After NC State’s 36-point win over Texas Southern, you’d think head coach Will Wade would be all smiles. Instead, he took the postgame mic and delivered a brutally honest-and surprisingly hilarious-tirade that felt less like a victory lap and more like a wake-up call.
Wade wasn’t interested in celebrating the scoreboard. He was focused on what the box score didn’t show: a team he believes is still far from meeting the standard he expects.
And make no mistake-this wasn’t some off-the-cuff rant. This was calculated, pointed, and laced with enough sharp one-liners to make a stand-up comic jealous.
But behind the laughs was a coach laying down the law in no uncertain terms.
Let’s break down the key messages Wade delivered-through the jokes, the jabs, and the unmistakable urgency.
**1. “We’ve got a lot of nice guys.
Got a great team GPA, over 3.0. We’ve got all that stuff.
It’s wonderful - if we were running a daycare.” **
This one landed with a thud-and a chuckle. Wade’s not dismissing academics; he’s making it clear that being book smart isn’t enough when you’re trying to win in the ACC.
He wants toughness, grit, and execution. The kind of basketball IQ that shows up in rebounding battles and defensive rotations, not just on report cards.
This is about setting a tone. Wade’s demanding more than just character and classroom performance-he wants competitive fire. And right now, he doesn’t see enough of it.
**2. “I had one of the kids come to me, saying, ‘I’m tough’.
… You wouldn’t make the top 25 of the last five years I’ve coached, and I sat out a year.” **
That’s a gut punch. Wade is calling out his team’s lack of edge, and he’s doing it with some serious perspective. He’s coached plenty of tough players over the years-and he’s letting his current roster know they’re not close to that level.
The numbers back him up. NC State is sitting at No. 199 in offensive rebounding percentage, per KenPom.
That’s not a stat you want associated with a team that’s supposed to be scrapping for every possession. And it’s not like this is a small-ball group-this team has size.
What it’s missing, Wade suggests, is the mindset to go with it.
“We’ve got a lot of casual personalities on our team,” he said. That’s not a throwaway line. That’s a coach drawing a line in the sand.
**3. “We’ve got all high major games from here on out.
Kindergarten is over.” **
Translation: the warm-up act is done. NC State has gone 0-4 against power-conference opponents, and the schedule’s only getting tougher from here. Wins over solid mid-majors like Boise State, UAB, and VCU are nice, but they’re not going to move the needle in ACC play-or come Selection Sunday.
Starting with Ole Miss, the Pack is entering the part of the season where every possession matters, every mistake gets magnified, and every game has postseason implications. Wade knows it. And he wants his players to know it, too.
**4. Asked if he’s concerned it’s taking so long to get the Pack going, he didn’t hesitate: “To get it going?
It’s concerning it’s taking this long and we’re not there.” **
That’s as direct as it gets. Wade isn’t sugarcoating the situation.
He’s not just worried about slow progress-he’s frustrated they haven’t arrived yet. For a coach trying to establish a new culture in his first year at NC State, time is of the essence.
And he’s clearly not seeing the urgency he’s looking for.
**Bonus: “Our first team made 14 [mistakes], our second team made 22. How in the hell can you be on the second team and watch the first team do it and make eight more mistakes?
You’re running the same stuff.” **
That’s a classic coaching frustration-when the backups, who have the benefit of watching the starters go through the reps, still manage to mess it up even more. It’s funny, sure, but it also underscores Wade’s larger point: this team isn’t locked in. Not in games, not in shootarounds, not even in walkthroughs.
Wade has his staff chart every mistake in practice, and he’s using that data to hold players accountable. It’s not just about effort-it’s about attention to detail, execution, and learning from what’s happening right in front of you.
What’s Next for the Pack?
Wade’s message wasn’t subtle, and it wasn’t meant to be. He’s trying to shake his team out of its comfort zone before the real grind begins.
The ACC isn’t going to wait for NC State to figure it out. And if the Wolfpack doesn’t respond quickly, the rest of the conference-especially the in-state rivals-will be more than happy to leave them behind.
This wasn’t just a postgame rant. It was a challenge. A line drawn in the hardwood.
Now we wait to see if his players step over it-or keep standing on the wrong side of what could be a pivotal season.