NC State, Virginia Are Matching Up Twice During 2025-2026 Regular Season With Their First Match Up Coming Saturday Morning In Raleigh
Atlantic Coast Conference opponents, teams either match up once or twice during the regular season!
NC State, Virginia are matching up twice during 2025-2026 regular season with their first match up coming Saturday morning in North Carolina’s state capital.
Where?
On the hardwood
NC State comes into the first match up with Virginia who is ranked 21st in this weeks AP Top 25 Poll with record of 10-4 overall 1-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference is seventh in the standings because they won their Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Wednesday December 31, 2025 in North Carolina’s state capital As NC State won the first regular season match up with Wake Forest as a team NC State shot 25-59 for 42 % on field goals 6-21 on 3 pointers for 29 % . Three starters scored in double figures. Ven-Allen Lubin a forward a senior who previously played for NC State’s tobacco road rival North Carolina was 6-10 on field goals to go along with 11 rebounds , 2 assists , 12 points. Paul McNeil Jr. a guard a sophomore was 3-6 on field goals , 2-5 on 3 pointers , 5-5 on free throws to go along with 2 rebounds , 1 block. 13 points . Quadir Copeland a guard a senior was 5-11 on field goals , 4-6 on free throws to go along with 2 rebounds, 8 assists 3 steals, 14 points .
According to espn app
Following NC State winning first match up of regular season with Wake Forest 70-57 in North Carolina’s state capital Quadir Copeland a guard a senior was 5-11 on field goals , 4-6 on free throws to go along with 2 rebounds, 8 assists 3 steals, 14 points shared his thoughts on his teammates Ven -Allen Lubin, Musa Sagina by saying He’s finally found it as a backup, and, at times, frontcourt partner with Ven-Allen Lubin. They often play separately in the rotation, but Wade isn’t afraid to go big and use them at the same time. “Even in the last game with Ole Miss, he showed his intensity, his aggressiveness, his offensive rebounding,Ven, with them two in together, they make it work every single time.”
Following NC State winning first match up of 2025-2026 regular season with Wake Forest 70-57 in North Carolina’s state capital Musa Sagina a forward a freshman who came off the bench who was 2-4 on field goals 2-2 on free throws to go along with 8 rebounds , 6 points shared his thoughts by saying “It’s been great since I got here,” Sagnia said, appreciative of those who helped him get to this point. “Everybody’s been really nice. I love it out here, my teammates, the coaching staff, everybody, it’s been great. Just since I got here, they’ve been trying to help me all the way through even some bad days. They’ll pick me up and help.”
According Jadyn Watson Fisher News & Observer article https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/article314087942.html
21st ranked Virginia comes into the first match up of 2025-2026 regular season with record of 11-2 overall 0-1 in the ANC State lost their Atlantic Coast Conference opener in three overtimes to rival Virginia Tech via score of 95-85 on Wednesday where as a team Virginia shot 32-89 on field goals for 36 % 10-45 on 3 pointers for 22 % 11-15 on free throws for 73%. Three players scored in double figures Thijs De Ridder a forward a freshman was 9-20 on field goals , 3-11 on 3 pointers 1-2 on free throws to go along with 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 22 points. Malik Thomas a guard a senior was 8-20 on field goals , 2-9 on 3 pointers , 8-11 on free throws to go along 4 rebounds, 1 steal , 1 block 26 points. . Chance Mallory a guard a freshman came off the bench was 4-11 on field goals , 1-5 on 3 pointers , 2-2 on free throws to go along with six rebounds , 1 assists , 11 points.
According to espn app
Following Virginia’s 95-85 3 three overtime loss to Virginia Tech Wednesday December 31, 2025 Head Coach Ryan Odom shared his thoughts on his team, Chance Mallory by saying It's hard to win on the road,”and I thought the crowd was excellent tonight. They did a good job of energizing their team.”Chance made a heck of a play,”“He just followed the ball, did what he was supposed to do and chased it and was there just in the nick of time.”It comes down to execution, and they found something they could go to,
Following Virginia’s 95-85 three overtime loss to Virginia Tech Wednesday December 31, 2025 Thijs De. Ridder a forward a freshman who was was 9-20 on field goals , 3-11 on 3 pointers 1-2 on free throws to go along with 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 22 points shared his thoughts on 95-85 three overtime loss by saying They were just the tougher team at the end,”
According to Jeff White’s article https://virginiasports.com/news/2025/12/31/no-21-cavaliers-fall-in-three-overtime-thriller
Tip off is set for 11:00 AM Eastern Time from Lenovo Center!
