Will Wade’s journey back to major college basketball includes former Big Ten guard Tre Holloman.
Will Wade, NC State Land Tre Holloman
During his long trip back to a national platform, NC State head coach Will Wade paid his dues, of sorts. Ironically, for someone who lost a job behind improper benefits, pay for his previous transgressions is a rarity.
Wade endured the long road, leaving Baton Rouge for Lake Charles, La. Now, after a Southland Conference Tournament championship, NC State came calling. Perhaps his biggest move was landing senior point guard Holloman from Michigan State.
One day, Wade stood on LSU’s sidelines. Next, we see him coaching the McNeese State University Cowboys. Basketball, especially in the coaching ranks, can be a fickle friend. However, Wade’s path was self-inflicted. Back in 2019, an FBI wiretap picked up Wade complaining about paying players behind the scenes.
The hammer fell, and LSU fired him on March 10, 2022. Moreover, the NCAA handed out a two-year show-cause penalty. This meant that he needed to routinely check in and prove that he was following the rules. When that elapsed, McNeese State came calling.
What’s NC State getting in Michigan State transfer PG Tre Holloman? A floor general, but more importantly, a leader.
“He’s a coach’s dream.”
On the Pack’s newest addition: https://t.co/hs8DqbmeU5 pic.twitter.com/sUEjwrTb20
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) April 15, 2025
After two successful seasons, where his team enjoyed a 50-9 record, NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan brought him to Raleigh. In typical Wade fashion, he won over the press during his introductory press conference, as reported by 24/7 Sports columnist R. Cory Smith:
“Thanks for the warm reception. It’s always nice when you haven’t lost yet. I want to thank Corrigan. He went about this search the right way. I know it wasn’t fast enough for some people, but Corrigan went about it the right way. You’re going to get the same passion and fire I had at LSU without the arrogance. Our time is now. “
“When that happens at NC State, it’s going to be a reckoning for the ACC. It’s going to be a reckoning for college basketball. We’re going to be in the top of the ACC and be in the NCAA Tournament next year. We’re going to be very aggressive.”
“We have to maximize what we have. I want Lenovo Center packed for the home opener. I want the nation to know the Pack is back. We’re going to be a force. We’re going to talk like a top team. We’re going to act like a top team. We’re going to win like a top team. We’re going to build a consistent winner”
Wade says all of the right things. However, to his credit, he did mention his arrogance during his LSU tenure. You don’t really see that from most college coaches, regardless of sports. Self-awareness in a coach is quite a novel approach.
After 106 games in East Lansing, former Michigan State guard Holloman headed to North Carolina State. While many externally praise this move as brilliant, 99.9 The Fan radio host Tim Donnelly definitely disagrees. In this clip, you can feel the palpable uncertainty.
While Holloman plays a position of need, how can a player who logged an average of 17.3 minutes per game in 2024-25 change the culture of an entire team? If you compare his stats and game logs with the game film, nothing remarkable stands out as far as defining characteristics.
KEEP READING: Who Are Tre Holloman’s Parents? Inside the Family Behind the NC State Guard
Granted, Wade needed a veteran presence to stabilize a younger group of many players who never competed, but people need to pump the brakes a bit.
Wade knows what he’s up against. While this may not be his last chance, due to his youth (42 years old) and extraordinarily high winning percentage (70.1%), he may not see another school in an elite conference if ghosts of the past resurface and drag the program into a darker place.
Holloman gives the Wolfpack a part of what’s needed. However, the onus remains on Wade to fill in the blanks.
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