NC State struggled with late-game execution all year. That’s how it ended
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- N.C. State lost 68-66 in First Four; late-game errors cost close contests.
- Wade and players blamed execution, effort and 'little things' for losses.
- Wolfpack ended with six losses in final seven games; execution faltered.
Darrion Williams left the locker room, blue towel on his head and eyes red with tears, as he walked to the postgame press conference. About 15 minutes later, he leaned against the scorer’s table, jersey still on, towel remaining around his neck, and took in the empty gym.
Several players wouldn’t make eye contact with reporters during the open locker room period. Scottie Ebube’s answers were short and his voice barely audible.
Quadir Copeland still showed disappointment but took time to thank the team’s staff, giving out hugs and fistbumps to everyone who made the season happen. The Syracuse and McNeese State transfer also took a moment to thank N.C. State general manager Andrew Slater.
“Y’all gave me a shot,” Copeland said.
The whole atmosphere around the locker room was somber after the Wolfpack’s 68-66 loss to Texas in the NCAA Tournament First Four. It was disappointing because it signaled the end of the season and the college careers of roughly half the roster, but much of the disappointment came from the way it lost.
Wolfpack never solved these issues
The Wolfpack could not advance to the Round of 64 because of issues that have plagued it all season. What could’ve potentially been a solid season was soured by the inability to finish.
“Disappointing end to a disappointing season, so we’ve got to move forward,” N.C. State head coach Will Wade said. “I wish some of these guys would have had that emotion a month ago. But, look, you can’t cheat the game. You can’t cheat what you earn. You get what you earn. We lost another close game. It’s how it’s been. You are who you are in pressure moments. This is where our season was going to end, one way or another. We just didn’t want to end in Dayton. But this is where it was going to end.”
N.C. State (20-14) ended the season with six losses in the last seven games and eight of the last 10. The team’s only two wins in the final month of the season came against a hamstrung North Carolina at home and Pittsburgh, which barely snuck into the ACC Tournament.
The Wolfpack lost seven games this season by six points or fewer. Four were by a single point.
This has been an issue all year, too. It lost to Kansas by one, at home, in overtime. It lost to Miami, at home, by one after blowing a two-possession lead. Stanford was a one point loss, also at home.
Those matchups came down to late-game turnovers, missed rebounds and defensive lapses. All of those things showed up in its lone March Madness game.
Late turnovers doomed Wolfpack
N.C. State committed two turnovers in the last three minutes, one of which turned into a pair of Texas free throws. One defensive rebound by the Longhorns turned into a dunk on the other end. Tramon Mark hit a pair of mid-range shots over Williams and senior guard Tre Holloman.
Even in a win-or-go-home scenario, the Wolfpack could not finish out a close game. After being unable to correct these issues all season — Wade previously said the staff spent most of the year coaching effort instead of execution — it only made sense that the problems that plagued nearly every other game would ultimately be the team’s downfall.
“I think it just shows you how much little things matter, not just in basketball, just in everyday life,” said senior captain Jordan Snell. “You never know what the sole reason is, and, for whatever reason it was, we just couldn’t get over the hump.”
Snell said this season and the way in which N.C. State lost games send a message to everyone, whether they’ll be back on the team or not, that everything matters. Mental toughness matters. Practicing with intensity matters. How players handle the things off the court matter. Relationships matter. It all plays into a person and team’s success.
It wasn’t losing that hurt the most — all but one team will end the season with an L — but the fact this group never fully got it right when it really mattered.
“That’s the most difficult thing you can go through, not getting over the hump,” said sophomore guard Paul McNeil. “Man, Wade is one of the smartest coaches I know. For sure, next year, whatever he does, he knows how to be better.”
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
