NC State beats South Carolina in exhibition. ‘We have a lot more to show’
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- N.C. State beat South Carolina 88-86 on Paul McNeil’s buzzer 3 in Greensboro.
- Coach Will Wade cited turnovers, missed free throws and defensive breakdowns.
- Team will use film review and practice to correct execution, rebounding and press.
N.C. State men’s basketball came away from its preseason exhibition against South Carolina happy that it won on a buzzer beater and displeased with the performance that put the team in that position.
Its to-do list of improvements is long, and the film session will be uncomfortable.
The Wolfpack defeated the Gamecocks, 88-86, on Sunday at First Horizons Coliseum in Greensboro. Yes, there were great plays. Matt Able scored a one-handed dunk over South Carolina’s Hayden Assemian in a highlight-worthy play. Paul McNeil made the game-winning 3-pointer. Ven-Allen Lubin made a few hook shots and tip-ins.
It’s also a game that fans will likely forget.
Point guard Quadir Copeland said the team’s performance — the first in front of fans as a new group — isn’t indicative of what it can do.
“I don’t want this to be the label that we have,” Copeland said. “We’re going as the ‘Red Reckoning’ and this was nothing, really. We have a lot more to show, a lot more in the tank. The fans that were here, appreciate them, but don’t judge us just off of this game. We have a lot more to come.”
While Copeland and Tre Holloman shied away from divulging too much about what they felt went wrong, head coach Will Wade was more than willing to detail all the issues he had with the performance, including the team’s execution at the end of the first half. Ven-Allen Lubin was called for an offensive foul, which resulted in a basket being taken off the scoreboard. That would’ve cut the deficit to four points.
NC State tried to steal and overran a play to give the Gamecocks free throws. Eli Ellis makes one. Instead of a two possession game, the mistakes create a seven-point hole.
Wade called the final seconds of the half “pitiful.”
N.C. State finished 19 of 30 (63.3%) from the free-throw line, as well. Some trips to the line were the front ends of 1-and-1 opportunities. Wade was proud of the team for getting into the paint and drawing contact. That’s not enough. His players need to capitalize on the chances they have.
If McNeil’s 3-pointer doesn’t fall, the team would’ve a few more free throws or the points they missed out on before the break.
There were some sloppy turnovers and the rebounding effort at times lacked punch. Some foul trouble didn’t help, either.
“You should never accept in winning what you wouldn’t accept in losing,” Wade said. “You win in the margins. Even though Paul’s shot went in, that doesn’t change the issues that we have.”
Most importantly, N.C. State just wasn’t aggressive enough on defense. There are going to be defensive breakdowns in a game — Wade talked a lot about problems with the press — but those can sometimes be masked by sheer athleticism and effort. Such was not the case against the Gamecocks. Wade estimates his group was the tougher team for eight minutes; the first four and the last four or five.
“The other times we were on our heels and we were on ice skates out there,” Wade said. “They were just picking who they wanted to shoot.”
Despite the uncomfortable feeling surrounding the outing, N.C. State believes it can build on the positives and correct the negatives. This was one step in a long season.
“Coach spells ‘fun,’ w-i-n. That’s it. That’s all he focuses on,” Copeland said. “Nobody’s happy if you ain’t winning. That’s our main goal, and that’s what he’s gonna keep trying to instill in us. It’s gonna come with maturity and time as a group, but we know coach has got us. We know he knows how to lead the show and run us and get us on the right track.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
