NC State men’s basketball set to propel itself into 2024-25 schedule | Sports | technicianonline.com

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NC State huddles together while Duke freshman guard Jared McCain takes free throws for a technical foul on the NC State bench during the NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sunday, March 31, 2024. NC State beat Duke 76-64 to advance to the Final Four.

Fresh off an iconic trip to the Final Four, NC State men’s basketball is looking to hit the ground running in the 2024-25 season. With a docket of solid non-conference games, the Pack will be provided with multiple tests to help get the season started. As the squad heads into conference play, it will be exposed to the effects of conference realignment, which has added three fresh faces to the ACC. Playing four games against these new foes, NC State will look to embrace the changing world of college athletics.

Non-conference

In total, NC State will face 11 non-conference opponents to start the season. Perhaps an effect of its deep run in the tournament, its slate of opponents looks to be the best array Pack fans have seen in a long time. Starting the season against South Carolina Upstate on Nov. 4, NC State will play five straight home games in the newly renamed Lenovo Center.

On Nov. 28, the team will get its first big test of the season as it travels to San Diego to take on No. 14 Purdue in the Rady’s Children Invitational. Looking to avenge its Final Four loss to the Boilermakers, NC State will attempt to capitalize on the absence of the towering Zach Edey.

NC State will then return home to take on No. 19 Texas in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Longhorns should prove to be a great early season test coming off of an appearance in the Round of 32. In their first matchup since 2011, NC State will look to capture a win out of conference as it fell mightily last season to Ole Miss.

On Dec. 10, NC State will return to the hallowed Reynolds Coliseum to take on Coppin State in its annual heritage game. Honoring the teams of the past, the Pack will also help provide a nod to the present.

To round out its non-conference schedule, NC State will travel to Lawrence, Kansas for its toughest non-conference game. Taking on the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks, the Pack will step into one of the most unforgiving environments in all of college hoops. Dropping only one game at home last season serves as a testament to the adversity that NC State will have to bear.

Key ACC matchups

After getting a stab at the Florida State Seminoles in December, NC State will finish the calendar year with a trip to Charlottesville to take on Virginia. With the sudden retirement of longtime head coach Tony Bennett, a new era has begun with Virginia basketball. NC State went 2-1 against the Cavaliers last season, which included an improbable win in the ACC Tournament.

In late January, NC State welcomes California and SMU in consecutive games. Marking the first time it has faced California since the 2006 season and the first time it has taken on the Mustangs since 1988. NC State will later travel to take on the Golden Bears on Feb. 5. It will presumably remain in the Golden State to take on the third of the ACC’s new teams, Stanford Cardinal on Feb. 8. Even though expectations may not be particularly high for the new additions to the conference, it should still prove to be interesting to see how the Pack handles the effects of realignment.

In between these matchups, NC State will take on the Clemson Tigers at home on Feb. 1. Largely overshadowed by the Pack’s success in March, the Tigers quietly made a trip to the Elite Eight. Another key home contest will come on Feb. 12 against Louisville. Despite finishing last in the ACC last season, the Cardinals hired a new head coach and completed an overhaul of its roster with 12 transfers in the hopes of completing a drastic turnaround of its fate.

As NC State begins to round out its regular season schedule, it faces a stretch of games that may prove challenging. Traveling to take on Syracuse, the Pack will look to win against a program that has had its number as of recently, as a win in the ACC Tournament last season broke up a skid of seven straight losses.

On senior night, NC State will take on Pittsburgh, a team that continued to improve last season and narrowly missed out on the tournament. In the regular season finale, the Pack will travel to Coral Gables to take on Miami. After a surprising Final Four appearance two seasons ago, the Hurricanes struggled mightily last season including a 10-game losing streak to round out the season. However, the team brought in several key players in the hopes of righting the ship.

In-state rivalry games

In the upcoming season, NC State will take on its Tobacco Road rivals in five separate contests. Starting off the 2025 calendar year, NC State will travel to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest on Jan. 4. A team that boasts lots of talent, the Demon Deacons have continued to be on the cusp of making their first tournament appearance since 2017. NC State will welcome Wake to Raleigh later on Feb. 22.

NC State secured bragging rights last season over North Carolina after defeating them in the ACC Championship. It will take on the No. 9 Tar Heels twice this season with a home date with them on Jan. 11 and then traveling to the Dean Dome on Feb. 19. The Heels look to be one of the best teams in the conference with several returning players. Lastly, the Pack will travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on No. 7 Duke on Jan. 27. Boasting the best recruiting class in the country, the Blue Devils will undoubtedly be one of the toughest teams NC State will face this season.

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