All the adoration around the new-look North Carolina State team was nice leading up to the season.
Now there’s some serious business for the Wolfpack at the end of the season’s first week.
UAB visits NC State for a Friday night game in Raleigh, N.C.
The Wolfpack (1-0) rolled to a 114-66 win over visiting North Carolina Central in the season opener on Monday. They are anticipating a bigger challenge from the Blazers (1-0), perhaps what NC State needs under first-year coach Will Wade.
“If you’re feeling pressure, that means you didn’t put in enough work,” Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland said. “I feel like the work we put in this summer nobody can match. … So I feel like the stuff that we did, it prepared us for this, like these moments.”
UAB also started strong by throttling Mississippi Valley State 106-55 on Monday in Birmingham, Ala.
“Both of us are going at it with a limited knowledge base because we’re trying to figure out our own teams,” Blazers coach Andy Kennedy said. “I know we’re going to have to play really good to give ourselves a chance.”
Wade, with LSU, and Kennedy, at Ole Miss, both spent time directing Southeastern Conference teams, but they overlapped during just one season in that league.
The Blazers will expect more resistance from the Wolfpack.
“We’ll be outsized against NC State, I’m sure,” Kennedy said.
UAB will have NC State’s attention as well.
“We’ve got a much different opportunity with UAB coming here, a team that’s had a bunch of postseason success in the NCAA Tournament and NIT,” Wade said.
It was a breakout opener for UAB’s Chance Westry, a former Auburn and Syracuse player. He produced 23 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
“He needs it desperately because he has not been performing at the level that I know he expects,” Kennedy said. “It’s great for him.”
Led by Darrion Williams’ 19 points, NC State had seven players reach double figures in the opener, so there were plenty of feel-good moments to go around.
Williams could be the go-to player for the Wolfpack, but he shouldn’t have to do everything. Wade believed there was good balance for Williams in the first game.
“We just need to hit singles, doubles,” Wade said of Williams. “We don’t have to hit home runs all the time. And he was really, really steady.”
