Martelli Jr. Reflects on VCU’s Loss to No. 25 NC State
The VCU head coach praised his team’s performance against the ranked Wolfpack and expressed gratitude for the chance to face a high-major opponent.
RALEIGH — For well-regarded mid-major programs like VCU, securing games against power-conference teams is often a major challenge. In his first season leading the Rams, Phil Martelli Jr. took his squad into the Lenovo Center to play No. 25 NC State, coached by Will Wade—who has long-standing ties to VCU from his days as an assistant and later as head coach.
One of Wade’s earliest moves after taking over at NC State was arranging a home-and-home series with his former program. He made a similar scheduling decision when he coached LSU, and even brought his McNeese State team to Richmond to face VCU—though he didn’t coach that game due to an NCAA suspension.
Although VCU ultimately came up short in an 85–79 contest, Martelli expressed deep appreciation for the opportunity. As a preseason favorite to win the Atlantic 10, the Rams will have only a small handful of chances to earn Quadrant 1 victories.
Speaking with reporters after the loss, Martelli thanked Wade for agreeing to the matchup and outlined the issues that cost his team.
Key Quotes from Martelli
Opening remarks:
“First off, I’m extremely grateful to Will (Wade) and everyone at NC State for being willing to schedule us. We make a lot of calls like this, and most either go unanswered or end with a straight no. Getting a home-and-home is rare. These types of games matter for both teams. They’re two strong programs. I told our radio crew not to be surprised if NC State ends up with 25 to 28 wins. Fans here should keep their March weekends free.”
On VCU repeatedly answering NC State’s runs:
“They believe in themselves. Some of that comes from the Utah State game, and some of it is just who they are. There was no panic… It went to seven, it went to whatever… We just didn’t put together enough stretches to flip it the other direction.”
On his relationship with Will Wade and their first encounter:
“I told this story last night to some of our fans. In my first year at Central Connecticut, Oliver Purnell at Clemson offered me a grad assistant spot and brought me down for a visit. I got off the plane and the manager picking me up was Will. We didn’t stay super close, but he drove me around, and it’s just a small world—especially in basketball. I ran into him at the Final Four, and he said, ‘I would’ve never left that place.’ I appreciated that. And I appreciate that he doesn’t shy away from opportunities like this.”
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