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How NC State Can Get Back Into the Top 25

The Wolfpack fell out of the AP Top 25 after a 1-2 showing in the Southwest Maui Invitational.
Tucker Sennett|
Feb 20, 2019; Raleigh, NC, USA; Basketball with the North Carolina State Wolfpack logo sits on the court during a timeout as the Wolfpack play the Boston College Eagles in the first half at PNC Arena. The North Carolina State Wolfpack won 89-80. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2019; Raleigh, NC, USA; Basketball with the North Carolina State Wolfpack logo sits on the court during a timeout as the Wolfpack play the Boston College Eagles in the first half at PNC Arena. The North Carolina State Wolfpack won 89-80. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images | Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — NC State men's basketball became the No. 25 team in the country after first-year head coach Will Wade led the Wolfpack to a 4-0 start. However, things changed quickly for the Pack, as the team crumbled in the Southwest Maui Invitational and lost two of its three games in the multi-team event on the Hawaiian island.

Now 5-2 on the season, the Wolfpack slipped out of the latest AP Top 25 rankings and received a measly five votes. There's no shortage of opportunities for NC State to get back into the national conversation in the month of December, though, and those chances begin right away with a massive game against No. 20 Auburn on Wednesday. What can the Wolfpack do to get back into the mix?

Step 1: Beat Auburn

The ACC/SEC challenge is a unique opportunity for the Wolfpack to prove itself on the national stage, while also helping the greater outlook for a conference desperate to repair its reputation as the premier basketball league in collegiate athletics. At ACC Tipoff, commissioner Jim Phillips repeatedly called the ACC the premier college basketball conference, but it hasn't looked that way so far.

If the Wolfpack can go to one of the most difficult places to win in the country and play a competitive game, it will go a long way in fixing some of the damage it suffered with the two losses on Maui. It would certainly be a Quadrant-1 win for NC State, boosting the Wolfpack's resume for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.

Step 2: Win one of the remaining non-conference matchups

Should the Wolfpack get the job done against Auburn, it will still need to keep things rolling in the non-conference portion of the schedule to have some room to maneuver by the time ACC play begins in January. NC State is set to face No. 21 Kansas and a two-loss Ole Miss team that remains dangerous.

It is critical for the Wolfpack to win one of those two games, preferably the matchup with Kansas in the Lenovo Center. The Jayhawks already lost to both Duke and North Carolina, making NC State the lone Triangle team without a win against them. Any win over a ranked opponent will go a long way in regaining respect nationally, but that win would avoid any common opponent comparison with the other schools in the region.

Step 3: Stay healthy

Darrion Williams
Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State player Darrion Williams answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

NC State's major defensive woes are a significant concern, but the Wolfpack roster has the personnel to overcome those issues. If Wade can get serious buy-in on that end of the floor from his stars, like Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams, the Wolfpack will be back in the mix in the AP polls over the next few weeks.

The ball is in the Wolfpack's court throughout December. Can the group get the job done?

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.

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