Can NC State men’s basketball make another March Madness run? It starts in Dayton
The room where the N.C. State men’s basketball team gathered Sunday to watch the NCAA selection show remained silent when “N.C. State” popped up on the screen. Unlike other teams, there was no cheering, no fanfare.
The Wolfpack appeared on screen as a No. 11 seed in the West Region, and will play Tuesday night in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, against fellow No. 11 Texas. First- and second-round games will take place in Portland, Oregon, if the team gets that far.
No one in the room was happy. N.C. State hoped — and thought — its resume was solid enough to start its tournament run in the Round of 64. Most of the popular bracketologists did, too.
The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee did not.
“There wasn’t a word said,” N.C. State head coach Will Wade said Sunday after the team learned of its destination.
His team got what it earned, though, Wade said. He said there is no, “we got screwed,” or, “woe is me.” The Pack has two losses to teams that didn’t make the ACC Tournament and didn’t win enough games in the final month and a half. One or two more wins against teams it was favored against could not only have given the Pack a bye, it could’ve improved its seed line.
It’s too late for that, now. N.C. State has to turn its sights on the tournament itself and how it can win a few more games. How far can it realistically go, though? Based on the bracket, its run may not be very long.
For openers, Texas ... again
N.C. State (20-13) is set to face Texas for the second time this season, both teams playing for a chance to make the Round of 64. The Wolfpack and Longhorns (18-14) lost five of their last six games. It is a 1-point favorite, according to KenPom with a 51% of winning. ESPN lists the Pack as a 1.5-point favorite and gives it a 50.2% chance of winning. Basically, the result could go either way.
The two teams played in Maui, with the Longhorns taking the contest 102-97. That remains the second-worst defensive performance of the season for opponent scoring, behind the 118 points allowed against Louisville.
In that game, the Wolfpack gave up 16 3s on 50% shooting. The Longhorns had success by breaking double team pressure and finding an open shooter on the perimeter. Six different Texas players finished in double figures, while Ven-Allen Lubin, Paul McNeil and Quadir Copeland surpassed the 20-point mark for N.C. State.
“It was an up and down game, and it was the third game in three days for both of us; so a really, really challenging game,” N.C. State head coach Will Wade said on Sunday. “We’re going to break down some film tonight and get ready for Tuesday night.”
Will March Madness continue past Dayton?
If N.C. State escapes Dayton, it’ll be on a flight to Portland for a date with No. 6 seed BYU and star freshman forward AJ Dybantsa, an expected first-round NBA draft pick. Dybantsa leads the nation in scoring (25.3 points per game). In the Cougars’ 78-76 exhibition win over North Carolina, Dybantsa recorded 18 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
The Wolfpack defense struggled this season against teams with size on the interior — see Duke and the 0-3 record against Virginia this year — and stopping Dybantsa seems unlikely. Even if the Wolfpack slowed him down, though, it has a knack for allowing other opponents to put up career-high-type numbers.
If it upset the Cougars, N.C. State would play the winner of No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 14 Kennesaw State.
A date with No. 2 Purdue, No. 7 Miami, No. 10 Missouri or No. 15 Queens would be on deck in the Sweet 16. It’s unlikely the Wolfpack gets to this point, though.
Unlikely, but not impossible — the last time N.C. State was an 11-seed, it reached the Final Four — but it is improbable.
Wade said he liked the effort his team showed in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss against Virginia, but he’s hoping it can clean up some details and execution issues before the tournament starts. Those are going to be keys to not only winning on Tuesday but pulling off any potential upsets.
“It’s all about preparing for Texas and trying to put our best foot forward,” Wade said. “Get the first win, and you can get a little win behind your sails and get a little bit of momentum.”
This story was originally published March 16, 2026 at 12:08 PM.
