Darrion Williams needed a spark. Turns out, all it took was a phone call.
Heading into the Syracuse game, NC State’s 6’6" forward had been in a funk. The player many saw as the Wolfpack’s most valuable piece coming into the season was struggling to finish inside the arc during ACC play-shooting just 30% from two-point range.
But it wasn’t just the numbers that raised eyebrows. Williams looked hesitant, almost uncomfortable, when attacking the paint.
He was settling for fadeaways, avoiding contact, and when he did go up strong, it often looked more like a hopeful toss than a confident finish.
That kind of body language usually tells a story. Sometimes it's a lingering injury.
Sometimes it’s a player not trusting his body. Other times, it's a confidence issue-especially in a league as physical as the ACC, where contact is constant and finishing through it is a requirement, not a luxury.
There were a few theories floating around. Maybe his shoulder was still bugging him-he’d appeared to tweak it after taking a hit against Pitt.
Or maybe he was playing lighter than last season. Word was that Williams had dropped about 15 pounds, possibly after getting feedback from NBA scouts suggesting he needed to be quicker and more versatile to fit the mold of a pro wing.
But with that added speed may have come a loss of strength-and with it, a dip in confidence when trying to impose his will inside.
Whatever the reason, Williams hadn’t looked like himself. Until Syracuse.
Against the Orange, Williams flipped the script. He wasn’t just absorbing contact-he was initiating it.
He looked balanced, decisive, and in control. He didn’t shy away from physicality-he welcomed it.
And it wasn’t just the eye test. The stat line backed it up: 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-9 from deep and 4-of-6 inside the arc.
Add in 6 rebounds and 5 assists, and you've got the kind of all-around performance NC State has been waiting for.
So what changed?
After the game, Williams offered a refreshingly honest answer.
“I had a phone call with a family friend yesterday,” he said. “They just told me I was playing really soft this whole season, so I just tried to play harder, be more physical with other guys, instead of letting other guys move me off my spot. So thanks to him, but I don’t know, I was trying to be more physical, especially when I got mismatches.”
Sometimes, it really is that simple. No elaborate scheme.
No deep psychological breakdown. Just someone in your corner calling it like they see it-and the player responding.
Head coach Will Wade had a little fun with the story afterward. When asked if he knew about the phone call, Wade joked, “We planted that call.”
But then he got into the real work behind the scenes.
“Darrion doesn’t like that pad,” Wade said, referencing the physical training tool teams use to simulate contact. “We’ve been hitting with that pad.
We kind of let him do stuff against the air before. Sometimes you’ve got to touch him up a little bit with that pad, get him to feel that pad a little bit.
So we’re trying to put that pad on him.”
Whether it was the pad or the pep talk-or maybe a little of both-something clicked. And if that version of Williams sticks around, NC State becomes a much tougher team to deal with.
Because this is the guy they believed in from the jump. A versatile forward who can knock down threes, crash the glass, share the ball, and bang inside when needed. A player who doesn’t just fit into the offense, but elevates it.
And with the heart of ACC play heating up, timing couldn’t be better.
If Williams keeps bringing that edge, that toughness, that physical mindset-don’t be surprised if this is the start of a second-half surge for both him and the Wolfpack.