Darrion Williams turns in memorable NC State debut in 48-point win over NC Central

Hours before beginning his game day routine — a film session, scouting report quiz, shootaround, pregame meal and an activation lift — NC State senior forward Darrion Williams went out to breakfast with coach Will Wade ahead of both of their Wolfpack debuts.  

The objective of the 1-on-1 meeting? To make sure Williams, the ACC preseason player of the year, was in a good headspace going into the season opener against NC Central later that night.

“Look,” Wade recalled telling Williams, “you don’t have to be Superman for us.”

It would have been easy for Williams to feel pressure as one of the top portal additions in the nation this past offseason, but he didn’t show that to Wade in the deviation from the usual schedule with the breakfast. The battle-tested do-it-all player was more than prepared for his first action with the Wolfpack.

Although Wade didn’t want Williams to have to carry the Pack, he did just that in the first four minutes of NC State’s 114-66 win to kick off the new era on Monday night at the Lenovo Center. It wasn’t the plan, but the coveted star player showed exactly why he is among the top players in the nation in his final season of eligibility.

The Wolfpack had a slow start from sophomore guard Paul McNeil, who missed a pair of threes, but Williams was there to pick him up. He nailed his first two triples — an exuberant reaction followed both he nearly blew the top off of the capacity crowd of 19,119 — before hitting a layup and another 3-pointer to account for 11 of the Pack’s first 13 points. 

While the game ended up a 48-point romp, Williams’ ability to take control early seemed to level the excited Wolfpack roster as 12 of his teammates were also playing their first game for NC State.

“Darrion being able to make those shots and get us going as a senior leader, I thought that was really critical to us being able to settle into the game,” Wade said, “and have enough of a cushion where those other guys could relax and settle in and then we could get going.

Williams, who finished with a team-best 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting with four made 3-pointers, is a player NC State trusts to get going early. Since he did, the rest of the Pack seemed adamant to keep feeding him in the opening minutes of the game. 

After that, it was off to the races as the Wolfpack used multiple 15-plus-point runs to build a wide margin that it could lean on the rest of the way. 

“That ‘POY’ that wasn’t for no reason,” said senior guard Quadir Copeland, who finished with 15 points. “We know what kind of player he is and we know we want to get him started early. It doesn’t matter if he would have missed his first three shots, we would still keep going back to him. We know what he can do for us. We know he can set the tone at any time. When he’s having a moment like that, you have to give him the rock.”

Although Williams has the ability to score on all three levels, which he put on display in his first game in Raleigh, he impacted the game in other ways too. Williams led NC State with eight assists, pacing the team to its 27 dishes on 37 made baskets, as he whipped the ball around with authority to put his high-level court vision on full display.

The Sacramento, Calif., native’s belief in his teammates seemed to be infectious as the game continued. Just look at freshman guard Matthew Able, the No. 19 recruit in the 2025 cycle, who said he was excited to get on the floor for the first time. 

Able, a deadly 3-point shooter in his own right, was just 1-of-3 shooting in the opening half, but he quickly became a sparkplug in the final 20 minutes with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting after halftime. He seemed to lean on the program’s leaders, including Williams, to get into rhythm as he logged a trio of 3-pointers in the victory.

“He’s been in the biggest games in the biggest moments, so having a guy like that on the team, it gives me confidence and it gives the team confidence to play their best,” Able said of Williams. “It opens it up for everyone else, including me, to get open shots because they’re so worried about him and what he can do.”

Williams is a walking playmaker. Leave him open and the shot is going to fall. Good luck sending a trap his way as he can pass out of it to the open man. Oh, and if he gets to the rim, he’s strong enough to battle anyone on the floor to put the ball through the hoop. 

The savvy veteran takes what he is given from the defense. He was able to pick his way through the undermanned Eagles in his first taste of playing in front of the Wolfpack faithful, quickly proving why he was a sought after player this offseason. 

Wade’s intentional 1-on-1 breakfast with Williams seemed to pay dividends in the long run. His star player was key in getting NC State going in the opening segment before Williams became an integral part of running the team’s offense for the other 20 minutes he was on the floor. 

That all-around performance, which also featured four rebounds, from his go-to point forward left Wade wearing a large grin in the bowels of the Lenovo Center afterwards.

“He makes the right plays and he gets other guys going after he gets going,” Wade said. “He’s just a really, really good player. He’s a great person. I’m happy he’s with the Pack.”