ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Following NC State’s 92-63 second-round loss to Michigan in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, head coach Wes Moore was asked by Pack Power 247’s Corey Smith whether the fact that the Wolfpack returns nearly its entire roster next season—with no seniors on this year’s team—made the defeat any easier to swallow.
Moore’s answer was immediate and emphatic:
“No. No. It’s no fun, you know, as a coach. You feel like you’ve let your university down and let our fans down and let our players down. No, it’s been a rough year. You win 21 games and you finish top four in the ACC and that’s a good year. Six out of the last seven years we finished in the top 10 in the country. So this is hard to swallow, but again, we’ve got to take a real hard look at it. I’ll take all the blame. I put the team together and I coach the team, and I’ve got to look in the mirror and we’ve got to look in the mirror as a program and try to get back to what we do.”
It was a raw, unfiltered moment from a coach who has built a powerhouse over the past seven seasons. But the numbers and the film from this 21-11 campaign (13-5 ACC) reveal exactly why Moore isn’t ready to brush this one off.
A Season of Close Calls and Late-Game Heartbreak
NC State lost 11 games in 2025-26. Seven of them were decided by single digits or in overtime:
- Southern California by 1 (68-69)
- Rhode Island by 5 (63-68)
- Oklahoma in OT (98-103)
- North Carolina by 2 (59-61)
- Louisville in OT (80-88)
- Plus the ACC Tournament quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame (63-81) and the Michigan blowout
In several of those games the Wolfpack led or were tied late, only to falter. The recurring theme? A lack of toughness and execution when the margin was tightest. Too often NC State went cold from the perimeter, turned the ball over at critical moments, or couldn’t match an opponent’s physicality in the final quarter. Season scoring averages by period showed the Pack were actually strong in the first half (1,227 points in Q1+Q2) but got outscored in the fourth quarter overall (574-581). Against Michigan, that trend exploded: they led 13-12 after one quarter and trailed just 28-25 at halftime—then got outscored 64-38 after the break.
Where the Wolfpack Must Improve Heading Into 2026-27With Khamil Pierre (16.7 PPG, 11.9 RPG), Zoe Brooks (16.0 PPG, 4.3 APG), Zamareya Jones (14.9 PPG, 3.8 APG), Tilda Trygger (10.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG), Qadence Samuels, Destiny Lunan, Devyn Quigley, and the rest of the core all returning, the talent is undeniable. But talent alone wasn’t enough this year. Here are the clear areas for growth:
- Perimeter shooting must become a weapon, not a weakness
NC State shot just .314 from three (188-of-598) all season—making only 5.9 threes per game. Opponents hit 7.2 per game. In the Michigan loss they went 4-of-13. Without a true stretch-4 or elite wing shooter to pull defenders out of the paint, teams packed the lane and forced tough mid-range shots or turnovers. - Ball security in big moments
The season average was a respectable 12.8 turnovers per game, but in losses—especially the NCAA Tournament exit—it ballooned. Against Michigan they committed a season-high 22 turnovers leading to 35 Michigan points. That’s not championship-level care with the basketball. - Mental toughness and closing ability
Multiple one-possession losses and OT defeats suggest the team needs to get stronger mentally and physically when games tighten. Moore has said it himself: they must “get back to what we do.” That means developing a killer instinct that was missing in the final minutes of several winnable games. - Second-half adjustments and transition defense
Michigan scored 32 points in both the third and fourth quarters. The Wolverines also turned steals into easy transition buckets all night. NC State’s season steal differential (6.8 per game vs. opponents’ 7.5) and fast-break scoring must improve against elite pressure. - Rebounding and interior physicality when it matters most
The Pack led the nation in rebounding margin most of the year (+6.1 overall), yet in the Michigan game they were outrebounded 40-30 and outscored in the paint 40-30. Against physical Big Ten-style teams, they need to win those battles consistently.
Moore ended his comments by accepting responsibility and promising change. With virtually the entire roster back and a program that has been a top-10 fixture for most of the last seven years, the foundation is there. But as the coach made clear Sunday night, no one at NC State is interested in moral victories or “almost” seasons anymore.
The mirror is out. Now the work begins.
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