The No. 23 NC State men’s basketball team fell to No. 3 Virginia Tuesday night, despite a hard-fought performance by the team. After taking down Clemson due to late-game heroics by sophomore guard Braxton Beverly, NC State came into the matchup looking to pull off the upset against an extremely talented Virginia squad, led by head coach Tony Bennett.

It was another tight one in Raleigh, but ultimately the Pack fell short in overtime after junior guard Markell Johnson missed the first of three free throws at the end of the extra session. While there are no moral victories, there are many great things to be taken from this game heading into two top-25 matchups in the coming week.

Never count this team out

If the Clemson game was not proof enough that this team plays until the buzzer sounds, then the Virginia game removed all doubt. Early into the 2nd half, the Pack found itself down 42-28, but like all games in which the Pack has trailed this year, it somehow found a way to come back. After some quick points by redshirt sophomore guard Devin Daniels and redshirt senior guard Torin Dorn, the Pack found itself right back in the game.

This was a Virginia team that was beating opponents by a 20.5-point margin, and many teams have simply laid down and given up when down to the Cavaliers. The Pack didn’t, seeming to have found an identity in never going away when down in games. Wolfpack fans can appreciate that after years where many Wolfpack basketball teams failed to compete against quality opponents, and all of the credit goes to the culture change brought about by head coach Kevin Keatts.

Wyatt Walker played to his potential

Many Wolfpack fans have wondered over the recent games why graduate Wyatt Walker continued to start at center while struggling against some ACC opponents. He put all of those questions to bed Tuesday, as the forward out of Jacksonville, Florida had his best game of the season. On a night where the Pack had one of its worst shooting performances of the year, Walker did not, as he shot 2 for 2 from the floor and finished with 11 points.

Walker not only was efficient at shooting against the Cavaliers, but he was able to grab key rebounds, especially late in the game. Walker finished the game with seven rebounds and only two personal fouls, which is a great sign of improvement, since he has experienced some foul trouble in ACC play. With these kinds of performances, Wolfpack fans can look to Walker to help the Pack compete with the top teams in the ACC.

Keatts’ system works

Ever since Keatts arrived in Raleigh, he has preached that his teams want to play at an extremely fast tempo. Keatts has pushed NC State to be one of the most conditioned teams in the country. He believes that by playing at an up-tempo speed, teams will eventually wear out as the game progresses. In the short one and a half seasons that Keatts has been in Raleigh, this concept has been shown to work in numerous games in which teams have shown extreme progressive fatigue against the Pack.

While this up-tempo style of play has worked in the past, some have questioned whether Keatts’ system would work against every team. Bennett and the Cavaliers run one of the slowest systems in the country, as Virginia ranks at 352nd out of 353 teams in possessions per game. Compare that to NC State, ranked at No. 36, and it is clear that both teams could not be any more philosophically different. On Tuesday, the Pack forced 16 turnovers with its high tempo of play, which is one of its highest totals of the year. While no offense is perfect, Keatts and the Pack proved that they can run their system against anyone.

Despite the loss, Wolfpack fans can look at this game as a step forward rather than a step back. Much like the Wisconsin game, the Wolfpack showed many signs of a great program. As seen Tuesday, this team has the players and heart to compete with anyone in the country. However, the Pack will need to continue and improve on its play as the team faces even more challenging opponents in the coming week. With games against No. 12 Virginia Tech and No. 9 North Carolina, the team has no time to slow down. Despite the tough competition, Wolfpack fans can know that this team will continue to compete and look to take down some big names as they approach the middle of ACC play.