How NC State Fixed Its Home Court Advantage

RALEIGH — At times during the non-conference schedule, NC State struggled to provide the home fans with an effort worthy of their support, something that bothered head coach Will Wade greatly. With two league losses in the first few weeks of the ACC schedule, something had to change for the Wolfpack in the Lenovo Center.

Since the ugly home loss to Georgia Tech, the Pack flipped a switch in its home building. Wins over Syracuse and Virginia Tech back home helped State regain some confidence in its home building. It also earned the support of the Wolfpack fan base once again, which seems to be flocking back to the Lenovo Center in droves for the final few weeks of the regular season.

Fixing the home offense

Feb 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts during the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In the first home loss in ACC play, which came at the hands of the Virginia Cavaliers, NC State scored a season-low 61 points. It was a significant low point for the Wolfpack offense, which showed it could be explosive during the non-conference slate. Things turned around on the road, as the Pack responded with two wins, including a 113-point performance against Florida State.

That momentum came to a screeching halt, as Georgia Tech, one of the teams battling at the bottom of the conference for a spot in the ACC Tournament, came into the Lenovo Center and held the Wolfpack to 74 points. Outside of an ugly win over Wake Forest and the Virginia loss, it was another low point for the offense. Things had to change at home for the Wolfpack.

Lubin, Copeland, McNei — Feb 7, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11), forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) and guard Jr. Paul McNeil (2) during the first half of the game against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

After ripping off a pair of wins on the road, the Wolfpack returned to the Lenovo Center on Jan. 27 to face Syracuse. The offense regained some of its rhythm and flow on the road trip and hoped that trend would carry into the home stand. It did, as NC State shot 51% from the field, including 50 points in the paint over the Orange. The Pack finished the game with 88 points, with Darrion Williams, Quadir Copeland and Ven-Allen Lubin combining for 60 of those points.

NC State continued to improve its home court numbers with another win in the Lenovo Center over a stronger opponent than Syracuse, knocking off Virginia Tech for a sixth-straight win. The Wolfpack scored 82 points and shot 43% from 3-point range against one of the strong perimeter defenses in the ACC. While the win streak came to a grinding halt with the 41-point loss in Louisville, the home issues should be a thing of the past.

The home improvements of the Wolfpack will be tested to their limits on Saturday with the Miami Hurricanes arriving in Raleigh for a key conference matchup. If Wade and his team can survive the physicality of Miami, they should be in a prime position for a top-four spot in the league standings.

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