‘Gonna have to grit it out’: NC State’s loss to GT hurts NCAA Tournament resume
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Loss to Georgia Tech blemishes N.C. State resume and narrows at-large path
- Quad 4 loss likely unless Georgia Tech climbs into NET top 75 by season end
- Pack faces tough Quad 1 slate and road-heavy stretch that demands signature wins
N.C. State didn’t have the strongest NCAA Tournament resume after failing to capitalize on early Quad 1 opportunities, but it didn’t have any bad losses. That, unfortunately for the Wolfpack, changed on Saturday.
The Wolfpack’s 78-74 home loss to Georgia Tech marred its record after being 7-0 in Quad 3 and Quad 4 games until Saturday.
“You lose a home game like this and it’s hard to recover from,” N.C. State head coach Will Wade said. “Our resume wasn’t great to begin with, but the best part of our resume is we didn’t have any bad stuff on it. It was pretty clean. We didn’t have any Quad 1 wins, but we didn’t have any three or four losses, either. We had a bunch of Quad 2 wins. Well, now the best part of our resume is blemished.”
Entering the game, N.C. State ranked No. 25 in KenPom rankings and No. 29 in the NET. The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, ranked No. 136 and No. 162, respectively. There were only four ACC teams ranked No. 100 or worse in the NET.
The win could cause Georgia Tech (11-8, 2-4 ACC) to move above 160, which would make it a Quad 3 loss for N.C. State. Home game results are Quad 3 when the opponent has a NET between 76-160. The loss, however, will likely end up being a Quad 4 on N.C. State’s resume unless the Yellow Jackets rattle off enough wins in ACC play to stay above 160 by the end of the season.
N.C. State’s early bubble status took a hit
The result, even if it does go down as a Quad 4 loss, does not necessarily signal the end, but it further trims the margin for error. KenPom now predicts the Pack will finish with an 11-7 or 10-8 record in ACC play.
While the ACC has dramatically improved in 2025-26, the Wolfpack can’t afford losses to teams in the bottom half of the conference. N.C. State could have potentially lived with this loss if it had picked up wins against Kansas, Auburn or another one in Maui. Instead, it’s a punch to the gut, with players giving short non-answers in their press conference and Wade sounding resigned.
“We’re gonna have to punch above our weight class a couple times here to get this thing back where it needs to be,” Wade said.
That’s going to be a difficult task. It was already hard before this loss. Four of N.C. State’s next five games — Clemson, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and SMU — are on the road. The games away from home against Clemson, Wake, SMU are all Quad 1 games at this point. The home game versus Syracuse and a road game at Pitt are Quad 2.
The team’s schedule also includes home games against Duke and North Carolina, and road contests versus Louisville, Virginia and Notre Dame.
N.C. State had been projected as one of the last four teams to earn a bye in the NCAA Tournament, avoiding the First Four in Dayton. After the loss, an at-large bid looks unlikely unless it can pick up multiple Quad 1 wins. In that case, it would be in a situation where it has to win the ACC Championship to earn a March Madness berth.
How will Wolfpack respond at Clemson?
Wade didn’t exactly exude confidence that his team would respond when it plays at Clemson on Tuesday, the Wolfpack’s next chance to pick up a big win.
“We’ll see if we can respond. I can’t guarantee you that’s going to happen,” Wade said. “I can’t guarantee you with this group that that’s how we’re going to respond. I don’t know. I wish I could, but I’m not sure. Hopefully we do. We have at other times this year. Hopefully, we get off the mat and play well Tuesday night.”
It was a much different vibe this weekend than after its loss against Kansas. Following that loss, Wade called the season “long” and promised the team was going to move forward, continually improving in the coming weeks.
“We’re going to be a lot different team, a lot better team, and a team everybody will be proud of,” Wade said on Dec. 13. “We’re not there yet, but we’re making progress.”
Instead, when asked if he might do anything differently to prepare for Clemson and the remaining stretch, Wade said “we’ll see.”
Will Wade’s search for answers
The staff will look at all the film and numbers to determine what needs to be done as the team nears the final third of the regular season. Wade said the staff also needs to do a better job of putting its personnel in positions to succeed. He doesn’t know why it’s been a struggle to get everything working together, even with all the experimentation the staff has tried.
Wade said if he knew the “why,” the team could fix the issue and create more consistency. Instead, it’s a two- or three-steps forward and one-step back situation. That doesn’t apply solely to the record, though. He feels like the preparation and overall execution have faltered.
This is a lot different than the teams his staff has put together in the past, when it can win eight, 10 or 12 straight games. N.C. State isn’t a rocket ship, he said, that’s going to take off.
“That ain’t gonna be this group,” Wade said. “We’re gonna have to grit it out as best we can.”
