Wolfpack woes: Three takeaways from NC State basketball’s late collapse at Virginia Tech

The road has not been kind to N.C. State this season, and Wednesday, it was downright cruel.

The Wolfpack led by 11 at the half, as many as 15 at one point, and led by seven with 3:18 to play. But, after its eighth turnover of the game in the final seconds, the Pack watched Ben Burnham put an exclamation point on an improbable 79-76 Virginia Tech win at Cassell Coliseum with a thunderous dunk.

After forcing a miss with 2.3 seconds remaining and clinging to a one-point lead, N.C. State needed a clean rebound to seal the game. Instead, the Wolfpack picked up a foul.

The Hokies’ hot-shooting Jaden Schutt knocked down two free throws to give his team a one-point lead. On the ensuing inbound play, Burnham put the game away.

The game began as a 3-point contest as both teams knocked down a pair of 3s to open the evening. Guard Jayden Taylor made both of N.C. State’s opening shots. The Pack and Hokies combined to go 8 for 10 from the perimeter.

N.C. State struggled defensively at times, but it finally found a groove late in the first half. It forced 10 first-half turnovers. Virginia Tech entered the game averaging nearly 14 turnovers per game, while the Wolfpack came in forcing just over 13.

Its defensive success translated to the offense, as well. The Pack ended the first half on an 11-0 run, with Taylor leading all scorers (11 points), and recorded 11 assists on 16 made shots.

Ben Middlebrooks made a layup fewer than two minutes into the second half and gave N.C. State a 15-point lead. The game was the Wolfpack’s to lose.

Then, the Hokies hit a pair of 3s with 11:01 remaining to cut the deficit to single digits before N.C. State regained a double digit lead.

Schutt took over in the final three minutes. After not scoring at all in the Hokies’ two previous games, he scored three straight baskets, including a 3 with 1:41 remaining to cut N.C. State’s lead to one . He missed a shot with roughly two seconds remaining, but N.C. State couldn’t pull down the rebound and Marcus Hill picked up the foul instead, sending Schutt to the line. He made them both.

The Hokies outscored the Pack 19-4 in the final six minutes, and finished the game shooting 50% (11 of 22) from 3-point range.

Taylor led N.C. State with 17 points. Middlebrooks and Hill each finished in double figures.

N.C. State was without the services of Brandon Huntley-Hatfield for the second consecutive game. Huntley-Hatfield sustained a shoulder injury last week against Notre Dame and missed the contest against North Carolina on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Hokies were without freshman guard Ben Hammond after he sustained a foot injury on Jan. 4 against Miami.

Here are three takeaways from the Wolfpack’s road loss.

Defense struggles against Hokies

The Wolfpack’s biggest issue remains its lack of consistency as a team and individually. That showed up once again in Blacksburg.

N.C. State started the season playing efficient defense. That took a step back to end the year and start 2025. However, it entered the game after two strong defensive performances against Notre Dame and North Carolina, when it trailed the Tar Heels 26-20 at halftime Saturday.

The Wolfpack trailed 26-20 roughly 11 minutes into the game Wednesday night. The Hokies were 10 of 17 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range at that time. N.C. State settled in, ending the first half on a 13-2 run and holding the Hokies 2 of 8 in the final six minutes.

However, it struggled again in the second, giving up an 8-0 run, allowing the Hokies to cut their deficit to six. Shortly after the run, N.C. State forced six straight VaTech misses.

The defensive effort in the final three minutes left plenty to be desired, as it allowed Virginia Tech to score six straight and erase the once 15-point lead.

Kevin Keatts has said repeatedly he’s looking for more consistency from his roster, and its ability to show defensive resolve for a full 40 minutes remains to be seen.

Freshmen play — and contribute — in first half

Keatts told reporters on Monday the freshmen would likely see more playing time as the season progressed.

“They’re starting to get better in practice,” Keatts said. “Obviously, with our rotation, we’re getting down to maybe eight guys. Then it’s going to be one or two of those guys that’s going to play each game. A lot of that’s going to be determined on how they practice. Some of it could be matchups.”

All three rookies — Paul McNeil, Bryce Heard and Trey Parker — appeared and contributed in the first half against Virginia Tech.

McNeil got on the stat sheet when he dished an assist to Dennis Parker for a layup. He was on the receiving end three minutes later when Ben Middlebrooks found him in the paint. His layup snapped a 7-0 Virginia Tech run.

Parker added two rebounds in two minutes, while Heard knocked down a 3 to put the Pack up nine.

Not the best representation of ACC basketball

It’s no secret the ACC has struggled in recent years and has seen its reputation decline. Is it always warranted? No. But games like Wednesday’s didn’t help the perception.

N.C. State and Virginia Tech embodied “mid” during multiple stretches. They were at times good, not great; other times they were fundamentally bad.

From blown layups, Virginia Tech’s lazy turnovers and a lack of toughness on the glass — sometimes consecutively — it was a mess for both teams. The Hokies won, but it wasn’t a pretty victory. And, N.C. State looked unprepared down the stretch.

The Wolfpack is coming off its 2024 ACC Championship and Final Four run, while the Hokies won the conference championship in 2022. For two teams with a lot of pride and history, they have a lot to work on if they want to find any semblance of success this season and be better representatives for the league.