The game is going to be televised on ESPN 2 with DaveO’Brien, Jay Williams commentating!
Dave O’Brien serves as a play-by-play commentator for ESPN, calling college basketball and other marquee events across ESPN platforms. One of the most versatile and respected voices in sports broadcasting, O’Brien has been a trusted presence on national broadcasts for more than two decades.
O’Brien joined ESPN in 2002 and has called a wide range of events for the network, including college basketball, Major League Baseball, and select NCAA Championships.
In addition to his work with ESPN, O’Brien is also the television voice of the Boston Red Sox on NESN, a role he has held since 2016. Over his distinguished career, he has called MLB postseason games on both television and radio, the World Series, and numerous NCAA Tournament matchups, as well as NBA, NFL, and international soccer broadcasts.
A graduate of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, O’Brien began his professional career in radio before moving into national television.
A native of Quincy, Massachusetts, O’Brien resides in the Boston area with his family. ormer standout point guard Jay Williams, roundly considered one of the most prolific college basketball players in history, is an NBA analyst on ESPN’s longstanding NBA pregame show NBA Countdown. Since August 2020, Williams has also co-hosted ESPN Radio’s weekday morning show, Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin, with Keyshawn Johnson and Zubin Mehenti – which became Keyshawn, JWill and Max with Max Kellerman in September 2021. The show – which airs from 6-10 a.m. ET – is also simulcast on ESPN2 (6-8 a.m.) and ESPNEWS (6-10 a.m.). Williams regularly contributes across the network’s studio programming including Get Up, First Take and The Jump.
Williams became an ESPN full-time game and studio analyst in 2008, after working for the network as a commentator in 2003. Williams joined at the start of the 2014-15 season as an analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay – the popular Saturday morning and evening college basketball program that originates from the Saturday Primetime game-of-the-week telecasts. He was a constant on ESPN and ESPN2’s weeknight studio coverage, called select college games throughout the year and had previously called the ESPNU ACC Sunday Night Basketball series.
Before joining ESPN, Williams was an analyst in 2007 for CBS College Sports Network, primarily working the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. He previously was a contributor to Fox Sports Radio 99.9 The Fan in North Carolina.
As a starter for three years at Duke, Williams won the Naismith College Player of the Year award, the John R. Wooden Award and the Oscar Robertson Trophy.
Williams averaged 19.3 points per game, 6.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds for the Blue Devils, while shooting .453 from the floor and .393 from 3-point range. He also led Duke to a 95-13 (.880) record and the 2001 NCAA National Championship. He averaged double figures as a freshman, which helped earn him the ACC Rookie of the Year award in 2000 and recognition as a first-team All-America player.
In his sophomore season with the Blue Devils, Williams shattered several school and NCAA records. With 841 points and a 25.7 ppg average, he topped Dick Groat’s 49-year-old record for most points in a season. Williams also set an NCAA Tournament record for 3-pointers attempted with 66. His 132 3-point field goals amounted to the sixth-highest total in NCAA history; his conference-leading 21.6 ppg designated him as the first Duke player to lead the ACC in scoring since Danny Ferry in 1989. Williams’ 6.1 assists ranked second in the league, while he also ranked second in 3-point field goal percentage (.427) and first in 3-pointers made (3.4 per game).
At the final game in his junior year, Williams’ No. 22 jersey was retired at Cameron Indoor Stadium. His jersey also has been retired at his elementary school and high school.
Williams was drafted second by Chicago in the 2002 NBA Draft, just behind No. 1 pick Yao Ming, and started 54 of 75 games for the Bulls in the 2002-03 season. During his first season in the NBA, his most memorable performance was a game against his hometown team, the New Jersey Nets, during which Williams scored a triple-double. He also played for the U.S. National team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
An accomplished entrepreneur and spokesperson, Williams is the CEO and National Director of Special Events for Rising Stars Youth Foundation using basketball as the vehicle to promote education and provide academic and financial assistance to students within the program. He is also the President and Chairman of his own company, Jay LLC.
He is a member of the NBA Retired Players Association, a voting member of the John Wooden Awards Committee and sits on the board of USA Basketball, and has been the spokesperson for Athletic Advantage, a sports physical therapy and performance development center in Durham, N.C.
In 2002, Williams graduated from Duke with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and business, becoming the first athlete at the university to earn a degree in just three years.
According to https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/williams_jay/