NC State Basketball Rival Preview: UNC

Davis wasn't looking to add any tinder to Wade's offseason fire. The Wolfpack coach already proclaimed that his team was 'coming' for the rest of the conference. Even with the departure of former Tar Heel forward Ven-Allen Lubin, who left to play for Wade despite claims of returning to North Carolina.

"I spoke briefly with (Wade) at the ACC head coaches meetings, but other than that, I really haven't had very much conversation with him," Davis said. "There's a number of new coaches in the ACC and I'm really excited about all of them and looking forward to compete with each one of them."

Given Davis' lengthy Tar Heel tenure as an assistant and head coach, he and Wade haven't overlapped as coaches very much prior to Wade's arrival in Raleigh. Davis will have to get used to seeing Wade and the Pack as he continues to take the region by storm on and off the court.

The Size Advantage

NC State's major flaw heading into the 2025-26 season looks to be size and paint presence. The Wolfpack does not have a player listed above 6-foot-10 on the roster. The Tar Heels won't have the same issue, as Davis made a conscious effort to improve the size of his squad for the upcoming season through the transfer portal. The primary addition was Arizona transfer Henri Veesaar, a seven-foot center who broke out for the Wildcats in his sophomore season. The Estonian national has embraced basketball in Chapel Hill before even playing a game.

"I'm just feeling the love of the community and seeing what the school really means to the whole community of Chapel Hill and everywhere in North Carolina. Knowing that you play for so much more than just yourself," Veesaar said at ACC Tipoff.

Davis added that positional size was a major point of emphasis for he and his staff throughout the offseason. The Tar Heels will be a problematic front court matchup for the Wolfpack come February. Even guards like Seth Trimble and Virginia Tech transfer Jaydon Young offer Davis some strong backcourt options to combat NC State's versatile perimeter depth.

Rivalry Renewed

The Pack and the Tar Heels are in very different places as programs. Wade has galvanized Raleigh and created a frenzy of fan interest and support with his passion and impressive roster. Davis entered an express rebuild after a disappointing season.

Despite taking different paths, NC State and North Carolina will certainly be in the mix by the end of the ACC season.

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