him,” Copeland said. “He set the tone on why their guards were what they were in the first half.”

Hansberry got it going in the second half and finished with 19 points, but Hammond — Holloman’s assignment — finished with zero points on nine shots and four fouls, his worst performance of the season. The Hokies looked to other players for offense, but to no avail.

“Just taking pride in defense because I feel like this season, I’ve been slacking,” Holloman said. “I just wanted to set that spark for our team, and it worked.”

Now is the time when March Madness talks deepen as the field becomes clearer, but to make it to March, you have to survive February. The Pack faces a fierce remaining schedule, with ranked opponents in four of its final seven games.

Next up, the Pack travels west to take on No. 24 Louisville on Monday, Feb. 9. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m and will be streamed on ESPN.