NC State senior forward Darrion Williams met with the media at the 2025 ACC Tip Off to discuss the upcoming season for the Wolfpack.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.
On his role on the team…
We have a lot of good playmakers on the team, so it's not like I need to have the ball. We have a lot of guys that can go make plays, make shots, and everything that we need. We all fit well as a team, and we're glad to put that on for you.
How much do you enjoy being able to run those types of picks and roles and things along those lines to actually create for others, not just for yourself?
Yeah, my other teammates score, I get more excited when I score, besides when I'm talking a little mass play. Nah, I love seeing my other teammates succeed. That's what makes me happy in basketball, my other teammates get some success.
What were you thinking when you walked up there on the stage and saw that photo of Malik?
I saw that when I first walked in the door, to be honest, but it is what it is, it'll get fixed.
How do you like Raleigh so far? You've been a West Coast guy. How's it been fitting in with the East Coast? When did you get here? Was it the summer, the humid summer?
Yeah, I got there June 1st, so I was there during the summer. It's been nice. Obviously, I was in Lubbock for two years, and that was more of a college town than a true major city. Being over there and having a little bit more stuff to do, but the weather is very different from Lubbock to Raleigh.
Lubbock to Raleigh, but it's been great. You see a lot of family over the place, you get recognized for the places you go. The support has been great, and everybody's excited for the season.
Did you get to try Carolina barbecue yet?
Yeah, I tried some.
Thoughts?
Pretty good. Texas barbecue is probably better.
Probably better, right? It's a different thing. You've got the vinegar, I feel like, here. How's it been so far with Coach Wade compared to your other stops? Is it a different culture? Do you feel some of the differences, perhaps, compared to Lubbock?
I think it's similar to my first year when I transferred to Tech, because I was in Coach Mac's first year over there, too. Still trying to establish the culture that they're trying to make. I've played for great coaches my whole career, so I think it's coming to another great coach.
He's more outspoken about everything he does than I was, per se, but he's very transparent about everything. He says what he means, and everything he says has a meaning. You need to really interpret what he's trying to say, whether it's good or bad. It's been great. I love the guy. He's hilarious. Made him joke all the time about random stuff. He has everything I can dream about.
You've come to NC State as the top guy in this team so far, the star going into it. How comfortable are you with that role, and how much was that something that was important to you when you went to the transfer portal?
It wasn't that important. I was trying to find a good fit, basketball-wise. I feel like I'm fine with it. I don't really feel pressure going into basketball games.
I've been in some high-pressure games last year or two, so I think that's helped me to this point. We have some other guys that have been there, so I'm not alone in anything. When it's my time to come out, I'll shine a little.
How good has that been to be able to lean on other guys that have been into those high-pressure situations, not only playing in conference games, but also playing in the NCAA tournament and making deep runs?
I think it's been great. I think a lot of guys, like I said, I think I've gotten a lot of hype in transferring. We've got Tre Holloman, who's on the Elite Eight team, Terrance Arceneaux, who's on the National Championship team, and everybody else who's been to the tournament, or if they haven't been, they're hungry to get there, and they want to taste it. So I think that's pretty big, and everybody has one goal in mind, and that's the team success instead of individual success.
Are you the kind of guy that goes back and watches the Florida game and watches the Arkansas game on the regular?
Not on the regular, but I've watched the Florida game more than the Arkansas game. I'm just kind of mad how things ended, but the reason I can do it better now, but it was a great experience because the high and low of winning the game and then 48 hours later losing the game, you should have won in kind of similar fashion. But yeah, I've watched our whole tournament run a couple times.
How does that kind of motivate you or shape you knowing how close you were to tasting what your ultimate goal is?
Doing everything I can so in those last couple minutes I don't miss a free throw or miss a couple shots or get scored on.
Did you see the linkage between basically what you guys did to Arkansas and what Florida did to you guys?
Yeah, I noticed that right after we lost.
But yeah, both teams had to be perfect in the last five minutes or overtime. Yeah, I mean I think everything happens for a reason. This wasn't our time to go to the Final Four. I think Tech will be right back there this year and I think we'll be right there with them.
I'm sorry, you have analytics, they mentioned it in the other room, it's such a big thing. How do you have that balance where the analytics you use it but at the same time you play free and don't get encumbered by the game?
I think analytics is more of the coach's thing. We listen to all the numbers and stuff. We know what they want us to do and we just try and do that to them. I don't know all the numbers against Matt, the coach does. He'll spit them out and I'll remember them ten minutes later.
And you feel like the structure of what you guys are trying to do is not hindering that in any way, it's helping?
No, the style they want us to play, I feel like we're doing to a good degree.
