NC State basketball losing streak grows. Observations from setback to Stanford

N.C. State knew the regular-season finale against Stanford was the biggest game of the season. ACC Tournament seeding and its position in the NCAA Tournament hinged on the outcome of Saturday’s game.

Wolfpack men’s basketball coach Will Wade said on Monday the team was in the March Madness field. It would only get interesting if his squad lost to the Cardinal.

Things just got very interesting after N.C. State fell to Stanford, 85-84, on Saturday at Lenovo Center. Despite having five players in double figures, the Wolfpack suffered its fourth straight loss to end the regular season and enters the ACC Tournament having lost six of its past seven games.

“Give them a ton of credit. They played with incredible poise, incredible composure,” Wade said. “Some of the shots they hit at the end of the shot clock, the free throws they hit. They were really good. We’ve had some lapses that really hurt us.”

It was not a pretty game by any standard. The N.C. State (19-12, 10-8 ACC) defense struggled to consistently stop Stanford (20-11, 9-9) and star freshman Ebuka Obkorie, who scored 33 points on 13-22 shooting.

Okorie looked like an All-ACC first team selection in both halves. He scored three straight 3s in the first half to put Stanford up five points and hit clutch shots in the second half. He tied the game at 46 all and a layup with 1:06 remaining on the clock put the Cardinal up by four points.

This was Okorie’s sixth 30-point game of the season, with four against ACC teams. Stanford is now 9-2 when he scores at least 20 points.

“He’s a great player, tremendous player,” Wade said. “Early on, he got going from 3 against the zone, and second half, he got going in transition. He’s electric with the ball. He’s going to be a potential first round draft pick.”

Stanford made 48.5% of its shot attempts, and was just shy of 38% on its 3-pointers.

Ven-Allen Lubin scored a team-high 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds for the Pack. Quadir Copeland added 16 points.

Darrion Williams made a 3 to start the second half but did not score the rest of the game. He finished 1 for 8 from the field in the loss.

“We’ve got to find a way to get him back on. He’s been struggling, and I haven’t done a good enough job helping him out,” Wade said. “We need him to play better for our team, and I need to do a better job of trying to reach him and get him to play up to his up to his capabilities.”

The Wolfpack shot 48.1% on field goal attempts and 35% from 3. It made 73.5% from the free throw line, but in a one-point game, it would like one of its nine missed free throws back.

With a win, the Wolfpack could have finished as high as No. 5, had Clemson lost earlier on Saturday, or as low as No. 7 in the ACC Tournament seeding due to tiebreakers. The loss means N.C. State will be the No. 7 seed in Charlotte and will open play on Wednesday. It will play the winner of the Stanford-Boston College first round game.

The loss could have significant NCAA Tournament implications, too. In the latest ESPN bracketology update, the Wolfpack was a No. 9 seed in the West Region. The team would play in San Diego for the first weekend.

However, it will likely drop again in the projections.

Snell gets the start

N.C. State strayed from its typical lineup on Saturday, removing sophomore guard Paul McNeil in favor of an all-senior starting five. Instead of McNeil, senior walk-on Jordan Snell earned his first career start.

Snell played 2 ½ minutes in his eighth appearance of the season.

“Coach told me yesterday I was going to start,” Snell said. “I was kind of just trying not to mess anything up out there. Obviously, you want to win, but I’m thankful for just opportunity.”

The guard has spent four seasons at N.C. State and, aside from McNeil, was the only other returning player from former coach Kevin Keatts’ tenure.

Snell has been a fan and team favorite. He received a standing ovation during the starting lineups and every time he touched the ball. Copeland called Snell his favorite player in an athletics in-game promotional video. He was a member of the ACC championship and Final Four team in 2024.

“I always start the seniors. I just feel like it’s the right thing to do, and Snell has made a great impact on our program,” Wade said. “He’s been here for a long time. He’s made an impact through multiple coaches, but he stuck around with us and, we’re just appreciative of everything he’s done to help us out and help us get going here.”

Rebounding woes appear again

Entering the game, N.C. State and Stanford were among the weakest rebounding teams in the ACC, with the Wolfpack holding a slight edge during conference play. The Wolfpack should’ve had a statistical advantage. The Cardinal, however, commanded the offensive glass with ease.

In the first four minutes, N.C. State gave up three offensive rebounds. Stanford collected another two in the subsequent 90 seconds.

The Wolfpack trailed by three points at halftime due in part to the rebounding issues. The Cardinal, which averages 10.8 offensive boards against ACC opponents, pulled down 10 in the first half and scored 10 second-chance points.

While its 11% 3-point shooting hurt the Wolfpack, too, poor effort on the glass certainly didn’t help the cause.

N.C. State was better in the second half, but it still finished minus-three in rebounding. Stanford pulled down 15 offensive boards and scored 13 second-chance points.

N.C. State came into the final game averaging 33.2 rebounds per game in ACC play and 9.8 rebounds on the offensive end. Stanford averages 32 rebounds against conference opponents. The Wolfpack has not outrebounded an opponent in over a month. The last time it finished with a positive rebounding margin was Jan. 31 against Wake Forest.

Sticky offense

It feels elementary to say, but N.C. State scored more points and got into a rhythm when it moved the ball. Effective movement without turnovers forced Stanford’s defense to help and create open shot opportunities.

N.C. State scored just 34 points in the first half, recording four assists on 11 made field goals. It started the second half with three made baskets, all assisted, and retook the lead.

When freshman Matt Able scored his back-to-back 3s to put N.C. State on top by three points with 11 minutes to play, Terrance Arceneaux dished out the assist on both plays.

Stanford’s defense is certainly aggressive and can force deflections, the Wolfpack appeared to play on its heels instead of attacking on offense and making strong passes. That led to the ball sticking and led to turnovers instead of preventing them.

The Wolfpack finished with nine assists on 26 field goals and 12 turnovers. Copeland, who averages 7.5 assists per game in ACC play, was held to two assists and six turnovers.

N.C. State has not recorded more than 15 assists in a game since Feb. 3 when it played at SMU. Stanford limits opponent assists to one on 43% of made field goals. N.C. State typically records a field goal on 54% of its made field goals.

This story was originally published March 7, 2026 at 4:45 PM.

Jadyn Watson-Fisher

The News & Observer