MCLAMB: Wade-ing through the offseason
On Wednesday morning, deep in the bowels of the Dail Basketball Center, where only the crème de la crème get to bring their tape recorders, Will Wade settled in for his first press conference since his formal introduction as NC State’s head coach over three months earlier.
For Wade, the preliminary period in Raleigh has served him well. The newest leader in the Pack has a great demeanor, self-effacing humor, and an ability to laugh at himself, accompanied by a near-constant smile and informative answers. He is also grasping exactly which schools he is supposed to dislike.
If Will Wade worked at Best Buy, as he was making his sales pitch, he would probably convince all of its shoppers to also purchase an extended warranty.
“Another 500 dollars for two years of added protection, you say. How could I possibly turn that down?”
The man is connecting with his customers.
It was a presser that went the distance – 30 minutes and then an extra few for good measure – and Wade came across as candid in his answers, which included references as to why a certain player did not end up at NC State, who exactly the Wolfpack would be playing in its non-conference slate, and where his mind is at concerning how to ensure NCSU gets its fill of Tier 1 games outside of the ACC regular season, among other things.
The questions from the media ran the gamut, but Wade’s answers were encompassing and broadened the smiles of many Wolfpack faithful who seem to be as eager for a season to start as they have been in many years, which includes a season coming off an ACC title and Final Four appearance.
In an unsolicited opinion, Wade also addressed his predecessor, Kevin Keatts, with respect. He mentioned that, in his opinion, Keatts did not do a bad job at NC State and that he felt the former Wolfpack coach still had more to give to the game of basketball.
Wade is not wrong. Keatts was able to get rid of two of the Wolfpack’s major rashes, but he left the program with one final itch. The burdens of chasing a first league title and a Final Four appearance for a program since the 1980s are gone. Now, NC State will try to reach those levels for the right reasons, being a consistent winner.
And that is where Keatts came up short. NC State’s fan base is tired of inconsistency, projecting bubble situations, and needing a slew of upsets to reach a top-tier status. Wolfpack Nation aspires to be elite annually, and that was what the men’s basketball program once was.
To the credit of those who support the Pack, they never let anyone forget that greatness has been done, and that is the reference point to saying that it still can be accomplished. Flying in the clouds is nice, but the NCSU fanbase wants to reach the stars.
The next time Wade addresses the scrum, it will probably be in Charlotte when all of the ACC coaches converge for Media Days. At that point, he will have his chance to connect and resonate with an even larger base that functions outside the sphere of NC State’s influence.
But the Wolfpack base itself is now all in. Expectations, excitement, and hope are as high as they have been in recent memory, perhaps since Jim Valvano’s tenure. Yes, that is where NC State fans are now. It is quite a sight, especially after the malaise of the last two regular seasons, where the Lenovo Center often was not a third full and the opposition usually scored the most points.
Will Wade has won the offseason. That is good for everyone involved with NC State. The real season is approaching, and a once great basketball school is yearning for something special that is lasting.